BajaNomad

How Far Can I Drive with a Torn CV Boot?

joel - 7-19-2011 at 07:40 AM

I'm in San Juanico with a torn CV boot on my 97 Ford Expedition and the local mechanic couldn't get the part in Constitucion, which I'm surprised about.

Can I drive it to Cabo - get the part (and do some surfing) and back with it torn and not damage anything?

bajalou - 7-19-2011 at 07:50 AM

Driving on dirt roads will cause wear to the CV joint itself if dust and dirt get in. Best to have someone send you one so you don't risk damaging the joint. Much more expensive than the boot. (of course if it's been open long, the CV might already be worn.)

J.P. - 7-19-2011 at 07:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by joel
I'm in San Juanico with a torn CV boot on my 97 Ford Expedition and the local mechanic couldn't get the part in Constitucion, which I'm surprised about.

Can I drive it to Cabo - get the part (and do some surfing) and back with it torn and not damage anything?



Wrap it with duct tape and go for it .:yes::yes:

Tbone - 7-19-2011 at 08:03 AM

I know someone who has had theirs duct taped for over a year. No problemo.

classicbajabronco - 7-19-2011 at 09:31 AM

I have driven a 97' f150 4x4 that I purchased for $2200 for over 3yrs with a punctured cv boot. My Cv boot has a stick hole about a 1/2" in diameter.

As long as it's not a gaping hole that lets all the grease ooze out, you should be good to go.

RnR - 7-19-2011 at 09:35 AM

All the boot does is keep the dust and grit out. Duct tape will sure help.

Drive to Cabo, (or La Paz). Get the part and have it changed there. That will minimze the amount of driving exposure to dust and grit.

vacaenbaja - 7-19-2011 at 10:34 AM

If you have a lot of boot left and some rtv and gauze you can repair it if
the surface can be made clean enough to allow adhesion of the rtv. The gauze is only necessary if you have a gaping hole that needs to be bridged,or if the tear is large and at a flexpoint. It helps to have some
backing to keep the RTV on.

estebanis - 7-19-2011 at 10:58 AM

Now that is some fine Redneck repair advice Baja style!!!
:bounce:

Best Baja Repairs

MrBillM - 7-19-2011 at 11:07 AM

Best I ever read was in a 4WD mag back in the 70s. Deep in the boonies, a guy throws a rod (or holes the piston, can't remember exactly) in his Old Ford V-8 and ends up tearing down enough to take out that piston, carve a block of wood to fill the space, removes the pushrods, fills the chamber through the spark plug hole with water to swell the wood and drives home. Worked so well that he kept driving it that way for awhile. Article had photos of the job.

Whatever it takes works.

Mexitron - 7-19-2011 at 11:43 AM

One of my Baja books talked about a guy with a busted radiator---they didn't have any water left so they used their two bottles of red wine to fill it up....worked like a charm.

ddawson - 7-19-2011 at 02:51 PM

x3 on the duct tape.

Bob and Susan - 7-19-2011 at 03:09 PM

just cut the boot off...

boots are only for dust

there's no dust in baja:lol:

bajalou - 7-19-2011 at 03:36 PM

I have pulled push rods on VW motors when I burnt a hole in a piston. Drove from west of Palm Springs back to San Felipe one time that way. No more blowing oil - and a bit less power. 69 Van

rts551 - 7-19-2011 at 04:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajalou
I have pulled push rods on VW motors when I burnt a hole in a piston. Drove from west of Palm Springs back to San Felipe one time that way. No more blowing oil - and a bit less power. 69 Van


Since you have to split the case to pull the rod. why not just replace the piston?

bajalou - 7-19-2011 at 04:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
Quote:
Originally posted by bajalou
I have pulled PUSH rods on VW motors when I burnt a hole in a piston. Drove from west of Palm Springs back to San Felipe one time that way. No more blowing oil - and a bit less power. 69 Van


Since you have to split the case to pull the rod. why not just replace the piston?



At a rest stop on I10, I did not want to split the case. (nor did I have a spare piston) It was the PUSH rods I removed, not the piston rod.

Neal Johns - 7-19-2011 at 10:05 PM

I have found a torn boot apparently after quite a few miles and a close inspection of the tri-joint showed no damage.

Clean any obvious dirt out from the hole/split and put any grease in the hole to keep dirt out, add duct tape and go! until you can fix it right.

BFS - 7-20-2011 at 01:34 PM

Have you seen the storm coming? Get to Cabo raaaaapido and paddle. Duct tape and forget about it. And bring a big board...

rts551 - 7-20-2011 at 06:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajalou
Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
Quote:
Originally posted by bajalou
I have pulled PUSH rods on VW motors when I burnt a hole in a piston. Drove from west of Palm Springs back to San Felipe one time that way. No more blowing oil - and a bit less power. 69 Van


Since you have to split the case to pull the rod. why not just replace the piston?



At a rest stop on I10, I did not want to split the case. (nor did I have a spare piston) It was the PUSH rods I removed, not the piston rod.



So Sorry. read right over the PUSH part and immediately thought piston rod. again sorry.

DavidE - 7-21-2011 at 07:52 AM

Donde esta los mehanicos aqui. eh?

Get an old camisa, a tube for a tire. Using water for lube and a sharp knife, cut a spiraling slice around the tube.

Wrap the tube around the boot. Loop under the last turn and yank so that a half knot holds the wrap in place. The more border you have the better. Carry a spare strip of camisa just in case. Smear a strip of grease around where the edge of the rubber meets steel to seal out el polvo.

San Lucas has an AUTO ZONE, just north of the metropolitan area on Mex 19, on your left when southbound. Use the online Auto Zone site to look up the part number of your boot and then use that number in the store.

Suerte.

joel - 7-21-2011 at 08:09 AM

Yes, hurricane Dora!

Gracias, David.

Doug/Vamonos - 7-27-2011 at 06:30 PM

You're going to lose the grease in the joint and it's going to get dirty, both of which will ruin the joint for the long run. But it will be fine for now as long as you don't put a lot of pressure on it in 4WD and while turning sharply. If you can, lock it out of 4WD. Just replace the half-shaft soon. They're pretty cheap nowadays. I wouldn't worry about driving it for lots of miles - assuming you keep it out of 4WD so there is no force on the joint.

joel - 7-27-2011 at 08:38 PM

Thanks. Very helpful explanation, Doug.

ncampion - 7-28-2011 at 07:39 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by joel
How Far Can I Drive with a Torn CV Boot?


Until the joint fails, of course......

.

choyero - 7-28-2011 at 07:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Doug/Vamonos
You're going to lose the grease in the joint and it's going to get dirty, both of which will ruin the joint for the long run. But it will be fine for now as long as you don't put a lot of pressure on it in 4WD and while turning sharply. If you can, lock it out of 4WD. Just replace the half-shaft soon. They're pretty cheap nowadays. I wouldn't worry about driving it for lots of miles - assuming you keep it out of 4WD so there is no force on the joint.


You can "unlock" the hubs on the truck(at least a same yr f150) by removing the vacuum lines to the front axles. These are located behind the battery on the firewall. There is a plastic cover to remove first. You'll see black plastic lines running into 2 small vacuum units.