POLL: What do you use on the Final Drive Splines?

[indybobm]

There has been a lot of discussion on which grease/paste to use on the splines in the Final Drive and Drive Flange. I thought it would be interesting to see which one or two is used the most.

If you are mixing the ones listed above, select both

I had to replace my Final Drive, Drive Flange, and Rear Wheel last winter due to missing thrust washer.

If you selected 'Other' Please tell us what it is.

[Disco]

Although using good stuff is important, I believe performing at regular intervals (+/- 10,000 miles) full removal pumpkin and drive shaft/inspection/clean-up/o-ring replacement/re-lube/proper reassembly is probably more important that what one uses.

[Fritz The Cat]

Got some Bel Ray Assembly Lube ordered and should arrive today.

If you've ever had to rebuild your final drive due to chewed up splines, this question is very important. If not, well you can be philosophical about it.

[NITRO]

Green Grease here for the last few years.

[Ricky-D]

The kind (type) of grease has not as much importance as the interval between the times you service the pumpkin and splines.

***

[Westsider]

Depends on what brand of tire I'm installing at the time.  

Although using good stuff is important, I believe performing at regular intervals (+/- 10,000 miles) full removal pumpkin and drive shaft/inspection/clean-up/o-ring replacement/re-lube/proper reassembly is probably more important that what one uses.

+1   TGIF   TGIF

[Blues]

This is confusing.  I thought the rear end, splines and spline cup were lubricated by the hypoid gear oil.  Other than a thin coating for assembly, should there be grease here? 

Against my better judgement, I had a new rear tire installed by my local honda shop.  Since that time, I have been noticing increased vibrations in what feels like my drive train.  I'll be checking this out for myself pretty quick and would like a good consensus on the right lubrication...

[Ricky-D]

I thought the rear end, splines and spline cup were lubricated by the hypoid gear oil.

Nope !!!

Although there are those that would argue differently, using unsubstantiated arguments and conjecture.

You'll see their posts here soon enough.

***

[Chrisj CMA]

I thought the rear end, splines and spline cup were lubricated by the hypoid gear oil.

Nope !!!

Although there are those that would argue differently, using unsubstantiated arguments and conjecture.

You'll see their posts here soon enough.

***

No one here has ever argued that the drive splines are lubricated by the hypoid gear oil. 

The grease you choose to use needs only have one very important quality.  THAT IT STAYS PUT!  Some waterproof greases are too thin and syntrifical force slings it out.  Some heavy greases are not waterproof and they get washed out. 

Belray is proven to be a waterproof heavy grease that will stay on.  The Lucas heavy duty that I showed in my slide show works well too.  Also blending in a little moly has never been shown to hurt anything either.

BUT< You need grease in there or you will get rust and wear and expense

[hubcapsc]

This is confusing.  I thought the rear end, splines and spline cup were lubricated by the hypoid gear oil.  Other than a thin coating for assembly, should there be grease here? 

Against my better judgement, I had a new rear tire installed by my local honda shop.  Since that time, I have been noticing increased vibrations in what feels like my drive train.  I'll be checking this out for myself pretty quick and would like a good consensus on the right lubrication...

Some of us like to make that our job 

You're right on about the gear oil in the pinion cup. As the manual states, "pack .08 oz of molybdenum
disulfide grease into the pinion joint spline", and then hope to see this next time you pull it apart...



I bet if you jambed a bunch of that waterproof bel-ray in there, it would still be there next time you
looked though, pinion cup holes be danged...


The splines call for moly paste and the u-joint end of the pinion cup call for
regular grease.

If you don't have the manual, it is available at http://valkyrienorway.com...

-Mike

[indybobm]

The kind (type) of grease has not as much importance as the interval between the times you service the pumpkin and splines.

***

Ricky, I could not agree more. But, If you perform rear end maintenance at a regular interval as you should, why not use the best lube that offers maximum protection. Many types will work, but there are better alternatives that offer more protection. As the Final Drives are getting harder to find, and more expensive, we need to use maximum protection at regular intervals. I just wanted to see what people are actually using. My opinion is, grease is good at a regular interval, but moly is better at a regular interval. I've lost one Final Drive, I do not want to lose another.

[Disco]

If you've ever had to rebuild your final drive due to chewed up splines, this question is very important. If not, well you can be philosophical about it.

I use Bel-Ray Assembly Lube & Honda Moly.  I pull everything apart at 10,000 mile intervals, fully clean/inspect/replace o-rings/re-lube, and properly reinstall.  I bought my bike with 3,5XX miles on it, but it was seven years old.  I started this regimen at 6,600 miles. 

My final drive philosophy is to do as much as possible to avoid the avoidable.   

[JP in SC]

i have been using Honda Moly 60 with just a little Krytox blended in for flavor(as well as waterproofness and extreme lubricity).
Been using it on the Valkyrie and the ST with great results.

[Brian]

 I used GD-525 at the last spline maintenance with new o-rings, too early to tell as I will know if it stayed put when I do rear end manintenance this winter. The year before I used Honda moly and it did not stay on the splines, they were dry when the rear wheel was pulled out with all the moly spun out on the hub.

GD-525 is 30% moly.

[RP#62]

I thought the rear end, splines and spline cup were lubricated by the hypoid gear oil.

Nope !!!

Although there are those that would argue differently, using unsubstantiated arguments and conjecture.

You'll see their posts here soon enough.

***

As far as I know, no Honda design engineers have ever been on the board and weighed in on the subject nor has anyone ever produced the production drawings so pretty much any theories offered would be unsubstantiated and conjecture, unless you're holding out on us.

-RP

[Chrisj CMA]

I used GD-525 at the last spline maintenance with new o-rings, too early to tell as I will know if it stayed put when I do rear end manintenance this winter. The year before I used Honda moly and it did not stay on the splines, they were dry when the rear wheel was pulled out with all the moly spun out on the hub.

GD-525 is 30% moly.

Brian, just curious......when you used the Honda Moly (or again with the 525) did you put it on the flange (male teeth), inside the drive (female teeth) or both?

[Brian]

I used GD-525 at the last spline maintenance with new o-rings, too early to tell as I will know if it stayed put when I do rear end manintenance this winter. The year before I used Honda moly and it did not stay on the splines, they were dry when the rear wheel was pulled out with all the moly spun out on the hub.

GD-525 is 30% moly.

Brian, just curious......when you used the Honda Moly (or again with the 525) did you put it on the flange (male teeth), inside the drive (female teeth) or both?

Chris, I normally coat both surfaces knowing that it will be pushed in both directions.

[Momz]

I jut got my Valk back after more than a week. I had a punctured Avon Cobra replaced, and I brought my my own CB&T O-rings and Guard Dog 525.

The mechanic says he alway uses Belray Assembly Lube,...but he said that he once had a Gold Wing owner that insisted that lubing the splines caused them to wear out! He stood by while the wheel was intalled to make ure that there wa no greae applied to his splines (rusty). The mechanic made a note on the service reciept that the service facility informed him about the lack of lube will causse a failure and made the customer sign it.

Sometimes,...."you can't fix stupid"

[Chrisj CMA]

I used GD-525 at the last spline maintenance with new o-rings, too early to tell as I will know if it stayed put when I do rear end manintenance this winter. The year before I used Honda moly and it did not stay on the splines, they were dry when the rear wheel was pulled out with all the moly spun out on the hub.

GD-525 is 30% moly.

Brian, just curious......when you used the Honda Moly (or again with the 525) did you put it on the flange (male teeth), inside the drive (female teeth) or both?

Chris, I normally coat both surfaces knowing that it will be pushed in both directions.

Well, then you prove again my theory that the Honda stuff just aint up to the task, dispite the fact that some have had a good result.

I think there have been other accounts of the same people doing multiple bikes and one doing well and the other suffering a disaster.

Must have to do with slightly variable tolerances in mating surfaces or actual driving condtions (wet riding)  But that stuff ruined a final drive for me too....I think anyone would be playing russian roulette to trust it

[indybobm]

I want to thank everyone who has participated in the POLL so far. It has been very interesting. The purpose of the POLL was not only to find out what other people are using, but also to get people to think about why they were using one lube over another. There are many people that selected 'Other'. It is impossible to list in the POLL all of the possible lubes that could be used, but I did not expect the percentage of 'Other' to be that large. What are they using?

[indybobm]

If you selected 'Other' Please tell us what it is.

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

If you selected 'Other' Please tell us what it is.

I clicked other before I saw you said we can click more then 1 in the poll. I use a combination of honda moly paste and waterproof "green grease" 

[Momz]

I clicked on other; I use Guard Dog 525.

[John U.]

I clicked on other as well. I use Green Grease mixed with Belray assembly lube. I tried the assembly lube alone but had very nearly dry splines after about 10,000 miles. This has never happened with the Green Grease and assembly lube combo. Luckily I caught it in time and learned from the experience.

[Blackduck]

Other,
 Castrol LMM grease. This is used in constant velocity joints and stays in place very well.
When you consider the load on CV's and the fact they are only relubed at a boot change the grease has to perform.
Cheers Steve

[JaysGone]

I just used synthetic bearing grease because I didnt know any better at the time.
So far just 2K miles and alls well that I know of.
Might not be too pretty when I do crack it open next time.
But as it was dry as a bone and alot of rust from the neglected rear axle itself.
it seemed the propper thing to do.

[whitestroke]

Other = Gaurd-Dog 525

Bought my bike with only 3500 miles and the pinion looked just like HUBCAPSC's photo above.
My thoughts would be the rear end lube does seep through to pinion.

[Xtracho]

Question: For those that use a combination of two or more different grease products, what ratio of one to the other do you mix? Or is it more like by sight and experience? Reason I ask is in a couple weeks I'll be picking up the '98 I purchased. She has 21K on the clock and the current owner says the final drive has never been serviced other than fresh gear oil. Obviously, that will be the very first thing I do when get her home. Thanks!

[RP#62]

Question: For those that use a combination of two or more different grease products, what ratio of one to the other do you mix? Or is it more like by sight and experience? Reason I ask is in a couple weeks I'll be picking up the '98 I purchased. She has 21K on the clock and the current owner says the final drive has never been serviced other than fresh gear oil. Obviously, that will be the very first thing I do when get her home. Thanks!

I know people do it and don't report problems, but its really not a good idea to mix greases.  Some grease is clay-based, some is soap-based, some lithium complex and not all of it is compatible.  You may end up with something that separates or results in inferior lubrication or diminished corrosion protection.

-RP

[hal47]

Other  Loctite heavy duty anti-seize protects to 2400 degrees part no. 51606,have been using on everything for years,valk has 60000 show little to no wear.

[fudgie]

Valvoline moly grease.