Rusty U-Joints

[WorldOfJohnboy]

Re: Rusty U-Joints

U-Joints are not an item that can be re-conditioned. Re-use at your own peril.

So the joint's surface rust can't be cleaned off, then greased?

 

[Maclin]

Re: Rusty U-Joints

Why take the rust off the surface of a u-joint? The pieces that wear are all on the inside. And if you grease them while not installed in the driveshaft you will blow the caps off and good luck finding and getting all the needle bearings back in.


This is what it takes to recondition a u-joint's wear surfaces:

New cross piece (1).
New end caps (4).
New needle bearings (3 bazillion percap).
Now save some time and buy those already assembled as a u-joint.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Rusty U-Joints

Maybe you mean the entire drave shaft assembly. That consists of a yoke then a u-joint connecting it to the main shaft then another u-joint connecting to another yoke. But taking out the u-joints and putting it all back together again, no point.

If you want a spare driveshaft then put new u-joints in a serviceable older assembly, but again for what reason. U-Joints do not go out all that often unless there has been water intrusion or the engine run with the drive in trailer position at higher rpms and the drive was turned some. So most owners opt to have the boat down for bellows and driveshaft service every however many years. Even if you had a spare driveshaft in the boat when it would ever come time to use it you will not be able to change the driveshaft out on the lake because you will be too busy bailing all the water now coming in the boat as a result of collateral damage to the drive bellows when the driveshaft came apart (which could happen if old u-joints were re-used!).

 

[WorldOfJohnboy]

Re: Rusty U-Joints

I guess my bottom line question is not an ethical one or one that answers the "why would you" question, just a mere "Is it possible to clean the surface rust off of the U-joints and/or drive shaft?"

I wasn't (obviously) planning to change the u-joints in the middle of a lake, but I was worried that perhaps the u-joint bearings, caps, etc. would go and I could take the boat out of the water and change out the shaft and joints as a spare. I have two of everything now, just the one set of u-joints and drive shaft has a little "fresh" surface rust.