Tugging driveshaft out of pumpkin.

[SPOFF]

I'm finishing up a splineoectomy on my Valk. I need to get the driveshaft out of the old pumpkin and into the newer Pinwall pumpkin. The shop manual says to pull the shaft gently while turing it. I'm pulling with all my might while turning the shaft. Did the manual skip a step or is the dust seal really that tight a fit?

The next step is to put the axle into the pumpkin so I can push with both my feet while tugging with both arms. Unfortunately when the shaft pops out the pumpkin will shoot 20 feet into the drive way. Is there a better way?

[sandy]

It does pull out but there's a circlip trying to hold it in. Put a towel down on the floor and give the whole assembly a tap on the towel as you hold the driveshaft. Be sure and use a good moly grease (at least 2% moly) on the drive shaft splines. I don't trust the pumpkin oil to come up from behind.
Shaft grease at both ends fro me is: Valvoline Durablend. It has 3% moly content.

[JetDriver]

The shop manual says to pull the shaft gently while turing it. I'm pulling with all my might

Clearly, you're not following directions! 

[1FAST6]

Just wobble it while you're pulling and it will come right out!

[Robert]

Take vise grips and clamp them on the shaft hold the rear and hit the grips with a hammer as close as possible to the jaws should come right out.

[Steve K (IA)]

Take vise grips and clamp them on the shaft hold the rear and hit the grips with a hammer as close as possible to the jaws should come right out.

Yes, this works.   Wobbling and pulling didn't work for me.  In my case I used a crescent wrench and just tightened it up on the narrow diameter.  And of course used a hammer.  Same outcome.

[Chrisj CMA]

dont clamp onto the driveshaft with any tools...thats just wrong!  NO HAMMERS ALLOWED........hammers and crescent wrenches need to remain far from motorcycles (except for extreme emergencies)

All that is needed is a quick sharp tug.......you cant just pull its more of a hard sudden YANK! and its out

[RLD]

They do not always come out. I had one so seized that I gave up and picked up another rear end and drive shaft from a trike builder. The dealer plugged the weep hole, no amount of any grease I tried would stay on the shaft, and the seal would NOT stay in place. The shaft eventually just siezed onto the rear end. Like I said, I gave up and just replaced the danged thing. End of problem. Now I do all my own maintenance, period.

[Robert]

Chris, a purist 

[SPOFF]

Finally got back out to the garage and tugged away. After about 3 or 4 WTFs, it popped out easily. I guess it needs a bit of rocking as well as turning. Spines look good on both ends of the drive shaft.

Where is this oil weep hole everyone talks about? If it's up through the center of the drive shaft, mine is clogged with rust and grime. Is greasing both ends adequate?

Finally, the chrome breather cap on my Pinwall pumpkin is beat up. I'd like to swap with my original. The manual (page 12-11) makes it look like it pulls off. The picture isn't clear enough to see if there are threads. Has anyone pulled one of these off? Or should I leave well enough alone?

[MP]

Should be TWO holes on the bottom, outer ring of the pinion cup.  Allows rear end oil to keep the pinion and splines well lubed. 

MP

[Robert]

Oil from the rear does not lube the splines. If you dont grease it, its history

[MP]

Took it out of my IS when I got it.  No grease, all bathed in a nice layer of gear lube from the pumpkin.  Looked very nice.  Honda mechanics have said it is, although I do not trust them much.  I believe it is so.

MP

[Daniel Meyer]

Oil from the rear does not lube the splines. If you dont grease it, its history

Oil from the rear does lube the pinion cup. If you don't clean the crud out of it occasionally, it's history.

[SPOFF]

Yep. Checked both oil holes, they're clear. Cleaned out the cup. Packed 2g moly grease on the pinion joint spline per manual. Shaft popped back on, everything is looking good. Next week is Laconia Bike Week and my bumblebee should be ready! 

[Robert]

So we put 5 oz of oil in the rear and that's the lube for the rear and supposed to keep the cup nice and clean and lubed for say 12 to 25k miles ? Ok Ok thats lets see at 8k miles thats roughly 1600 miles per ounce of oil and then there's no oil in the rear. But lets just take the idea that only a ounce may hit the splines that means that one ounce of oil lubes the splines for 8k miles the time to check level and most dont do it   Plus the moly your supposed to use dissipates like Obama during a oil spill. I think if you look back in the tech info you'll find some interesting reading. I also hear Pinwall still has rears available so no worries. The rear may have been designed that way but that's not what most have experienced.

[SPOFF]

There's an oil seal at the top of the pinion cup so theoretically none of the 5 oz should disappear. Maybe its flung up into the cup and drains back in when you park? (I was never a big fan of splash lubrication.) It's also interesting that the manual clearly tells me to put 2g of moly grease on the splines in the pinion cup. Maybe this is for assembly only. I fully plan to take the rear end apart annually, regardless of mileage, to keep an eye on these expensive parts. 

[lee]

Hay Photostash is working again.

[MP]

Good pic of how and why the oil pickup works.  Great for the naysayers.

MP

[Robert]

Thats a great pic thanks but it still doesn't alter the fact that it doesn't work. With the holes unplugged you still dont get enough oil to the splines. I personally think its more of a vent because there is a bearing right there with a race and they say put grease in the cup. If any appreciable amount of rear oil does get to the grease it washes it away and your left with nothing on the splines. Plus the amount of oil that would be required to keep the thing from rusting is much more than you could afford to loose in the rear. If the gears were designed to move the oil to the holes which they are not or there was a attempt to make sure the splines received a regular supply of oil I may be able to agree. I also have done tests myself with different greases and oil levels to see what would happen and none except putting grease in the cup did the job. This is not to say that the original design may have been to have the splines lubed by the rear oil but it doesn't work. My personal findings agree with all the reports on this board that have had problems with the splines. If any of you naysayers want to base the well being on a design that most members here have had problems with then thats your choice. But that still doesn't alter the fact that it doesn't work.   These bikes are really reliable and thats one reason I bought one but there are a few things that are of questionable design this being one and the petcock another the clutch flex plate. The rest are all small stuff with various switches and alike that dont really mean much if they fail. This one along with the petcock are really more major things that take more than a simple repair and small cash outlay to correct. thats the only reason I even chime in because it just doesn't make sense when so many have had a problem to ignore the idea that there may be a problem here. If one person has a problem then it may be them but if many have the same problem then there may be something to it. Some go and never have a problem and thats great others aren't that lucky but personally I try to understand and do the best for my bike. We all make our own choices and take what comes of our decisions so this topic like all others, make your own choice but the record speaks for itself.

[Daniel Meyer]

Works fine if you clean the crud out of it every tire change or so (or ever 10k when you should be taking care of your splines anyway).

140,000 on mine. Still pristine. Still wet with gear oil everytime I pull it out.

It's main weakness is everybody ignores it.