So I tore the CV boot for the rear left. This happened about 3 days ago and I have probably driven 30 miles since the tear. Grease is flung all over the engine compartment and I won't be able to get it fixed until Saturday. I drive 5 miles to and from work, I don't want the whole thing to fail..

Should I just take the bus? Am I good to drive it for a week? How long does it normally take for these to go? How will I know when it does.

quote Originally posted by rmbrown09: So I tore the CV boot for the rear left. This happened about 3 days ago and I have probably driven 30 miles since the tear. Grease is flung all over the engine compartment and I won't be able to get it fixed until Saturday. I drive 5 miles to and from work, I don't want the whole thing to fail.. Should I just take the bus? Am I good to drive it for a week? How long does it normally take for these to go? How will I know when it does.

You will be okay to drive on it.....I have pulled setups out of Fieros that have had busted boots and where DD with no issues.....If the hole isnt that big you can clean it up and use black RTV to seal the hole..>Works great and stops the leak....

quote Originally posted by MstangsBware: You will be okay to drive on it.....I have pulled setups out of Fieros that have had busted boots and where DD with no issues.....If the hole isnt that big you can clean it up and use black RTV to seal the hole..>Works great and stops the leak....

Well we couldn't see the tear, I already ordered a new snap in boot. But I wasn't even going to drive to the store to pick it up lol.

Dirt doesn't get inside the boot very easily because of the centrifugal forces. Instead, the grease flies out as you've found. If you don't want to chance it, then flush out the CV joint with varsol or other degreaser when you are ready to install the new boot. The varsol will dissolve the grease and should help remove any contamination that might have gotten in there as well. Re-pack the CV joint with fresh CV joint grease (you can get it at most auto parts stores in a grease-gun type canister), then install the new boot.

yep you should be ok. ive seen people who drive on them things for years like that. its really bad on the honda fwd cars. i think they use nylon in them. but you should be ok to drive on until you have time to tear into it and get it fixed.

quote Originally posted by rmbrown09: Well we couldn't see the tear, I already ordered a new snap in boot. But I wasn't even going to drive to the store to pick it up lol.

I've never had any luck with those snap on boots. They don't last very long,

oh wait your planning on using a spit boot?. no just get a regular one and do it right. zipties or hose clamps should be sufficient at sealing the ends.its not under pressure or anything

Driving w/ a torn boot for a lil while will not be a problem. But I would not drive w/ a torn boot longer then then nessasary. Fiero's will last longer on a torn boot then it would on a FWD car; as the range of motion is only up/down, where a FWD car's motion is in 4 directions... Debris/sand will eventually get in there and destroy the joint, so the sooner the better on replacing the boot...

DO NOT waste your time on the split boots, they don't last...

After my run on the Power Tour, I discovered a leaky boot (a clamp came loose) I saw all the grease all over onto the frame and deck lid cover. I had the thing replaced as I had split boots on an old Rabbit I had and had issues. I didn't like the idea of a greaseless CV joint for long term driving.

I bought a "split boot" for mine and it was such POS the screws pulled through the rubber before I could get it all the way on, and it cost half of what a rebuilt axle cost. Rock Auto refunded my money and I got a rebuilt axle from NAPA for $47. Band aids only work on fingers! I must say though that Rock Auto is great, I made the band aid decision.

I used to put split boots on VW's all the time, but they were "good" splits with washers on the screws. The one I got from Rock had screws so tiny, w/o washers under the heads, I could barely pick them up w/o a magnet and as I said pulled right on through the holes in the boot.

[This message has been edited by raysr11 (edited 07-12-2011).]

If you need to replace a CV Half shaft boot and do not want to disassemble it use the one piece "stretch over" boot type. You wil have to pull the axle hub/bearing away from the half shaft, slice the old boot off, clean and regrease but there is no need to take the axle apart. Installion is usually done with a cone type tool that fits on the spline and allows the boot to be stretched over and onto the axle.

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It's okay for a while as long as you clean the joint thoroughly before you put on the new boot. One thing I would do for safety sake is to clean up as much grease from the engine bay before driving the car. Engine bays tend to have hot exhaust in them. Exhaust gets hot. Hot plus grease is not good.