Spline lube

[Larrym]

Spline Greasology

Thanks Tod!

I did mine before I was a member on the site. At 14k there was some lube still on the splines but no way to tell what kind the original was.

It was one of those situations where I made a judgement call and went with what I thought would work. Good to know I didn't bugger it up!

[bikerphil]

Sorry, just had to...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly79mkffp7M&feature=PlayList&p=36E7B3AE429C09D7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=40

[Larrym]

Frank's Universal Wisdom

bikerphil,

What are the odds ya got this on your workshop wall:

....................

[madmax-im]

Sorry, just had to...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly79m...om=PL&index=40

Thanks Phil...I haven't heard that in ages..what a great performance!

[madmax-im]

bikerphil,

What are the odds ya got this on your workshop wall:

....................

I remember one poster like that captioned Phi Zappa Crappa...LOL

[bikerphil]

Nope, don't have that poster, anymore. Like Frank says.. "Any kind of lube will do" LOL

[Guy_b_g]

I'm a big fan of Zappa (see my signature)..

As to the lube, MotoGuzzi is famous for long mileage bikes..they call for Moly grease on the final drive splines, and Moly lube in the final drive. Good enough for them, good enough for me, even if some consider it overkill.

[clcorbin]

The design of the rear shaft/splines and the placement of that zirk fitting results in a situation where you can gun it with grease all ya want but still leave the right areas unlubricated.

Disassembly and lube is strongly advised.

I must have been VERY lucky in that regard. I had ONLY lubed the splines through the zerk fitting using a moly enhanced grease (similar to OP's post). When I just recently took it apart to "properly" clean and grease it at over 60k miles, I found the splines to be very well greased with a sticky, black grease that looked exactly like what I had put in there.

My theory is that as the unit get hot, the grease thins out and is able to work it's way in there as the rear suspension works up and down (pulling the spline in and out). However it worked, the splines look great!

And yes, I DID buy a can of the 65% moly grease and I will grease it up "properly" when I put it back together this weekend!

Just to be on the safe side...

[dbeardslee]

CL - If I remember correctly the manual says to use 30 zerks on a bone-dry swing arm. I've heard of people zerking the fitting enough to get grease back to the rear splines on the drive shaft, but I've also heard that in doing it the grease was also coming out of the front of the swing arm by the u-joint. Have you looked under the rubber boot that covers the u-joint? Just curious if it's full of grease too.