Current status of the project is that the u joints that were original to the patrol turn out to be quite serviceable. I am still hunting down adequate replacements and am talking to a source in Japan that seems to have the original koyo 1724D u joint bearings in stock. Trying to figure out if it's actually the original part and going to order one from Japan if it is. Fingers crossed.
(there is a bit of a language barrier with the guy i'm talking to so hopefully i can actually get the right part).
First, pardon any gaps in helpful photos. I was completely covered in grease and fiddling with the phone at certain spots was impossible. I'll try to fill the gaps missing with photos if i can. (this project requires at least 1 roll of paper towels to degrease parts and fingers).
Anyway, after removal (I didn't have a press, i hammered them out with a large punch on a vise)...the existing joints can be taken apart without too much difficulty down to removing all the needle bearings and clearing out all the grime, grease build-up and dirt. I'm in process of disassembling 2 u joints and giving them a grease repacking.... here are a few photos of the process....
disassembling u joint.jpg
The bearing caps have covers that can be carefully removed by gently prying them off with a screw driver (carefully!) think opening a paint can but with a surgeons touch. (note: some of the bearings came apart when removing, and the covers were fused to the spider themselves and had to be gingerly worked on to pry off and clean.
crusty bearing cap.jpg
After the covers are off the bearings there is a washer/disk inside that holds the needle bearings in place from falling out. These just simply slide off and can be cleaned, then the needle bearings removed and wiped down or given a degrease bath.
degrease bath.jpg
close up.jpg
The spiders themselves can be degreased and run through with a wire brush or wheel (careful not to wire wheel the metal that comes in contact with the bearing caps and wear it down.) There was a TON of grit between the lip of the spider and where the bearing cap slides down onto it. I'm unsure if at one point there was a cork gasket there intended to keep grease in or not. If there was, it was completely disintegrated in every cap, and I chose at this point to not replace anything there. We'll see how it does when i add grease. In one photo it appears what came out was the remnants of a cork gasket of some kind... in theory, the spinning of the u joint shouldn't fling grease out but keep it in. The seal was probably there at best to keep dust out....
The inside of the spider can be cleaned of grease by running a thin dowel through and forcing the old grease out. I broke the grease zerk when i was removing one of the u joints and had to use a special stripped screw removal tool to get it out. I recommend removing the grease fittings BEFORE removing the U joints and replacing them AFTER reinstallation...
Once bearings are cleaned, it's a matter of greasing the caps well, putting the needle bearings back in (20 per cap), replacing the retaining washer, and reapplying the cap.
cleaned up.jpg
old junky vs new cleaned.jpg
Sometimes the bearing covers went back on the caps smoothly, sometimes they needed a little gentle tapping to seat back on flush ( very carefully as the metal is easily distorted.)
It then goes all back together quite easily.
re assembling in yoke.jpg
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by curlrider11 » Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:32 pm 
