Leaking Gaiter - Some Advice!

sgx.saint

sgx.saint

sgx.saint

Associate
Joined
2 May 2007
Posts
753
Location
Teesside
Hey.

I'm after some advice, and please bare in mind that I am not particularly technically minded when it comes to cars.

I currently own a Renault Megane Coupe on an S Plate and there is a split in the near side driveshaft gaiter. The bit that connects to the gearbox.

It has been leaking for a few months now, but seems to have stopped recently.

I spoke to a mate who is more technically minded than me and he said that the reason it will have stopped leaking is that the oil level will have fallen below the split in the driveshaft. He told me that I should be safe to keep driving it for the time being, but it obviously needs replacing.

I don't have the money this month to pay to fix it, so I don't really have an option but to keep using it.

Just wondering if I do keep driving it, am I at major risk of it breaking my gearbox or is my friend right in saying that the risk is fairly low?

He did mention buying a universal driveshaft gaiter which I could fit over the top of the existing one.

Are these cheap/easy to fit?
 
sgx.saint said:
I spoke to a mate who is more technically minded than me and he said that the reason it will have stopped leaking is that the oil level will have fallen below the split in the driveshaft. He told me that I should be safe to keep driving it for the time being, but it obviously needs replacing.
Click to expand...
It has stopped leaking because there is no more grease to come out. CV joints wear rapidly with no grease in them

I don't have the money this month to pay to fix it, so I don't really have an option but to keep using it.
Click to expand...
If you really are broke, just buy some grease and stuff as much through the split as you can to keep the joint lubricated

Just wondering if I do keep driving it, am I at major risk of it breaking my gearbox or is my friend right in saying that the risk is fairly low?
Click to expand...
It will start clicking after a while, by then the joint itself is knackered and you've just quadrupled your repair bill :D If it isn't clicking now then you should replace the gaiter it to prevent the joint wearing out.

It won't blow your gearbox up, it is a seperate component. If anything the joint will go and you will no longer be able to steer, which is an interesting sensation :D

He did mention buying a universal driveshaft gaiter which I could fit over the top of the existing one.

Are these cheap/easy to fit?
Click to expand...

They don't go over the existing one, you remove the old one with a knife, undo the hub nut, undo the bottom ball joint, pop the hub out, slide the driveshaft end out and then slip the new one over and pack it with grease - then reassemble.

Unless he means those super nasty universal boots that are split to start with and you glue them after sliding them over the old boot. They are generally terrible and I wouldn't bother.
Remember you still need to repack with grease, or you are closing the door after the horse has bolted. All the gaiter does is hold the grease in which lubricates the joint.
 
Hi Lopez.

Thanks for the reply!

I think I'll slap my mate. He was quite sure that the oil leaking from the black gaiter was coming from the gearbox.

Do the gaiters usually leak quite a lot if they split? .... Mine seemed to leak loads!

When I turn left, hard left, there is a click/nocking ..... it's been doing that for some time now.

So, is it worth putting grease into the joint? ... If so, where would I buy it from?

If there was a gearbox leak, what type of symptoms should I expect to see from the car...?
 
sgx.saint said:
Do the gaiters usually leak quite a lot if they split? .... Mine seemed to leak loads!
Click to expand...
Yep, looks like someones left a muck spreader turned on under the car for months usually. A little grease goes a long way!

When I turn left, hard left, there is a click/nocking ..... it's been doing that for some time now.
Click to expand...
Go to a car park and put the car on full lock and driver round slowly with the window open. You should hear a regular "CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK" (it can be quite quiet) if it's going. If it is making this noise it is too late and your CV joint will need replacing soon as well as the boot.

So, is it worth putting grease into the joint? ... If so, where would I buy it from?
Click to expand...
Any motor factor, Halfords, Motor World etc. It will help preserve the joint a bit longer than none at all.

If there was a gearbox leak, what type of symptoms should I expect to see from the car...?
Click to expand...
Whining through the gears, difficulty engaging gears, popping out of gear.

Just to note, many French cars do not have replacable CV joints (I don't lnow about the Megane specifically)
If this is the case, you have to buy a whole new driveshaft. It's more expensive of course but actually much easier than replacing the joint on an existing shaft!
 
Again, thanks for the reply :)

So if I head into Halfords, do I just ask for some 'grease' or has it got a specific name?

Also, what's the best way of putting the grease into the black gaiter? .... I imagine the split to be fairly small, I'm just trying to imagine how I would get it inside!

Just to confirm though, my gearbox can't lose oil through a split in the gaiter that is attached to it?
 
No worries.

You can buy CV Grease in tubs or sachets. Just erm... finger it in through the split if that makes any sense :D

There is another seal between the driveshaft and the gearbox so no, you cannot lose gearbox oil through a leaking CV boot :)
 
If you have to take it apart slightly and put the grease in the normal way and not through the split. Try degreasing the split and super glueing it back together. Depending how long its been split as this can fix the problem permanantly. Sounds silly but it works!
 
Which engine? as the JB/JC series gearboxs don't want grease in there as its not a CV joint on the inner joint and it has been gearbox oil leaking out.
 
bmh.01 said:
Which engine? as the JB/JC series gearboxs don't want grease in there as its not a CV joint on the inner joint and it has been gearbox oil leaking out.
Click to expand...

If the above is the case then scrap what I said as it only applies to normal vehicles not bizarre Renaults :D What does the leaked residue feel like? Oily or greasy?
 
If its the passenger side. With the CV boot going which is against the gearbox it'll be loosing gearbox oil.
 
Will probably be a JB3 box, on the nearside gearbox end of the driveshaft is a yoke which goes into a cutout in the differential and its a bearing gaitor on the end of the shaft.

Where abouts is the split as I can't see why it'd stop leaking until the gearbox oil got worrying low. So i'd check the gearbox oil level too asap.

I've never changed one but looking at the renault repair manaul you need a press to get the gaitor/bearing assembly off and to put the new one on and I don't know how much the part costs.
 
On my p-reg 1.4 the gearbox has a closed diff, so you can't lose oil from the gearbox through the drive shafts.
 
If it's the inner boot, it's a bit more of a ballache as you need to take the drive shaft out, remove the CV on the wheel end, then put the new boot on from that end.
 
http://getflat.co.uk/pics/MR312MEGANE2-74-99.pdf

Bearing gaitor on the last few pages is what your looking at.

SB118 said:
On my p-reg 1.4 the gearbox has a closed diff, so you can't lose oil from the gearbox through the drive shafts.
Click to expand...
Really? I wasn't aware of any renault gearbox that era where you didn't drop the gearbox oil when you remove the nearside shaft? Genuine question.
 
It probably will be about £30 - £50 to fix plus part, but I don't have £30 - £50 until the end of the month and I still have to get to work till then.

I have a replacement gaiter from Renault which I bought last month and just needs fitting. But again, I don't have the money to pay for this to be fitted until the end of the month.

Reading the replies, I'm assuming I'm leaking gearbox oil and not just grease.

What are my options, if any? ... Keep topping up the gearbox oil until the end of the month?

Can I not make a temporary repair to the split in the joint?

Think I may need to create a spec me a cheap mechanic thread towards the end of the month.
 
Why don't Renault simply fit driveshaft oil seals like the rest of the world? It seems a bit pointless having a dummy joint and a gaiter full of oil.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom