How to replace the starter in a '98-05 GM 3.4L or 3.1L Malibu, Century, Grand Prix and more

This post provides useful step-by-step instructions on replacing the starter on many 3.1L or 3.4L GM vehicles made from 1998-2005. This is not a difficult job for the home mechanic. These engines are found on GM models such as the Chevrolet Lumina, Malibu, Venture and Monte Carlo; the Pontiac Grand Am, Grand Prix, Montana, Transport and Aztek; the Buick Century and Rendezvous; and the Oldsmobile Alero and Silhouette.

                                             The job at a glance

• Tools: 8mm wrench or socket for battery, ramps or jack stands, 8, 10, 13 and 15mm socket or wrench for the starter.  
• Materials:  None
• Parts: Starter
• Cost of parts:  $98-118
• Time: 45 minutes

Removal of the starter

1) Jack the car up and rest on jack stands or ramps. 

2) Disconnect the battery negative with an 8mm wrench or socket and ratchet.

3) Crawl under and locate the starter just under the radiator side of the engine, near the oil filter.

4) Unwire the starter. Unbolt the solenoid wire with an 8mm socket and the larger battery plus terminal with a 13mm socket. 

5) Remove the plastic dust cover for the flywheel. This needs to come out. It's in the way of one of the two starter mounting bolts. 

6) Remove the two 15mm starter mounting bolts. Hang onto the starter as you turn out the lower bolt last. 

7) Lower the starter from the vehicle. 

Installation

1) Install the lower 15mm mounting bolt while holding the starter in position. 

2) Install the upper 15mm mounting bolt. Torque both bolts evenly. Measuring torque is not critical on a starter. Snug 'em up good. 

3) Install the flywheel dust cover with the 10mm bolt.

4) Wire up the starter. First the 13mm B+ terminal and then the 8mm solenoid wire. Be careful not to over-torque the nuts.

5) Reconnect the battery

6) Test

7) Lower the vehicle. You're done. That was pretty easy as starters go!

                                      

How to replace the rear wiper motor on a Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager or Chrysler Town and Country 1997-2003

    This post will cover replacing the rear wiper motor and applies to many 1997 to 2003 Chrysler Corp. minivans such as the Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager and Chrysler Town and Country. I struggled mightily on a 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan to simply remove the wiper arm, as it was seized onto the motor shaft. Next the inside lift gate cover or liner must be removed. Finally, the motor is accessible. I have also included is a section on troubleshooting.

                                                       The job at a glance

• Tools: Philips screwdriver, large straight blade screwdriver, right angle or stubby phillips screwdriver, 10mm socket and ratchet. 
• Materials: none
• Parts: wiper motor  
• Cost of parts: motor
• Time: 1 hour

                                                         Removal

1)  Remove the wiper arm from the motor shaft. I think it's a good idea to mark the position first with a piece of masking tape. My 2000 Caravan uses a bolt-less mount to hold the arm in place. Pivot the arm upward and then use a large flat blade screwdriver to pry up the locking lever. This lever must be all the way up before the arm is free to pull off. I found mine to be corroded to the shaft. Some models use a nut on a threaded motor shaft.

The first step of removing the wiper arm proved challenging on this van

2) Remove the lift gate inside trim cover. This may vary a bit from model year to model year. On the 2000, first remove the inside lift handle (2 phillips screws).Then pry up on the cover over the rear brake light. When it is off there will be two phillips screws visible. The one on the left requires a stubby or right angle screwdriver to remove. Now lift the gate and from the outside remove 5 phillips screws.Next, with the gate up, give a good tug from each end to unsnap the panel fasteners. To avoid having the panel hang from the wiring for the inside courtesy lights close the gate. From the inside unplug the two lights. There are red locking clips on the connectors that must be released first. Remove the panel. 

3) Unplug the motor.

Troubleshooting

    Let's do a test to confirm that the motor is bad. While the motor is the most likely cause of the rear wiper not working, it isn't the only one. The best way to isolate the motor and confirm that it's getting power is to measure the voltage at the end of the connector that plugs into the motor. There are three wires on this connector:

                                    Black: Ground
                                    Brown/pink: Ignition 12V
                                    Brown/light green: wiper control 12V

Testing for the ignition 12V (black and brown and pink wires)

                           

                                                        

    Stick an appropriate size wire into the socket for the black wire (ground) and connect to the negative of your meter. Likewise connect the,meter to the Brown/pink wire and check for 12V with the ignition on. Finally, check the Brown/light green wire for 12V with the rear wiper turned on. If all is good at the end of the connector, the motor is bad. If these voltages are not present, the motor is good and the trouble is elsewhere, possibly a fuse or wiring or relay.

We have power at motor control...bad motor

4) Remove the motor. Remove the three 8mm mounting bolt.

                                                            Installation    

1) Mount the replacement motor with the three 8mm replacement. Make sure the rubber bushings remain in place. Snug up the bolts but do not over-tighten.

2) Plug the motor back in.

3) Mount the lift gate trim cover. Start from inside. First plug in the courtesy lights. Make sure to lock the red locking tab. Now flex the panel outward to get it to fit under the side pillars. Snap the panel fasteners into position on each side with a good hearty push. Screw down the top cover and snap the brake light cover back in place. Install the handle with the two phillips screws. Now open the gate and install the five outer screws.

4) Install the wiper arm. Put some anti-seize lubricant on the motor shaft and the contact surface inside the arm.  Slip it over the motor shaft so that the blade aligns with the tape on the rear glass. Lock it down into place. 

5) Test operation. Good job!

                                                                                  

How to replace the serpentine belt on a GM 2.2L Ecotec engine in a Cobalt, Cavalier and many more

     The serpentine belt on the GM 2.2L Ecotec engine can be a challenge to replace due to limited space and difficulties in getting a tool on the tensioner. In this post I will replace the belt without a special tensioner wrench. Such a tool,though, will likely greatly aid in changing the belt on this particular engine. Some additional GM models that are fitted with this engine include HHR, Malibu, Alero, Grand Am, Sunfire, Saturn L series as well as some Opel and Vauxhall cars. This job was done on a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. This car is equipped with an air conditioner.

                                                           The job at a glance

• Tools: A serpentine wrench with a 3/8" square male end, 10mm socket  or wrench, Philips screwdriver, Optional: 3/8" square keystock 2mm long, 3/8" open end wrench, 10" crescent wrench and a piece of pipe big enough to fit over the wrench and at least two feet long. Also optional but recommended: lug wrench and tire jack. 
• Materials: none
• Parts: Serpentine belt  (Gates K050400) see link at end of post.
• Cost of parts: Belt $15-20
• Time: 30 minutes

    This procedure assumes a one person job. If there is the luxury of a helper, some of the steps do not apply. 

1) Disconnect the battery (in the trunk) with a 10mm socket or wrench.

2) Optional but will greatly aid in this job: Break lug nuts on right front wheel, jack the wheel up and remove. Remove a couple of panel fasteners and pull down on the wheel well cover to reveal the crankshaft pulley. 

3) Remove the air intake assembly from the air filter cover to the throttle body, Unsnap from the air filter and loosen a clamp screw attaching the other end to the throttle body.

4) Locate the 3/8" square hole for the serpentine tension release tool. It is about midway between the front and back of the tensioner.

The belt path is simple. The job less so. 

The 3/8" key stock displays the relative position of the tensioner hole

5) Place your tool in the hole and lift upward to release tension. If doing the job by yourself, a means to hold the tension off is very helpful. This is how I did it, although I'm sure there are better ways. I used a 2mm piece of key stock and jammed it into a 3/8" open end wrench with a piece of thin plastic. This held the key stock in place while I probed around for the square hole. When I fit it in there, I pulled the wrench off.

That's a bit of plastic from a milk carton jammed between the key stock and the wrench

    Next I placed a 10" crescent wrench on the keystock. I pulled the wrench upward to release tension and slipped a two foot long piece of pipe over the wrench and jammed it against the engine cradle frame.

The 10" crescent wrench is on the key stock

      Lastly, I slipped a wood wedge in between the pipe and the frame to reach full travel on the tensioner. With a special tensioner wrench just find the hole and pull up on the long handle. I would hope there would be enough radius to fully relieve tension. I haven't tried this on this engine.

Makeshift tools are in place and tension is fully off the belt

6) Remove the belt. Leave the tension release tool(s) on and slip the belt out between the alternator and ac compressor. Pull the belt off the air conditioning compressor first, then the alternator and finally the crankshaft pulley. The crankshaft is easier with the wheel and lower wheel well cover out of the way. A couple of panel fasteners have to come off to get the cover out of the way.

Getting the belt off and on the crankshaft pulley is so much easier with the wheel and cover  removed

Installation

1) Slip the new belt over the crankshaft pulley and under the tensioner. Then place it over the alternator. Finally, slip it over the ac compressor.  Double check to make sure the belt is perfectly seated on all components

2) Remove the tension holding tools. Check the belt for placement one more time.

3) If removed, reinstall the wheel well cover and wheel, set the wheel down and torque.

4) Re-install the upper air intake assembly. This may be easier if the a hose is separated.

5) Re-connect the battery.

6) Test

                    

How to replace the starter on a GM 2.2L Ecotec engine in Cobalt, Cavalier, HHR, Malibu and more

     The starter on GM's 2.2L Ecotec engine is more difficult than most to remove, owing to a hard-to- access upper mounting bolt. This post applies to many small GM cars such as the Cavalier, Cobalt, HHR, Malibu, Alero, Grand Am, Sunfire, Saturn L series and Ion and some Opel and Vauxhall cars.  I posted this tutorial with the hope of  helping the home mechanic in performing this frustrating job.
This post features a 2006 Chevy Cobalt.

                                                        The job at a glance

• Tools: floor or other jack, jack stands or wood supports, 8mm deepwell socket, 13mm socket (1/4" drive) 15mm socket and 3/8 or 1/2" ratchet, 3 and 6" extension bar 
• Materials: none
• Parts: Starter  
• Cost of parts: Starter $85- $130
• Time: 1-2 hours

Removal

1) Remove the large plastic engine cover to get a better view of the position of the upper bolt. Pull the cover free of the two ball headed posts, one at the extreme left of the cover and the other near the dipstick at the lower front. 

2) Jack up the front of the car. I used a floor jack on the front tubular cross member, with a  three foot long two by four to spread the weight of the car more evenly. Set it down on some jack stands or wood supports. 

3) Disconnect the battery with a 10mm wrench or socket. It is in the trunk. 

4) Unwire the starter. There are two connections to unwire. The small 8mm nut is the solenoid control signal and the larger 13mm uppermost is the battery plus connection.

Remove these two nuts to unwire. GM left the starter studs unprotected from the elements. 

5) Break the lower 15mm mounting bolt loose.This is the easy one. The upper bolt will more than make up for it though. 

6) Break the upper 15mm mounting bolt loose and then remove. This is the toughie. Use a three or six inch extension bar and a deep well socket fed from underneath. To find the bolt, have the socket and extension close to the engine and just probe until it seats on the bolt head. This may take a try or three. It may help to check the fit from above as the bolt head is just visable from up there in just the right light and angle.

At last, we're on the bolt. Note position of tools relative to starter and engine. 

7) Completely remove the lower starter mounting bolt.

8) Remove the starter. Mine was corroded in place. I used a large screwdriver wedged between the right end of the solenoid and the transmission to force it apart from the transmission.

There's the hole for the upper bolt

Installation

1) Affix the upper starter mounting bolt to the deep well socket. I used a piece of paperboard around the bolt head and then jammed the socket on it. This serves to hold the bolt to the socket so they don't fall apart during install. That would be very frustrating. Use a three inch extension with the deep well. Hold the bolt and tools in the upper mounting hole in the new starter as you place it in position. 

Start the upper bolt first if possible or at least hold it in place until the lower bolt is turned in to hold the starter up.

The socket and bolt are like one part going in

2) Tighten both bolts. Precision torque is not critical on a starter. 

3) Rewire the electrical connections. 

4) Remove the stands and lower the car. 

5) Install the engine cover. 

6) Connect the battery.

7) Test.

                                   

Replacing the crankshaft front oil seal on a GM 2.2L Ecotec engine in a Cavalier, Cobalt, HHR, Malibu, Grand Am, Sunfire and more

     When this seal gave way on a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier with GM's 2.2L Ecotec engine, the leak was huge. If it's a big leak and it seems to be coming from the front (belt end) of the engine, the crankshaft front seal is the major culprit. The serpentine belt will tend to become oil soaked and throw the oil all over the bottom of the engine, so the drips will seem to be everywhere.  This repair is simple, relative to many other vehicles. It can be fixed in just a few hours. Other GM cars with this engine are the Cobalt, HHR, Malibu, Alero, Grand Am, Sunfire, Saturn L series and Ion, a well as some Opel and Vauxhall cars

                                                      The Repair Basics                                       

• Safety: Safety glasses, gloves. 
• Tools: A hydraulic or scissors jack, jack stands or substantial wood supports, 19,21 and 7 mm sockets, a 24 inch breaker bar, 3/8 and 1/2" ratchets, a pry bar or other sprocket holding tool, a small seal prying tool 
•  Parts and materials: Crankshaft front oil seal (Fel pro TCS 46112), new crankshaft pulley bolt, serpentine belt (if needed), rags, engine degreaser, grease, oil. .
•  Cost of materials: Seal $7.50 (Napa), pulley bolt $7 (GM), Serpentine belt $21 (Napa) , consumables $4.00. Total $31.50  
•  Shop labor cost for the job: $100 
•  Home mechanic estimated time: 2-3 hours   

Dis-assembly

1) Break the 19mm lug nuts on the right front tire

2) Jack up the front of the car and place on stands. Used two RR ties behind the wheel

3) Remove the right front wheel

4) Remove the right front wheel well cover. This is a complicated cover and will take awhile to get off. It is held on by 8 or ten 7mm hex screws. The topmost one is shorter. Two panel fasteners must also be removed, one by the horn in front and one way low behind the wheel. Two wires are also clipped to it, one in the front by the horn and the other along the bottom, clipped on in three places.

5) Disconnect the battery.

6) Remove the serpentine belt by moving the tensioner upward to release tension on the belt. Use a 3/8” square bar as found on a ratchet in the square hole in the tensioner arm.

7) Remove the crank bolt with a 21mm socket and 24 inch breaker bar. Jam a pry bar or other bar in an opening in the pulley and against a solid part of the car to keep the pulley (harmonic balancer) from turning.

Jam a pry bar in a spoke of the crank pulley and turn counter-clockwise

8) Remove the crank pulley. Mine slipped right off. It may be necessary to use a puller. There are three holes for a puller to be attached on the pulley.

9) Remove the bad seal. This one comes out by prying along the underside. I used a six inch long prying tool and it came out easily.

An ordinary prying tool will remove this seal

10) Thoroughly clean the belt path. An engine degreaser  and plenty of rags will help here.

Re-assembly

1) Install the new seal by pressing it in carefully. Put some grease on both sealing surfaces.  I used a 2” (OD) piece of pvc to push the seal on.

2) Re-mount the crankshaft pulley. Line up the key slot with the key in the crankshaft and seat the pulley.

3) Install a new crank shaft pulley bolt and torque to 74 foot pounds plus and additional 75 degrees of rotation. A pry bar must be inserted into the spokes of the pulley to prevent turning in the clockwise direction. This works best with two people, one holding the pry bar and the other with the torque wrench.

4) Install the serpentine belt. It runs around the outside of the alternator and AC compressor and crank pulley and then under the tensioner.

Using a 3/8" ratchet to release tension and seat the belt

5) Put the wheel well cover back on

6) Mount the wheel and just snug up the lug nuts.

7) Raise enough to remove the stand and then lower to the ground

8) Re connect the battery

9) Torque the lug nuts and test the car for leaks.

                                    

How to replace the front crankshaft seal and timing belt on a 2.2L Daewoo Leganza with GM made E-TEC-II DOHC engine

   The leak is from the front of the engine. This is a GM family 2.2L DOHC engine with the crankshaft pulley driving a timing belt, the two cams and the water pump. Driving the car up on ramps and removing a plastic cover, which covers the underside of the front of the engine and the right wheel well, and running the car, revealed a steady stream of oil coming from under the timing cover at the crankshaft sprocket. The front of the engine will have to be torn down to complete this seal replacement. The oil contaminated timing belt will also need to be replaced. It is not too difficult to tear this engine down to get to the belt and seal.

                                                              The Repair Basics                                         

• Safety: Safety glasses, gloves. 
• Tools: A hydraulic or scissors jack, jack stands or substantial wood supports, a  set of metric sockets and wrenches (10, 13,15,17,19 mm), a 6 mm Allen socket,  a 24 inch breaker bar, a piece of angle iron for holding the crankshaft, a two inch piece of pipe for installing the seal,  pry bars, a hammer, vice grip pliers, electric drill and a small bit, center punch and additional tools per specific job requirements.  
•  Parts and materials: Timing belt, crankshaft front oil seal, lacquer thinner, rags, grease, oil.
•  Cost of materials: Timing belt $28 (Autozone) , seal $14.75 (Napa), consumables $4.00. Total $47.75  
•  Shop labor cost for the job: $400-600. 
•  Home mechanic estimated time: 6-8 hours   

The 2.2L engine as found on the 2001 Daewoo Lagenza

1) Break the 19 mm lug nuts and jack the car up and remove the right wheel.  If the wheel well lower cover was not removed earlier, remove it now. Set a jack under a substantial support beam and raise until high enough to remove the wheel. I set the outer part of the lower control arm down on railroad ties.
2) Unsnap the air cleaner upper cover clamps. Loosen large screw clamp from the outer intake duct. Unbolt two 10mm bolts holding the  lower cover to the wheel well. On this car the lower duct does not separate from the lower air cleaner cover. It unsnaps from an assembly further down.
3) Remove the air intake duct from the throttle body (optional, removal is simple and gives more room to work). There is a hose and electrical connector that must be removed.
4) Disconnect the battery.
5) Remove the serpentine belt. With a 15 mm box end wrench on the tensioner, release the tension and pull off the belt.

Relieving tension on the serpentine belt with a 15 mm wrench

6) The right wheel well engine mount will have to be removed. Put a scissors jack under the oil pan, with a large piece of wood on the jack to distribute the load. Also add another small piece of wood to the front of the setup since the pan is greatly angled back.
7) Unbolt the engine from the mount on the right wheel well. There are three 12 mm bolts on the wheel well side and two 17mm nuts and one long 17mm bolt on the engine side of the mount that must be removed. A little tapping got the bracket loose and removed.

With the engine supported, remove the indicated fasteners from the mount bracket

8) Remove the upper timing cover. There are two self storing clamps that must be un-clamped. Then remove a 10 mm bolt holding a small plastic inner cover that fits over the engine mount. Remove the cover by pulling upward. Remove a lower 10 mm bolt just above the oil filter. The cover can now be removed through the top by flexing it and slipping it through the small gap between the brackets.
9) Remove the four 6mm Allen bolts from the crankshaft pulley and pull off the pulley. It will be necessary to hold the crank bolt to remove these.

Remove the crankshaft pulley with a 6 mm Allen socket

10) Set the engine at top dead center for cylinder 1. Turn the crankshaft clockwise with a breaker bar and 17mm socket. There is a rectangular depression on the outside of the crank sprocket that will align with a timing mark, a notch, in the lower inside timing cover. When this mark and the two camshaft sprockets are aligned at the same time, that’s top dead center.

The crankshaft sprocket aligned properly 

View of the cam sprockets in aligned position

11) Remove the timing belt. Loosen the tensioner with a 13mm socket and a ½ ratchet with adapter. Release tension by turning the arm with the hex hole counterclockwise.  Lock the cam sprockets in place with vice grip pliers.Remove the timing belt from the top to bottom. Keep all three sprockets aligned throughout this procedure.

The following steps are for replacement of the crankshaft front seal. Skip to step 20 if only replacing the timing belt.

12) Mount a piece of stout angle iron to two of the holes in the outer face of the crankshaft pulley with two of the existing bolts. The holes in the bar are 4 cm apart. Remove the crank bolt with a 17mm socket and 24 inch breaker bar with the fabricated tool jammed on the spindle, axle or block of support wood.

13) Remove the crank sprocket. This is a one piece part with the flange that has the holes for the pulley drilled in it. It is on there good. I used two pry bars, a small one deep in there under the sprocket and a larger one under the edge where the sprocket portion meets the flange portion. It took a while to work this off. At then end I went to a large “toad sticker” screwdriver and the biggest prybar.
14) There is a bushing behind the key that has to come out. Tap the key with a hammer and screwdriver and it will move up and out. Remove the inner bushing.
15) Remove the crankshaft seal. Use a punch to indent the middle bottom of the seal for drilling.  Drill a small hole through the seal. I turned in a small Philips head sheet metal screw and then a larger one . When fully seated, I used a pry tool repeatedly for maybe 5 minutes before the seal gave way. This seal was really in there. The rubber part of the seal had separated from the metal part, causing this big leak.
16) Seat the new seal with a piece of pipe and a big washer and the crankshaft bolt. I had to add the big bushing with the 3.1 cm wide piece of 2 inch diameter PVC to get the seal all the way seated. Make sure to lubricate all contact surfaces with grease. Take care to seat the inner spring loaded portion of the seal to the crankshaft mating surface before driving the seal into place.

Use the crank bolt with the outer bushing on a 3 cm piece of 2 inch PVC

Installation
17) Clean up everything in the belt path. I used cue tips on the cams and water pump pulleys and cleaned the crankshaft sprocket. Re-install the inner bushing and key back into the key way, tapping it in with a hammer.
18) Install the crank sprocket back on the crankshaft. Cleaned it up a bit first with some sandpaper. It slid right on.
19) Once again using the holding bar, torque the crank bolt to 77 ft lbs.
20) Install the timing belt. Remove the firewall side idler pulley with a 13 mm socket. Start with the belt over the crankshaft sprocket and work up the right  (radiator) side, keeping tension around the idler pulley and up and over the two cam sprockets. Then route it down to the right of the post for the removed idler and back around the water pump sprocket, then over the loosened tensioner. While putting all the slack to the right of the idler pulley post push the idler pulley into place with the belt inside and torque to 18 ft lbs. This is a tight fit.
21) Adjust the tensioner. Using the 6mm hex head slot in the adjustment arm of the tensioner, rotate it in a clockwise direction until the pointer above lines up with a notch behind it. It is useful to have a second person for this or you will be up and down a lot to get this right. When properly adjusted torque the tensioner nut to 18 ft lbs.

With the timing belt tensioner out, the pointer and notch can be readily seen

22) Rotate the engine by using a breaker bar or ratchet on the crank bolt, a minimum of two revolutions and check the timing marks again. If all marks are aligned move to the next step. If not, loosen the tensioner and re-position the belt until every thing lines up, re-tension and try again.
23) Install the large timing cover and torque the two bolts to 8 ft lbs if using a wrench.
24) Install the small timing cover with the 10 mm bolt.
25) Install the crankshaft pulley with the four 6 mm Allen bolts to 20 ft lbs.
26) Install the serpentine belt.
27) Install the engine mount. The larger 17 mm bolts toward the engine should be torqued to 38 ft lbs, the three 12 mm bolts on the wheel well to 25 ft lbs.
28) Remove the jack from under the oil pan.
29) Install the lower air cleaner cover and bolt back on with the two 10 mm bolts.
30) Snap the air cleaner and cover in place.
31) Install the air intake duct to the throttle body and the air cleaner and reconnect all hoses and electrical connections.
32) Install the the wheel well cover
33) Install the right wheel and set the vehicle back down.
34) Reconnect the battery
35) Run the engine and test for leaks.

                                         good deal

                                            for kit

                             

How to replace the right CV axle on a GM 1997 automatic transaxle Pontiac Grand Am

 The problem appeared as very strong vibration and noise coming from the right front of the car. It increased with speed. I raised the vehicle and put it on stands and had a helper run it. The right front wheel would sometimes actually stop while the left was turning. It had to be a bad right CV axle. This job is an intermediate job for the home mechanic. To get down to removing the bad axle, the front bearing and hub as well as the steering knuckle must be removed. A video of the job follows the text.
   I'm a die-hard home mechanic, not a professional. While I strive for accuracy and attention to detail in these procedures, I cannot guarantee that every step and description is flawless. If in doubt, consult a auto repair manual or the services of a professional mechanic. Above all, take your time and be safe.

The job at a glance

•   Tools: Floor and/or scissors jack to lift the front off the ground.  Jack stands or railroad ties, lug wrench, 30mm deep well socket ½” drive,  3/8” allen socket, T55 socket, a set of chisels,  hammer, torque wrench, breaker bar, 18" pipe wrench, 15 and 18mm box end wrenches, 21mm socket and 1/2" drive ratchet, a large flat blade screwdriver, a small lug wrench.

• Parts and materials: Rebuilt CV axle by National from Carquest Auto Parts for $49.95. (August 2013), Wire hanger, an M12 X 1.75 nut.

• Savings: $150 average repair shop labor.

•  Time: 3-5 labor hours for the home mechanic.

                                                                  Disassembly
1) Break the lug nuts on the wheel.
2) Jack up the front end. I used two jacks , a floor and scissors jack under these loaf-like projections on two arms angled outward from behind the wheels. Rest the front end on some stands. I used railroad ties.

Front end is jacked up and on railroad ties

3) Remove lug nuts and take off the plastic wheel cover, if equipped. Remove wheel.
4) Put wheel back on and hand tighten a couple of lug nuts.
5) Jack up high enough to set the wheel down on a paver or wood, without removing stands.
6) Break the axle nut loose with a 30mm deep well socket and breaker bar. This is highly torqued nut. I needed a 24” breaker bar and a more than a dozen all-out grunts.

Break out the big one. This axle nut is torqued. 

7) Set the car back down on the stout supports.
8) Remove the wheel.
9) Unbolt two caliper bolts with 3/8” Allen socket. Pry off caliper. May need to use large screwdriver wedged between caliper and rotor.
10) Use a wire to hang the caliper from a strut spring.

Hang the caliper from the spring with a piece of wire

11)  Remove the rotor and set aside.
12) Unbolt the 3 hub and bearing assembly bolts with T55 socket. Must turn the hub to align the bolt with large hole in the hub so that the long bolts can be removed.

Unbolting the hub/bearing assy with a T55 socket and 1/2" ratchet

13) Now we must break the hub/bearing assembly loose from the steering knuckle. This is the fun part.  I had success after a struggle, with three chisels, pounded in near each mounting hole between the hub assembly and the steering knuckle.  I started with a ½” Craftsman Chisel, then to 5/8 and finished with larger size. As a gap grew to 1/32” I  used an 18” pipe wrench, wide open to turn the hub assembly a few degrees one way and then the other. That was it and it came out of the knuckle.

I tried a striking a pry bar with a hammer, but chisels and a pipe wrench finally broke it loose

14) Unbolt the steering knuckle from the strut. Use 21mm socket and breaker bar on the nut and hold the other end with a 15mm wrench.

Unbolt the knuckle from the strut

15) Unplug the ABS speed sensor and secure out of the way. Use a towel or rag to protect the outer CV boot. Oh, no need, that's right it's bad.
16) The only thing now holding the steering knuckle is the lower control arm ball joint. To separate it, swivel the steering knuckle to the left and move the CV axle as far left as possible. Jam a pry bar in there to hold it out of the way. Now remove the cotter pin. Mine had a pin through it that was welded to the knuckle. Nice. I used a hammer and chisel to break it out. Turn the castle nut out with a 18 mm box-end wrench.

Take off the castle nut and put an M12 X 1.75 on the stud and hammer the knuckle loose

 17)  The repair books tell you to use a pickle fork to separate the ball joint from the knuckle. That will likely ruin the rubber boot and require a new ball joint.  Instead, spin an M12-1.75 nut (don’t use the castellated nut, it could be damaged by the hammer blows) on the ball joint stud until it is flush with the top of the stud. A few well placed blows to the nut/stud should break it loose. The steering knuckle can now be removed and the axle stands alone.

The knuckle is outta there with the lower ball joint intact.

18)  Remove the CV axle from the transaxle. It just needs to be lightly tapped out. I came in from under the front side and I was able to wedge a small (12”) lug wrench  between the inner casing of the CV axle and the end housing of the transaxle. I then tapped it from the rear with a hammer until it pulled out from the transaxle.

Carefully and lightly tap from the back on a short bar wedged between the axle and transaxle

There was no loss of fluid.  I took off the outer boot to examine the axle. The outer joint has too much free play, it’s slopped out.  I paid $49.95 for a National rebuild from Car Quest.


                                                                Installation
1) Apply a little wheel bearing grease to the transaxle where the CV axle will be inserted.
2) Protect the boots on the new axle with a shop towel. Insert it into the transaxle as far as possible. Tap it in the rest of the way with a hammer and a large screwdriver. Check the seat by pulling on the end of the inner joint where it faces the transaxle. Do NOT pull on the other end of the CV axle. It could come apart.

Using a ridge on the inner axle joint, tap the axle in till it won't go any further into the transaxle

3) Grease the outer end of the axle. If installing a new knuckle seal, this is the time. This seal is for the bearing and comes with a new bearing and hub assembly. It must be installed before the knuckle is bolted back on. If replacing only the bearing and hub assembly,  the knuckle would need to come off before this seal can be replaced. My car did not come with this seal and I did not install one.
4) This is a good time to clean up the mating surfaces of the steering knuckle with a wire brush, some sandpaper and then clean up with a solvent..
5) Mount the steering knuckle, first passing the end of the CV axle through the center opening. Then seat the bottom of the knuckle on the stud for the lower control arm ball joint.
6) Install the castellated nut back on the ball joint stud and torque to 40 ft lbs. Line up the stud hole with a castle opening. Install a new cotter pin.
7) With one hand to insert a knuckle to strut mounting bolt while pushing the knuckle downward until the holes align with the other hand. Torque them to 90 ft lbs.
8) Plug ABS speed sensor back in.
9) Mount the hub and bearing assembly. Torque the T55 bolts to 70 ft lbs.
10) This is a good time to go over the brakes for wear and at the least clean and put some fresh grease on the caliper pins.  If using the old rotor, put it in the very same position it was it when it came out. It helps to file off a bit of the outer raised ridge of the rotor so the brake pads will fit back over the rotor. Torque the caliper bolts with a 3/8” Allen socket.  If using a torque wrench it’s 38 ft lbs.
11) Mount the new axle nut and the old washer. This is big torque, 192 ft lbs. Check the wheel by turning it by hand while both are still off the ground. It should turn, but somewhat grudgingly. If it doesn’t, back off the axle nut a bit until the wheel can be turned.
12) I test drove the car on stands to make sure the right wheel turned freely with the left. Yes, it did and so quietly this time.
13) Road test drive the car. Happy and quiet motoring. Well done.

                                                                Here is a video:

How to replace the front bearing and hub assembly on a 1997 GM 2.4L Pontiac Grand Am

     A low howling sound, increasing with vehicle speed, is a sign that a right front wheel bearing is going out. This is a very doable job for the home mechanic if the bearing is replaced as part of  the hub assembly as it is on many GM cars. A video of the job follows the text and pictures.

  Tools: Floor and/or scissors jack to lift the front off the ground.  Jack stands or railroad ties, lug wrench, 30mm deep well socket ½” drive,  3/8” allen socket, T55 socket, a set of chisels, a hammer, torque wrench, breaker bar, 18" pipe wrench, a large flat blade screwdriver.

 Parts and materials: Moog bearing and Hub assembly, $62.39, Advance Auto 8/2013. Wire hanger.

 Savings: $135 average repair shop labor.

 Time: 2-4 actual labor hours for the home mechanic.

                                                                  Disassembly
1) Break lug nuts on the wheel.
2) Jack up the front end. I used two jacks , a floor and scissors jack under these loaf-like projections on two arms angled outward from behind the wheels. Rest the front end on some stands. I used railroad ties.

Front end is jacked up and on railroad ties

3) Remove lug nuts and take off the plastic wheel cover, if equipped. Remove wheel.
4) Put wheel back on and hand tighten a couple of lug nuts.
5) Jack up high enough to set the wheel down on a paver or wood, without removing stands.
6) Break the axle nut loose with a 30mm deep well socket and breaker bar. This is highly torqued nut. I needed a 24” breaker bar and a more than a dozen all-out grunts.

Break out the big one. This axle nut is torqued. 

7) Set the car back down on the stout supports.
8) Remove the wheel.
9) Unbolt two caliper bolts with 3/8” Allen socket. Pry off caliper. May need to use large screwdriver wedged between caliper and rotor.
10) Use a wire to hang the caliper from a strut spring.

Hang the caliper from the spring with a piece of wire

11)  Remove the rotor and set aside.
12) Unbolt the 3 hub and bearing assembly bolts with T55 socket. Must turn the hub to align bolt with large hole in hub so that the long bolts can be removed.

Unbolting the hub/bearing assy with a T55 socket and 1/2" ratchet

13) Now we must break the hub/bearing assembly loose from the steering knuckle. This is the fun part.  I had success after a struggle, with three chisels, pounded in near each mounting hole between the hub assembly and the steering knuckle.  I started with a ½” Craftsman Chisel, then to 5/8 and finished with larger size. As a gap grew to 1/32” I  used an 18” pipe wrench, wide open to turn the hub assembly a few degrees one way and then the other. That was it and it came out of the knuckle.

It's rusted pretty good. I tried a pry bar and hammer but chisels and a pipe wrench finally did it. 

     
                                                                  Installation

1) Clean up the mating surface in the steering knuckle with a wire brush, some coarse sandpaper and finish with a solvent, like lacquer thinner.
2) Mount the new hub and bearing assembly. It comes with an o-ring and a seal and a terrible drawing of where they go. I mounted the o-ring but had trouble with the seal. It appears to go on the inside of the steering knuckle, requiring removal of the knuckle. GM didn't use the seal at the factory and neither did I.  Be careful to line up the big hole in the hub squarely before torquing the bolt. I managed to cross thread one of them in the knuckle and I had to buy a 12 X 1.75 metric tap and fix the threads. Torque to 70 ft lbs.
                   

I'm pointing at where the o-ring goes

3) This is a good time to go over the brakes for wear and at the least clean and put some fresh grease on the caliper pins.  If using the old rotor, put it in the very same position it was it when it came out. It helps to file off a bit of the outer raised ridge of the rotor so the brake pads will fit back over the rotor. Torque the caliper bolts with a 3/8” Allen socket.  If using a torque wrench it’s 38 ft lbs.
4)  Mount the old washer and the new axle nut which comes with the bearing assembly. This is big torque, 192 ft. lbs. My torque wrench only goes to 150 ft lbs. So I gave it one more grunt with a big breaker bar and called it good. Check the wheel by turning it by hand while both wheels are still off the ground. It should turn, but somewhat grudgingly.  Interestingly, they turn in opposite directions while the car is in park.
5) Test drive. Enjoy some smooth rolling down the road.
                                                       Here is a video of this repair:

                                                         
bearing and hub assy