Driveshaft Boot - Throwing Out Grease After Replacement?

November 2, 2006

Needed to replace a split offside outer driveshaft boot on my E10. I couldn't remove the outer CV joint so had to remove the whole drive shaft to replace the boot from the other end.

In my wisdom I thought I would pull the inner joint from its housing rather than removing the driveshaft from the gearbox (saves damaging expensive oil seals).

When I unclipped the inner boot and removed the driveshaft, the CV joint grease was milky in colour and had the consistency of cream and consequently splattered all over me. I guess this is because it has picked up water along the way somewhere? Sounds plausible as it is the original boot on a 1997 car.

Anyway, cleaned up and regreased the joints, replaced the outer boot, replaced driveshaft into inner housing and resecured original inner boot using cable tie as tight as I could get it.

A few days later, I noticed that there was a spray of cv joint grease all around the inner boot. It appeared to be leaking from between the boot and the joint housing. This boot was checked when removed and was in perfect condition (no holes, no splits), understandable as by design this joint rarely flexes. I unclipped, repacked with grease and resealed with a chunkier cable tie, but it is still leaking albeit slightly less.

Any ideas guys?

November 3, 2006

Needed to replace a split offside outer driveshaft boot on my E10. I couldn't remove the outer CV joint so had to remove the whole drive shaft to replace the boot from the other end.
In my wisdom I thought I would pull the inner joint from its housing rather than removing the driveshaft from the gearbox (saves damaging expensive oil seals).
When I unclipped the inner boot and removed the driveshaft, the CV joint grease was milky in colour and had the consistency of cream and consequently splattered all over me. I guess this is because it has picked up water along the way somewhere? Sounds plausible as it is the original boot on a 1997 car.
Anyway, cleaned up and regreased the joints, replaced the outer boot, replaced driveshaft into inner housing and resecured original inner boot using cable tie as tight as I could get it.
A few days later, I noticed that there was a spray of cv joint grease all around the inner boot. It appeared to be leaking from between the boot and the joint housing. This boot was checked when removed and was in perfect condition (no holes, no splits), understandable as by design this joint rarely flexes. I unclipped, repacked with grease and resealed with a chunkier cable tie, but it is still leaking albeit slightly less.
Any ideas guys?

are you using plastic tie wraps if so if you get a steel clip that should stop the problem as they pull together more evenly and will pull in tighter :thumbsup: