05 Connect - passenger driveshaft stuck?

[red_uk]

So I'm getting close to giving up! Anyone know the trick for these?

I'm trying to get the n/s (LH) driveshaft out and it's well and truly stuck at the gearbox end. I know it's got the snap ring and I've tried every trick to get the thing out but it's just not shifting. All I'm doing so far is bending tools and breaking chunks off the gearbox housing!

Is there anything I'm missing here? Any tricks or tips? I feel like this shouldn't be this difficult...

[metalworker0]

well i tried about 10 tyre levers on mine.... this lot

download/file.php?id=50667&mode=view


..only one worked and that was this old vintage one ..and i did not use it like a lever ..i taped it in like a wedge between the cup and gearbox strengthening ribs. it did not take much just a few gentle taps got it out

download/file.php?id=50669&mode=view

all the best. mark

[red_uk]

Unfortunately this one isn't being so easy! I've used every prybar, chisel, crowbar I have and all I've done is bent a few of them and broken some chunks off the gearbox casing.

I've also used a slide hammer on it, all that did was bend the attachments. I can get the thing to move about half an inch out (to where it's not sliding in and out; I assume that's where the snap ring is catching) but no further. I don't want to put a lot more force on it for fear of just breaking the box.

[metalworker0]

think ..not sure, the only other way is to take the other drive shaft out and tap through the gearbox with a bar.. the bar must be pointed so you don't splay the drive shaft.

you don't know how long it took me to find this picture !!!

i don#t know what ever that is inside of there will prevent this

https://prod-vok-img-38.s3.eu-central-1 ... 2c7cc.jpeg

about my efforts ..tried for two hours with all those levers ..before i decided to hammer the one in as a wedge ,..and out it came.

ps in talking mtx75 here .found in 1.8s ...if you have another box ..i don't know

all the best.mark

[red_uk]

Interesting! I was planning to get the other driveshaft out anyway (they're both pretty shot), I wasn't sure if there was a straight path through. That might be an option.

The problem with these is there's stuff all room to actually get much in there, let alone get much leverage (as you probably know! ) Tapping through the other side might well work.

So far I think I'm about 2-3 hours in myself, so you did better than I am! I might try the wedge thing tomorrow though. Thanks for the ideas!

[metalworker0]

How did you get on ?

all the best.mark

[red_uk]

To be determined... I mean, it's out at last, which is a good thing!

I've literally just come inside after doing battle with the thing. That was *not* easy. I was almost at the point of giving up and just putting the old shaft back in when it finally popped out.

PXL_20250218_144128622.jpg

But if you look closely, you'll see that damned snap ring didn't come out with the shaft

PXL_20250218_144143962.jpg

And the shaft got chewed up on the way out. No wonder it wouldn't just pop out!

So I guess the remains of the ring are still in the box somewhere I'm just draining the rest of the oil out now and I'm hoping I can fish it out with a magnet. Otherwise I'll just have to hope it's dropped to the bottom somewhere out of the way. I really, really don't want to have to take the gearbox out to fish the thing out!

Your idea of going through from the other side wouldn't have worked unfortunately, there's a pin in the way.

For anyone else looking to do this, this is the sort of access you get:

PXL_20250218_144154724.jpg

Not much room there to really get a lot of leverage. I actually found a good spot going in from behind with a pry bar (just above the steering rack), otherwise there's just one little spot at the bottom (you can see where I broke chunks off the casing) where you can fit something in around the subframe.

I'll report back when it's all buttoned up again!

[metalworker0]

Somebody in the past must have damaged it ...doing a clutch change maybe.
Don't know where the snap ring will end up ..is some of it still in the groove where it snaps into?

There is a magnet in the gearbox ..only accessible when you take it apart ..but it should hopefully hold on to any bits.

You could also find a magnetic drain Plug and install that to give you extra confidence that non of the bits end up in the gears.

all the best.mark

[red_uk]

Well I managed to fish half of it out at least. Found it quite quickly too. The other half is still MIA, I was poking around for half an hour but didn't find anything else other than a little bit of swarf. I gave the box a few turns and nothing feels like it's catching so hopefully it's sitting somewhere out of the way - if it's even still in there. It's possible it came out with the shaft and fell out and got lost in the dirt of the driveway somewhere.

Good call on the magnet; I couldn't find a magnetic drain plug online anywhere, but I measured it up and there's enough clearance for me to glue a magnet to the end of the existing plug so I've done that. Gonna leave that overnight to cure and then get everything back together tomorrow.

Looking forward to getting this finished and done - this 'just a balljoint' MOT fail has, thanks to a few 'while I'm here' jobs and some parts refusing to come apart has so far cost me a balljoint, wheel bearing, hub, knuckle, control arm, two driveshafts and two oil seals. Oh, and three litres of gearbox oil!

The joys of working on old stuff...