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10-15-2009, 05:38 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Glastonbury,
Ct
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA2041 sold 2021
Posts: 241
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Not Ranked
grease fitting access
I did an oil change and grease job on 2041 last weekend. I could access all the grease fittings except the driveshaft. Any advice on how to get to them from underneath, or does the tunnel have to come off ? The car has 39,000 miles, so how important is it to grease the driveshaft u-joints.......how often do you guys do this? thanks |
10-15-2009, 05:55 PM
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Half-Ass Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,001
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteF
I did an oil change and grease job on 2041 last weekend. I could access all the grease fittings except the driveshaft. Any advice on how to get to them from underneath, or does the tunnel have to come off ? The car has 39,000 miles, so how important is it to grease the driveshaft u-joints.......how often do you guys do this? thanks |
It's really important to grease them, and the front drive shaft u-joint can be a real bitc_ to get to. Here's a Spicer video I posted a couple of years ago showing you the proper method of purging the four posts. http://ujoint.kickme.to You should purge them at least every 10,000 miles or so. Since you can't get to it from beneath, I would first try removing the four screws that hold the shifter boot ring and see if you can get to it with a longer extension through that hole. If you can't do it that way, then your next option is to remove tha passenger seat and cut a small access panel under the carpet and through the tunnel. That would be pretty quick and easy. Your final option is to remove the tunnel.
EDIT -- What's blocking the rear drive shaft u-joint? That one is usually easier to get to, at least on my car -- FIAs must be different.
Last edited by patrickt; 10-15-2009 at 06:17 PM..
Reason: Added additional thought
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10-15-2009, 06:24 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Glastonbury,
Ct
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA2041 sold 2021
Posts: 241
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Not Ranked
grease fitting access
Wow, there's more to it than I thought. When I couldn't see the front u-joint, I didn't try to see the rear. And, I didn't have the car very high on jack stands, so it was hard to get a good view. I'll try again at next opportunity, per your suggestions. Thanks for the quick reply.
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10-15-2009, 06:28 PM
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Half-Ass Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,001
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeteF
When I couldn't see the front u-joint, I didn't try to see the rear.
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I think you'll find the rear one to be pretty easy -- it is on my car. And I think with a long extension and a swivel head that you can get the front one via the shifter boot hole. Somewhere I've got a picture that I took of the front u-joint through the shifter boot hole. I'll see if I can find it and post it. |
10-15-2009, 06:34 PM
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Half-Ass Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,001
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Not Ranked
Here's a Shot
OK, this is what it looks like through the shift boot hole. I think you can do it:
Last edited by patrickt; 10-26-2016 at 10:24 AM..
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10-15-2009, 07:21 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Glastonbury,
Ct
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA2041 sold 2021
Posts: 241
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Not Ranked
grease fitting access
Fantastic! Thanks for the help and photo, I really appreciate it.
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10-15-2009, 08:56 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Earlimart,
Ca
Cobra Make, Engine: Superformance 2765 Roush 427(POS) with cruise.
Posts: 221
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Not Ranked
patrickt,
I'm in awe at your knowledge, experience, patience, and cool at which you answer a lost soul's dire questions.  I'm new to this forum and a new owner also and am one happy dude to have people like you answering our seemingly difficult questions. Actually there are several of you but you seem to come to mind. Thank you. 209 |
10-16-2009, 05:13 AM
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Half-Ass Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,001
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by 209
patrickt,
I'm in awe at your knowledge, experience, patience, and cool at which you answer a lost soul's dire questions. I'm new to this forum and a new owner also and am one happy dude to have people like you answering our seemingly difficult questions. Actually there are several of you but you seem to come to mind. Thank you. 209 |
Yes, I think both RodKnock & ERAChas will agree with you that I am indeed the salt of the earth.  |
10-16-2009, 05:44 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: New Britain,
CT
Cobra Make, Engine: Size 10 Feet
Posts: 3,011
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Not Ranked
Next time I have access to a car-in-progress with a visible driveshaft, I'll see whether I can build in an access hole for the front grease fitting. I've got a top-view picture of a Richmond Gear setup and it looks "interesting" for an oval hole that covers the varying length of the shafts necessary for all the transmissions that we support. It's pretty close.
Alternately, maybe a hole in the tunnel with a snap-in plug (with a piece of carpet glued on) might be the best approach.
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10-16-2009, 05:50 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bethesda,
MD
Cobra Make, Engine: CSX 6022, navy blue, period correct 427 SO
Posts: 2,154
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickt
Yes, I think both RodKnock & ERAChas will agree with you that I am indeed the salt of the earth. |
Modest too... 
__________________
“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.”
www.partskeeper.com
(Less time searching, more time wrenching & driving)
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10-16-2009, 06:25 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,078
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Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickt
Yes, I think both RodKnock & ERAChas will agree with you that I am indeed the salt of the earth. |
SALT is not the term that comes to my mind... 
And you Rod?
__________________
Chas.
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10-16-2009, 06:29 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Canton,
GA.
Cobra Make, Engine: E.R.A. #505
Posts: 216
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Not Ranked
You could always install a set of Ford u-joints that do not have a grease fitting. No need to grease them, just replace them about every 150,000 miles.
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10-16-2009, 07:33 AM
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Half-Ass Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,001
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by tboneheller
You could always install a set of Ford u-joints that do not have a grease fitting. No need to grease them, just replace them about every 150,000 miles.
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Everything that I have read from Spicer (and other manufacturers) seems to indicate that for our Cobras the greaseless u-joints would be just as good, if not better, than the greasable ones. But it's easier now to just grease them than it is to replace them. |
10-16-2009, 07:35 AM
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Half-Ass Member
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
Posts: 22,001
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERA Chas
SALT is not the term that comes to my mind... |
Sugar, perhaps?  |
10-16-2009, 08:22 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: New Britain,
CT
Cobra Make, Engine: Size 10 Feet
Posts: 3,011
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Not Ranked
I will ask our driveshaft expert whether he thinks that a permanent (greaseless) joint would work better in our situation.
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10-16-2009, 08:33 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Bartlett,
Ill
Cobra Make, Engine: Everett-Morrison LS1
Posts: 2,448
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Not Ranked
The permanent ones are better because they are stronger, the fact that you don't need to grease them is secondary
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10-16-2009, 10:00 AM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Boise, Idaho,
ID
Cobra Make, Engine: Contemporary Classics 427 SC, 427 sideoiler
Posts: 54
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Not Ranked
The greaseless u-joints are a good way to go if you have access problems. On my Contemporary, I have easy access to the rear and I can drop the drive shaft out in 10 minutes time for the front. So, I've stuck with the greaseable guys. I will probably change if they need replacement.
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10-16-2009, 03:59 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Livermore,
CA
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #629, BBM Side Oiler Block, 482ci, Richmond 5 speed
Posts: 852
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Not Ranked
I went greaseless after this happened:
This was a Spicer u-joint with only about 15 or 20,000 miles on it. |
10-16-2009, 04:32 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Glastonbury,
Ct
Cobra Make, Engine: ERA2041 sold 2021
Posts: 241
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Not Ranked
grease fitting access
Now I'm wondering how the greaseless design can get 150,000 miles.......what magic allows that? Must be newer technology grease......thanks again to all of you for the sharing of knowledge and experience. That last photo is worth 1000 words. I assume it gave no advance warning, or you would have done something......I expected I would hear or feel something.
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10-16-2009, 04:40 PM
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CC Member
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,078
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Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by CJ428CJ
I went greaseless after this happened:
This was a Spicer u-joint with only about 15 or 20,000 miles on it. |
How did that happen? Were you at the track with slicks on?
Please share that story.
__________________
Chas.
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