I need help. I have a 1991 Subaru Legacy L that I am attempting to change the front passenger side CV Joint. I replace the driver side a few years ago with no problems. This side not so much. I was attempting the knock the spring pin out with a punch when it broke off inside. So now I have a quarter inch of spring pin sticking out one side and half an inch of the broken punch sticking out the other. I believe the punch that is broken off is wedged inside of the spring pin, due to it's incorrect side. I've already tried the following things. 1. using the right sized punch to punch the spring pin out ( from the side the spring pin is sticking out) 2. using vice grips to try and pull out either side. I have tried using liquid wrench to help the pin and punch along to no avail (no big surprise there)

 

I have no clue what to do. I am all out of ideas and am about to pull my hair out. Any help at all would be fantastic.

If you have a small punch you may be able to punch out the pieces of the punch that broke off through the center of the roll pin.

 

The correct size punch makes all the difference. We've all been there.

Yeah, I just thought of that and tried that, to no avail. a lot of the problem I think is the lack room to swing a hammer, its hard to get any force behind the swings. :-\ This is my first time being there, and I don't like it.

get the car off the ground, rotate it so you can access from underneath and then get the exhaust out of the way. if it's bad you'll need that extra room to work.

 

you can start drilling - it's going to take awhile and be very annoying. use lots of cutting oil or have lots of bits on hand as they'll dull quickly.

 

if it's an automatic just yank on the axle really hard or pry on it and the stub shaft will actually pop out of the transmission. it's only held in place by a circlip which will come out attached to the end of the stubby shaft.

 

then you can put it in a vice or many other methods and be more precise about it.

 

if it's a manual trans you can't do that, the shafts do not come out.

If you have a large pair of wire cutters,(Dikes) you could possibly grab the broken punch and get a bite with the jaws and leverage it out. could be that drilling is the only way though and you'll need a carbide bit to drill a punch.

get the car off the ground, rotate it so you can access from underneath and then get the exhaust out of the way. if it's bad you'll need that extra room to work.

 

you can start drilling - it's going to take awhile and be very annoying. use lots of cutting oil or have lots of bits on hand as they'll dull quickly.

 

if it's an automatic just yank on the axle really hard or pry on it and the stub shaft will actually pop out of the transmission. it's only held in place by a circlip which will come out attached to the end of the stubby shaft.

 

then you can put it in a vice or many other methods and be more precise about it.

 

if it's a manual trans you can't do that, the shafts do not come out.

 

 

It is an automatic. So I can just pull on the half shaft its self? That will pull the male part its attached to out of the transmission along with the half shaft? Would you say this is easier then drilling? Drilling was what I was going to go with next.

It is an automatic.

awesome, this becomes easy! YES! finally something goes your way! :banana:

 

I can just pull on the half shaft its self? That will pull the male part its attached to out of the transmission along with the half shaft?

exactly, just yank on it - they pop out and pop right back in. i mean do it carefully and methodically, don't just beat the living snot out of it!

 

Would you say this is easier then drilling? Drilling was what I was going to go with next.

10 times easier than drilling. or at least even if you're drilling, doing it out of the car would be much simpler.

 

if you don't have good tools for this kind of thing to get it out yourself just take it to a shop with a press or something else, they can get it out in about 90 seconds for the price of a beer.

YES!!!! I have been working on this dang thing for 2 days straight and racking my brain over it. So pry it out? I have a drill press and a vice so it should be easy to knock out the pin, or just drill it out! This will be the first time having a automatic instead of a standard will pay off.

 

So I will be prying/ pulling off. Then just hammer it back in?

 

thank you for all your help.

Got the half axle off. Drilling out the Pin tomorrow. I hope it goes back in as easy as it came out.

Might be a good idea to insert the stub axle in the differential housing first to make sure the circlip is seated and holding. Then re-install the axle like a normal axle change. Just make sure the roll pin holes line up properly. Edrach's fine writeup has some good tips:

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=75739&highlight=ej+axle

 

Good luck.

This is a really inspirational story of how tragedy and despair can quickly turn to relief and triumph!

 

I had no idea they would just pull out. I would have been under the car with vise grips, hammers, drills, etc for hours!

 

 

Not to diminish my sense of manhood, but there have been at least two or three times in my life that a car repair project brought me to actual tears due to frustration, fatigue and hopelessness. But every time, I've been able to pull through..

 

Matt

Thank you for all your help! I got it out and the new one installed. I had two other questions as well if you want to give me your three Cents on the matter. That would be great.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?p=1034180#post1034180

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=124964

 

Thank you!

Thread revival..

 

Any one know if the stub axle will pull out of a '98 Legacy (automatic)?

 

I have the same exact problem as the OP.

 

Thanks

Michael

Any one know if the stub axle will pull out of a '98 Legacy (automatic)?

 

yes.  pull out the stub, get the bits out, pop the stub back in.

 

it's easy, two simple notes:

it'll have a circlip dangling off the transmission end of it that holds it in place. 

there is a seal here so be careful and don't hack it up.