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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Grease cap installation

Posted by: jrmole Jun 18 2006, 10:17 AM

Hi all,

I've just finished putting new front rotors & bearings on my car. Haynes tells me to install the grease cap with a "soft faced hammer". OK - but should I really need to hit it dozens of times with all my might only to have it pop back off? These were really hard to remove in the first place, so I am suspecting more British understated humor.

My next option is the torch and the gloves to try to heat it up enough to slip onto the rotor. Of course, if I do that, I will never get it off again.

Help!


Posted by: Sk8erBri Jun 18 2006, 10:21 AM

i hope some one replys as i have my car on blocks now ans will be getting to those front caps soon, how did you get them off? just pry wiht a screw driver?

Posted by: dinomium Jun 18 2006, 10:23 AM

I had to grease up the ring of the cap and then use the bfh, using the soft faced hammer caused the cap fly off and hit me in the nutz! blink.gif

I hate it when that happens!

Posted by: jrmole Jun 18 2006, 01:15 PM

QUOTE(Sk8erBri @ Jun 18 2006, 09:21 AM) *

i hope some one replys as i have my car on blocks now ans will be getting to those front caps soon, how did you get them off? just pry wiht a screw driver?


It has been a few months for me as I opened a can of worms (new tie-rods, new brake lines, might as well do the master cylinder while I am in here, etc.). I think I ended up using a pair of vise-grips and a big honking screwdriver and a lot of elbow grease.

Lot of luck.

Posted by: LowGT Jun 18 2006, 07:19 PM

I never really have problems with them. Just like anything round, pry a little with a screw driver, turn wheel a little, pry a little, turn a little, etc.. and eventually it pops out with getting damaged.

Same for install, hold it on and tap it so it sticks on there. Then tap it with a rubber mallet while turning the wheel until it fully seats. You always want to remove and install evenly so it doesn't bend out-of-round. Once it's bent, it will be a PITA to remove/install it for eternity.

Posted by: jrmole Jun 18 2006, 07:44 PM

QUOTE(LowGT @ Jun 18 2006, 06:19 PM) *

I never really have problems with them. Just like anything round, pry a little with a screw driver, turn wheel a little, pry a little, turn a little, etc.. and eventually it pops out with getting damaged.

Same for install, hold it on and tap it so it sticks on there. Then tap it with a rubber mallet while turning the wheel until it fully seats. You always want to remove and install evenly so it doesn't bend out-of-round. Once it's bent, it will be a PITA to remove/install it for eternity.


Then I suspect that a previous owner trashed them. It took an incredible amount of force to make them come off. Having never done it with clean caps, I guess I got the lesson without knowing it. I'll check the roundness with my calipers next weekend and see if they are flattened - if so, perhaps I can make it better.

Thanks

Posted by: SGB Jun 18 2006, 08:18 PM

Maybe there is so much grease that it seals up so that when you are bangin 'em on it builds up pressure...

Posted by: jrmole Jun 18 2006, 10:00 PM

QUOTE(SGB @ Jun 18 2006, 07:18 PM) *

Maybe there is so much grease that it seals up so that when you are bangin 'em on it builds up pressure...


I've got just a skim coat on the inside of the cap to try to help is slide on - literally as little as I could put on and tell it was there. If that keeps the cap from going on, then the tolerances on this part are amazing.

Good idea, though. Before I pull out the REALLY BIG HAMMER ™, I will clean the grease off entirely and try again.

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