So I am assembling an axle cv joint. I used a 50 ton press to push the spider thingy off and it isn't set up well enough to press the thingy back on as I reassemble (long axle, with spider thingy pressing on end).

What I've done is put the axle in the freezer over night, the spider in the oven on 450 1/2 hour (wife was not pleased as it stunk up the house), then with the axle in a vise, and with a little moly lube, I drove it on (with a socket for a spacer and a small sledge hammer). It went on with about 4 or 5 very firm, but not very very heavy blows.

I am wondering if 450 was too hot? could I have drawn the temper out?
I'm wishing I had only gone to 350 but was afraid of it not going on as the fella that owns the press says it was at least half way to capacity. Dang I wish they had just used some kind of clip instead of putting it on THAT dang tight!

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Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR

No worry about loss of any temper at 450 degrees F. Actually thats only slightly above soft soldering temperatures at best.

Oh good! I, thought that 450 would be o.k. thanx for your input!

I have hardened, tempered and drawn temper before, but it was long ago, and I used the discolouration off the steel as a guide for temp and never knew what the actual temp was.So what would be too hot? 1000? 1200?

__________________
Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR

I am not sure what would be too hot perhaps approaching 3,000 farenheight degrees to totally destroy it. That spyder is pretty good steel.
I am also not sure at what temperature the surface hardening would be affected but it's going to be really up there. If I remember and it's been a long time dull red is 2,700 degrees F.
Just to surface harden mild steel we used to take it to dull red and chemically treat it. I never post treated to remove the hardness afterwards so do not know what it takes.
I might want to consider keeping in your wifes good graces by cleaning that oven out with oven cleaner. Otherwise the first time you have a roast or something it might have an oil aftertaste.
Women seem to have a much more developed sense of smell and perhaps taste buds. You are probably young and lucky so far. I would have to buy a new stove for my wife and she is usually pretty easy to get along with.
Much like the time I vacuumed up some solvent accidentially with her expensive vacuum cleaner. The brush arcing ignited the solvent and melted the plastic. Looked like a small flamethrower. She demanded and got a new one even though I explained that the local agent could restore it pretty easily.

It depends on the hardness of the steel. 450°F. will temper steel that is Rc 60-62. This is what we'll use on a bearing race. If the mechanics leave it in a oven set to 450°F. for one hour.........the race is history.

But, your yoke is nowhere near that hardness so the temperature is fine.

As a guess, I'd say the yoke is probably good to 600°F. before tempering will occur.

Maybe I better just take it to 350 when I do the other one. I think freezing the axle alone might have been enough, but I really didn't want it stuck half on, press it off and try again.
-slightly off topic, can a guy put too much grease in the joint?

__________________
Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR

I have done a similiar operation for replacing a seal race on an axle stub. Since the axle stub was attached to the car, it wasn't possible to get that part in the freezer. I went a different route then using the oven as you descibed. I used a Fry Daddy deep fryer that we no longer used in the kitchen. Since I can plug it in the garage, it doesn't stink up the house.

TimK

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EPA 609 & 608 HVAC Certified
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83' 300D Turbo - 300K + Miles
00' 1.9L TDI Beetle
85' 6.5L Turbo, GV-OD, GMC Suburban,
67' 2.5L Diesel NA - Land Rover Series IIA

Here's what you do if it's so cold your diesel fuel gels. Smear some on some toast and stay inside until it warms up outside.

Brian thinks the temperature of temper removal is much lower than I do and is probably right. It has been fifty years since I seriously played around with metals. Still suspect you are within the safe zone with your temp though.
I think one nice feature of the mercedes cv joints is that they run in oil. Most the joints that run grease seem to lost partial lubrication after a long period of time. The grease seems to harden and no longer flows properly in the joint. .
You may have to look up the amount of lubricant and type to pour in those joints. There will be a recommended quantity. Of course do it before you reinstall the axel. It is a lot easier.
Clean the second part well before introducing it to the oven this time for domestic harmony.

Domestic tranquility is important!
I will clean it first, this time .
She was even more upset over the stink and smoke than when I cook hide glue in the microwave
There is a little bit of wear(140k) on the cage parts but the balls look perfect. Can I switch left and right axles to put most of the future wear on the other sides of the cage parts?

__________________
Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR

That switching of sides was a recomendation I picked up somewhere to increase usable overall cv joint life as well. Yet it is still not discussed too often on site.
Hide glue in the microwave? You do live dangerously.

Switching sides won't help the balls any, but it will help the grooves. I used to do this on my old FWD SAABs.

Hmm, if there is wear on the axle, I would not swap sides, since the wear patterns would be different. this could actually shorten the life of the axle. especially if you don't change the grease.
John

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Thanx for your input John.
I would not consider switching some worn parts with other unworn parts Such as mismatching diff gears etc. And there is no noticeable wear on the axle splines. These cages wear mostly on the acceleration side not much on deceleration side so what we are talking about is switching left for right whole axle assembly's, so that (rotating the other direction), the majority of the wear from this point on in time is on the other side of the cage.
Thanx Chuck

__________________
Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR