1961 Lesabre 2 door. It constantly has driveline issues. Guys who swapped my motor put it in crooked, that and it's on bags and I keep changing it from laid out to ride height means I have constant driveline issues. I have to get the engine sorted, but it's been 6 years of daily driving and busy with family and work. It chews RH side motor mount about every 12 months and the LH side about every 3 years. I can change an engine mount now in under 30 mins which is a bit scary. It has also done one trans mount in 6 years. Uni's yep all replaced once. 2 piece tailshaft, well the CV joint ball bearing broke...wasn't that a nightmare. Long story short we replaced the CV joint, so it's still a 2 piece tailshaft but the rear section has had the CV joint removed. OK so that's the background. Yes I have to get the engine sorted, and I love my airbags so I will live with that. But I've been chasing a vibration for months now, after checking everything else I finally checked the centre bearing to find it has gone. My challenge is I do not know how to replace it. Good news I have a brand new one sitting here in a box (I'm in Australia and this is my daily so I like to have some parts on the shelf...this was one of those. The service manual is not very clear at all (pic below) Here's my challenge. I cut away the old carrier, as it was badly split anyway (see pics below). I then "undid" the captive lock nut that holds the rear shaft into the front shaft. What I have no idea what to do is remove the "front lock washer" (per instructions in manual) so I can remove the actual centre bearing. See last pic below. The shaft is the front shaft, it heads towards the trans yoke. The bit at the end is the centre bearing (carrier removed). There is no lock nut...does this just tap out but tapping it softly and removing it from the front shaft ? But if so how, as I can't get a hammer or such between the bearing and the counterweight (see last pic below..it's only about 3/4" gap. Alternatively do I just pry the bearing off ? Or is there some other trick that I'm not aware of. Thanks in advance and sorry for the long explanation
Hi Chris - I'd be trying to get the engine straight first. But if you have a new one - use that. These things are difficult to repair, as I've been told. Most advise it be taken to a driveshaft shop.
Well for those interested, and to close off this thread it was actually surprisingly easy. Simply use a "puller" to pull the bearing off (made easier with the outer carrier cut away). It literally took 3 mins. I then used a 41mm socket and rubber mallet to "press" the new bearing onto the shaft. Nipped it up all tight, greased everything up put the rear shaft back in, did up the massive 2" nut and flattened out the lock washer. The entire process probably took me 30 mins (or slightly less). Back in the car 15 mins later, wheels on, driving around, vibration gone...until something else breaks
Yup, the 70 and older Rivs have the same CV joint and center bearing...seems like a mystery till you get at it. Glad you got it sorted. That center is going to rip out if you keep dropping the rear of the car too much. I would recommend that when you re-install you place the rear end on jack stands and drop the rear suspension down (deflate the bags) that way you set up the placement of the carrier with sufficient spacing for drive line movement.
and you'll probably want to make up some kind of limit chain/cable on the LF motor mount to keep it from breaking. Pretty common problem with these I'm told.
I did look at the chain option, but the 4WD guys actually run a bolt through the mount with a unlock nut and lock nut and allow just a millimetre or 2 of "play", I have a bunch of old chewed mounts that I am playing with right now to do that exact thing. But in reality I just need to yank the motor and re-weld in the mounts to the motor sits properly
