Mk3 golf issues... drive shaft ?

[DeathStar]

Now sold that golf gti of mine to a mates a month ago.

hes called me up. apparently loads of smoke coming out the back of it

So i turn up at his and smell the oil very gearboxy so anyway. drive it up the road and the near side drive shaft seems to be clunking badly and its ejected the oil out of the gearbox. took it up the road and soon as you pull away and move the steering clunk clunk clunk.

Now. the cars gearbox was popping out of reverse but it was o.k if you held it in gear, all forward gears where just fine.  told him this when i sold it to him and that i just lived with it.

So what you think. gearbox or shall i try changing the drive shaft ?

Anyone done a drive shaft swap on one? hard job or not? whats the best way to tell if the drive shafts f**ked?

If not then its gotta be gearbox? anyone done a gearbox swap on one ?

Cheers

James 

[VR6-Joe]

Sounds like a f**ked cv joint. Are you sure it's gearbox oil and not the grease from the cv joint/driveshaft leaking out of a split cv boot?

I go through cv joints like there's no tomorrow (my car is lowered 120mm so it's my own fault), my inner cv joint went once and I ended up with grease all over my engine bay, not nice

Not too difficult to change a driveshaft though. 8 bolts on the gearbox end and a large nut in the centre of the hub, although you have to undo the bottom two suspension bolts and pull the hub towards you to get the shaft out of the hub iirc

[DeathStar]

well when its stopped there wasnt much oil on the ground but it smelt greasy/gearboxy oil smell.

seems to be the innit cv thats coming out of the gearbox.

[VR6-Joe]

Yea I'd start with the cheapest option and get a driveshaft, I normally pick them up for £15-£20 from a scrappy. Get that fitted and see what happens

[DeathStar]

Yea I'd start with the cheapest option and get a driveshaft, I normally pick them up for £15-£20 from a scrappy. Get that fitted and see what happens

will do.

oh and btw nice looking motor

[VR6-Joe]

Good luck and thanks!

[DeathStar]

if i remove the drift shaft. will it piss the oil out from the gearbox?

[VR6-Joe]

Nope

[rubjonny]

sounds liek shaft has punched a hole in the cv inner seal. cv grease doesnt smell all that much but gearbox oil has a very unique smell, cats wee is one way ive heard it described.  I'd get some new seals just in case, only cheap.

http://www.brokevw.com/020flange.html

[Khare]

sounds liek shaft has punched a hole in the cv inner seal. cv grease doesnt smell all that much but gearbox oil has a very unique smell, cats wee is one way ive heard it described.  I'd get some new seals just in case, only cheap.

http://www.brokevw.com/020flange.html

more like atomic cat pi$$ 

It's very strong smell!