"Squished-out" CV joint gasket, what is happening to my new CV joints? Options

[detoxcowboy]

"for these, use a gsasket sealer material, RTV or formagasket. if you have the groove and wish to use the gasket, apply formagasket sealer to one side (CV side) to help hold it in place during install"

The gasket will stick postion a bit due to the film of cv grease, just ensure it stays there til your done, do not go straight to full torque specs, creeping up on it will assist in ensuring the gaskets are in postion and assist in an even torque down.. seems to me as RTV and CV grease don't work well together, it is a filthy job to ensure the grease is cleaned off for the RTV gasket, ... but then again I am just a perma grease back face down in the driveway..

you have all the fun! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

[jimtab]

I use sealant now. The groove in many CVs are not deep enough for the gaskets so this is common. Also, this leads to loosening bolts and if left alone can lead to axle disengagement and chaos.

Pussy.....you always said Chaos was your friend...... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/evilgrin.gif)

[realred914]

"for these, use a gsasket sealer material, RTV or formagasket. if you have the groove and wish to use the gasket, apply formagasket sealer to one side (CV side) to help hold it in place during install"

The gasket will stick postion a bit due to the film of cv grease, just ensure it stays there til your done, do not go straight to full torque specs, creeping up on it will assist in ensuring the gaskets are in postion and assist in an even torque down.. seems to me as RTV and CV grease don't work well together, it is a filthy job to ensure the grease is cleaned off for the RTV gasket, ... but then again I am just a perma grease back face down in the driveway..

you have all the fun! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

glue the gasket tot eh joint before packign with grease. i prefer form a gasket, but mentioned rtv cuase some folks prefer it. I donlt liek the way it holds up either, forma agasket is much better hear on the cvs cause of grease. rtv is really baad near gasoline

[Eric_Shea]

VW type CV's (even the new stock Lobro brand with the larger 914 size balls sold for VW bug applications from Scat) dont have the groove for the gasket. use of gasket in this type of cv will cause the gasket to squeeze out and lead to false torque down of the critical bolts.

You don't know of what you speak. The CV balls are the same. All it would take is reading to understand that a gasket groove was machined into the CV.

I agree though... Standard Type1 CV's (which have the same size balls) do not have the groove. Use RTV or gasket compound for those.

[stoneman30hotmail]

I'd like to revive this old post to see if there is new advice on how to handle the CV gasket. I just did this job on my car. I was a bit pressed for time since my garage is up a slope and couldn't figure out to tow it inside, so did this in the street over the weekend and didn't quite think through the result. I couldn't get the gasket to stay in the grove since they were too tight for the machined grove (set from PMB). So all four joints are now pinching their paper gasket. I maybe could have done a better job where the shaft stubs are, but moving the joints around the trans and suspension, it's impossible not to knock the gasket out of place. As it was one side lost a ball which I had to refit while greased up under the car. That probably shouldn't be possible in new quality joints but...
Now that the car is in the garage I can try to mediate this. Duct tape sounds good. Or pull the joints apart? Then what? I don't see how I'd get them clean enough for a sealer to grab. How much does the gasket actually do? I wonder why the boot side get's away without one.
Maybe just figure on checking the bolts every year. But then I wonder if a lot of grease will get by the bolt spaces since it doesn't pinch there.
Original ones in the picture

[rjames]

If you don't want to remove them (and you probably no need to), get some bolts drilled for safety wire, replace the existing bolts one at a time. Leave them loose enough where you can clean the gunk out. Tighten them to spec and safety wire them correctly. Then use RTV around the perimeter in the groove. Wrap with high-temp aluminum foil duct tape to ensure a seal. You could use regular duct tape, but the aluminum foil stuff will look a lot better since it is close to the same 'color' as the cv joint and will blend in looks-wise. The aluminum foil tape doesn't get all gooey either like regular duct tape does.