msteel

If it quit suddenly it could also be the clutch or I suppose the compressor. Oops! I re-read your post and since you just bought the car you don't know if it quit suddenly or not. Still worth checking, though.

You could swap out the knuckle - I did one on my Loyale recently. Mine had the balljoint bolt broken from way back, and the strut pinchbolt broke taking the knuckle off. So be careful! I chose the swap route since I had a parts car available. If you can get the entire axle/bearings/knuckle/balljoint in one piece in good shape, it should be easiest. In my case I put a new balljoint and bearings/seals in, so it was more work.

I am in the midst of this job for the first time as well, so my suggestions aren't proven. I have the knuckle off the car (not too difficult to take off, but don't break the pinch bolt like I did-ouch). I am planning to use a press to put the bearings back in. I have heard that a 2" metal conduit coupling is just right to contact the outer race. I couldn't find a metal one the right size at Lowes, but a PVC one is the right size. I thought the PVC might hold up to a press, but I'm unsure about whether it would hold up to banging. Interestingly, a 1" pipe just fits inside the inner race, and with a reducer coupler you might be able to make a tool to hold the bearing while tapping it. I plan to post on the message board if I have great results - we'll see. Matt

My Loyale has started occasionally saying "kruk-kruk-kruk." It seems most often I'm turning and accelerating, like after at a stop sign. To my ear it sounds like a CV joint does after its been run a while with the boot cracked and grease leaking, but all of my boots are good. If it is a CV joint it seems like it's the newest one, a rebuilt from NAPA I put in a year ago. But I'd hate to go to the effort of changing it if it's something else. Has anybody heard of a CV Joint failing while still sealed? Or any other ideas as to what else on a Loyale would make a similar noise?

Hi, I'm new here on the message board. But did this same thing a couple of years ago on my '92 Loyale wagon. Except what I dropped in was a steel rod I was using to hold the flywheel in place when tightening the crankshaft pulley. I tried the magnet on a string. I tried the telescoping magnet. I tried the grabber thingy. Then I saw the access plate in a diagram in my repair manual. I took the plate off and the rod fell right out. I did loosen the engine mounts and lift up the transmission off the crossmember first, though. I hope you have success with your wrench! Matthew Steel