U-Joint (spider) - how do I get the old ones out??

The circlips are square in profile, inside the yoke one each of the four bearing cups. From memory they are about 2mm square similar to a tiny piston ring if that helps. Find the opening in the clip then 'lightly tap' with a big hammer. Watch your eyes too they can spring off!!!

I think you might have been looking for the clips on the outside of the yoke.

You hit one bearing cap inward to knock the opposite one out.

Good luck. I was taught this skill forty years ago when I was a lad working pumping Caltex after school by the mechanic. He also taught me how to mend punctures. Any I fixed for customers was my 'cash' to keep.

These circlips are known to fly into oblivion and also whistle as they go,,so if you get them out ,be careful with the new ones....

If you clean the uni you should be able to see the circlips, When you do get the circlips out use a socket on the uni cap and belt it out (in),

Onec you have removed the circlips. There is an easy way to get the cups out and thus get the joint apart.

You'll need a vice & a hammer.

Place the smaller, loose or "floppy end" onto the top of a partly opened vice so that it spans the vice jaws. Start hitting the solid tubular prop shaft part of the joint. This will slowly force one cup out of the central yoke. When that first cup is part way out, do not completely remove it from the yoke eye just yet.

Turn the prop shaft over and repeat the above on the other side. This will force out the oposite cup.

Remove the "Floppy bit" with the central "cross" still in it from the prop shaft tube bit.

Then simply place the floppy bit (with the central cross still in it) across the vice and similarly hammer out each roller bearing cup.

Remove the now partly removed roller bearing cups in the prop shaft tube bit by tightening each cup, that should by now be sticking out of each yoke eye, in a vice and tap the yoke upwards.

easy peasy - but bluddy difficult to put into words. Once you see it done it all makes sense.

Be very careful when replacing the cups back into the central yoke. Take great care that all the needle roller are lined up correctly and are not being caught on the central yoke. If you get a needle roller stuck sideways across the bottom of the cup it will crack the bottom of the bearing cup - a dead set, no going back, you've stuffed it, buy another new uni joint, more expense, type "crack".

And only put enough grease in the needle rollers sufficient to hold the rollers in place while you put the cups back in. There is no clearance inside an assembled uni joint and excess grease will cause you to creat a hydraulic lock up. Sometime this "lock up" can prevent you from getting the bearing cup right home and therefore you can't replace the circlip properly.

Tip? If it's a grease nipple type uni joint, remove the grease nipple until fully assembled. This will let out any excess grease. Replace grease nipple later.

One you've done about 286 of 'em, you can become quite good at doing 'em :)

Bilbo

Thanks for all the advice.
Did them last night - no dramas once I knew what I was supposed to be looking for.
Didn't see circlips pinging around the shed, though.

Happiness is a big hammer !!!