Help. Drive Shaft

[Steve K (IA)]

Can't get the drive assembly put back.  Took it all apart, cleaned and greased.  Have a strap holding the swing arm real close to level.  Look inside and the u joint is centered.  Used rubber mallet to make sure drive shaft is fully seated in the pinion cup. 
I can get it to where the bolts enter the flange on the swing arm but won't come through the front with enough threads to get the nuts on.
What in the hell am I doing wrong?    Never had this trouble with the other Valk.

[Bighead]

Keep fiddling with it it will finally seat when you get everything lined up correctly

[Chrisj CMA]

Sit behind the bike, don't try it from the side,  if it hangs up just do the old shack rattle and roll, it will go in

[Fazer]

I posted this on your other thread--it worked for me....

Forgot to mention the tip he (Dan Meyer) gave us for re-installing the drive shaft in the ujoint.  He showed us how to use a ratchet strap to raise the rear axle above the exhaust pipes to extract the axle.  When the drive shaft is pulled, the ujoint will droop making it difficult to line up.  If you ratchet the swing arm and drive shaft tube up as high as possible, at least above level, you can, after inserting the rear end side into the cup, simply start the studs into the four holes and grab the whole differential and wiggle it very forcefully and the end will slip right in. You have to sit on the ground behind the bike and give it a good shake while pushing forward.  Worked like a charm for me.

After getting the drive shaft re-inserted, only hand tighten the four nuts holding the rear end in.  Lower the swing arm back so the axle is just above the exhaust and re-install the wheel.  Once you get the space, brake caliper and axle torqued then you tighten the four nuts in a crisscross pattern.  This ensures proper alignment of the rear end gears.

[indybobm]

Try putting the drive flange in the final drive so that you can turn the driveshaft as you  installl it.

[sandy]

Think: Miley Cyrus twerking. That'll work.

[Steve K (IA)]

What I am seeing is the end of the u joint is pointing down.  Using a flashlight and a yardstick, i try to get the u joint centered and it just flops back down again.  

Still no luck.

[The emperor has no clothes]

What I am seeing is the end of the u joint is pointing down.  Using a flashlight and a yardstick, i try to get the u joint centered and it just flops back down again.  

Still no luck.

Its almost impossible to keep it from flopping down. Raise your swing arm a little higher and just keep jiggling it around. (Or twerk it as Sandy says) 

[..]

What I am seeing is the end of the u joint is pointing down.  Using a flashlight and a yardstick, i try to get the u joint centered and it just flops back down again.  

Still no luck.

Are you a Facebook person?

BigBF will help you. He's pretty quick at answering messages.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/855896357793960/

[Steve K (IA)]

Success!  

Took the inspection cap off the timing belt cover.  Put it in gear, put a wrench on the end of the crank and gave it a 1/4 turn.  The swing arm was down, looked in and it was centered.  Finally went together with little effort.  

I tell you, I was feeling defeated there for awhile.  Hopefully I can get it all back together tonight.  Makes me nervous with the bike sitting about 2 feet in the air balancing on that lift.  Be glad to get her back on the ground.  Whew......

Thanks for the support and suggestions.  

[Skinhead]

Success! 

Took the inspection cap off the timing belt cover.  Put it in gear, put a wrench on the end of the crank and gave it a 1/4 turn.  The swing arm was down, looked in and it was centered.  Finally went together with little effort. 

I tell you, I was feeling defeated there for awhile.  Hopefully I can get it all back together tonight.  Makes me nervous with the bike sitting about 2 feet in the air balancing on that lift.  Be glad to get her back on the ground.  Whew......

Thanks for the support and suggestions.   

I have a suggestion, to stabilize the bike while working on it, I use the lift to raise the bike, then put 2 jack stands under the crash bars in the front and 2 under the saddle bag guards in the rear an remove the the lift.  Solid as a rock.  If no saddle bags, leave the lift, but still put the stands under the crash bars.  Much more stable.

[Bighead]

Success! 

Took the inspection cap off the timing belt cover.  Put it in gear, put a wrench on the end of the crank and gave it a 1/4 turn.  The swing arm was down, looked in and it was centered.  Finally went together with little effort. 

I tell you, I was feeling defeated there for awhile.  Hopefully I can get it all back together tonight.  Makes me nervous with the bike sitting about 2 feet in the air balancing on that lift.  Be glad to get her back on the ground.  Whew......

Thanks for the support and suggestions.   

I have a suggestion, to stabilize the bike while working on it, I use the lift to raise the bike, then put 2 jack stands under the crash bars in the front and 2 under the saddle bag guards in the rear an remove the the lift.  Solid as a rock.  If no saddle bags, leave the lift, but still put the stands under the crash bars.  Much more stable.

+1 mine IS sat this way for a good month waiting on paint. Two stands under engine guard and lift under bike. Never worried about it falling.

[Tfrank59]

Success!  

Took the inspection cap off the timing belt cover.  Put it in gear, put a wrench on the end of the crank and gave it a 1/4 turn.  The swing arm was down, looked in and it was centered.  Finally went together with little effort.  

I tell you, I was feeling defeated there for awhile.  Hopefully I can get it all back together tonight.  Makes me nervous with the bike sitting about 2 feet in the air balancing on that lift.  Be glad to get her back on the ground.  Whew......

Thanks for the support and suggestions.  

My last time assembling it I had that same problem for about 15 minutes and felt defeated just like you said. I think for me sometimes it's easier than other times to get the thing together – probably gets harder as I get older. Taking off the timing cover sounds like a lot of work – I wouldn't bother with that. I've tried putting the bike in gear and like one of the guys suggested, I have a spare driven flange that I can stick in the pumpkin and rotate it while I'm pushing, and that helped it eventually line up the spline.  Kind of sucks when you're doing everything like the boys on the forum say and she still don't want to go together! 
[/quote]

[F6Dave]

I just grab the drive splines and turn them a bit while raising and lowering the driveshaft tube.  It takes some muscle with all those heavy components but it always takes only seconds to pop in.

[Tfrank59]

I think it's mainly the muscle part I lack

[John Schmidt]

Success!  

Took the inspection cap off the timing belt cover.  Put it in gear, put a wrench on the end of the crank and gave it a 1/4 turn.  The swing arm was down, looked in and it was centered.  Finally went together with little effort.  

I tell you, I was feeling defeated there for awhile.  Hopefully I can get it all back together tonight.  Makes me nervous with the bike sitting about 2 feet in the air balancing on that lift.  Be glad to get her back on the ground.  Whew......

Thanks for the support and suggestions.  

That's why I never raise the rear tire more than 2=3".....just not necessary. I remove both shocks and raise/lower the s/a with a second floor jack and remove the back half of the fender. I also put jack stands under the front engine guards but seldom are needed since I don't have it 2' in the air. As for getting the driveshaft back in, I always put the bike in gear and install the flange in the final drive. It gives you something to grab since there's a lot of grease on that stuff and makes it easier to turn. Just put the shaft in, you can tell when you've started to engage the u-joint, then start turning the flange back/forth and it will go in.

[Steve K (IA)]

Success!  

Took the inspection cap off the timing belt cover.  Put it in gear, put a wrench on the end of the crank and gave it a 1/4 turn.  The swing arm was down, looked in and it was centered.  Finally went together with little effort.  

I tell you, I was feeling defeated there for awhile.  Hopefully I can get it all back together tonight.  Makes me nervous with the bike sitting about 2 feet in the air balancing on that lift.  Be glad to get her back on the ground.  Whew......

Thanks for the support and suggestions.  

That's why I never raise the rear tire more than 2=3".....just not necessary. I remove both shocks and raise/lower the s/a with a second floor jack and remove the back half of the fender. I also put jack stands under the front engine guards but seldom are needed since I don't have it 2' in the air. As for getting the driveshaft back in, I always put the bike in gear and install the flange in the final drive. It gives you something to grab since there's a lot of grease on that stuff and makes it easier to turn. Just put the shaft in, you can tell when you've started to engage the u-joint, then start turning the flange back/forth and it will go in.

I have saddlebag rails and a trailer hitch.  Removing the rear fender ain't gonna happen.

[Steve K (IA)]

Success!  

Took the inspection cap off the timing belt cover.  Put it in gear, put a wrench on the end of the crank and gave it a 1/4 turn.  The swing arm was down, looked in and it was centered.  Finally went together with little effort.  

I tell you, I was feeling defeated there for awhile.  Hopefully I can get it all back together tonight.  Makes me nervous with the bike sitting about 2 feet in the air balancing on that lift.  Be glad to get her back on the ground.  Whew......

Thanks for the support and suggestions.  

My last time assembling it I had that same problem for about 15 minutes and felt defeated just like you said. I think for me sometimes it's easier than other times to get the thing together – probably gets harder as I get older. Taking off the timing cover sounds like a lot of work – I wouldn't bother with that. I've tried putting the bike in gear and like one of the guys suggested, I have a spare driven flange that I can stick in the pumpkin and rotate it while I'm pushing, and that helped it eventually line up the spline.  Kind of sucks when you're doing everything like the boys on the forum say and she still don't want to go together! 

[/quote]

I didn't remove the timing cover, just the small inspection cover in the middle.

[Tfrank59]

OK right, but still you don't really need to get in there at all if you put the thing in gear and then using your driven spline to turn the pumpkin/driveshaft till it lines up with the ujoint splines. and I'm with you I never take my fender off, nor my exhaust, just to remove the rear wheel.  And unlike many of the guys on this forum, I'm an under the swingarm guy – I lower the swingarm to remove the axle rather than raise it. The consensus is it doesn't really matter as long as you don't let the weight of the wheel/pumpkin hang on the ujoint.

[Jess from VA]

I just watched BF punch in both mine.  With the swingarm all the way up, he pokes the shaft up the hole to initial (but unjoined) contact with the Ujoint.  This leaves maybe an inch and a half of the pinion cup still showing out the end of the swingarm.  He grabs the exposed part of the pinion cup with thumb and forefinger, and twists it back and forth while pushing. (yank fingers out when it goes in to avoid a pinch)

Just like sex, it works better with a little manual guidance, than just poking away.

Master OBGYN of Valkyries.  

[The emperor has no clothes]

I just watched BF punch in both mine.  With the swingarm all the way up, he pokes the shaft up the hole to initial (but unjoined) contact with the Ujoint.  This leaves maybe an inch and a half of the pinion cup still showing out the end of the swingarm.  He grabs the exposed part of the pinion cup with thumb and forefinger, and twists it back and forth while pushing. (yank fingers out when it goes in to avoid a pinch)

Just like sex, it works better with a little manual guidance, than just poking away.

Master OBGYN of Valkyries.  

Maybe the John Holmes of Valkyries ?

[Jess from VA]

I just watched BF punch in both mine.  With the swingarm all the way up, he pokes the shaft up the hole to initial (but unjoined) contact with the Ujoint.  This leaves maybe an inch and a half of the pinion cup still showing out the end of the swingarm.  He grabs the exposed part of the pinion cup with thumb and forefinger, and twists it back and forth while pushing. (yank fingers out when it goes in to avoid a pinch)

Just like sex, it works better with a little manual guidance, than just poking away.

Master OBGYN of Valkyries.  

Maybe the John Holmes of Valkyries ?

I've watched pretty closely, and as far as I can tell, he only uses his hands.

It's been a long time, but I think Johnny Wad would've got stuck in the swingarm.  

Carnal relations with a Valkyrie (in private) is not a crime, but it should be.

[John Schmidt]

Success!  

Took the inspection cap off the timing belt cover.  Put it in gear, put a wrench on the end of the crank and gave it a 1/4 turn.  The swing arm was down, looked in and it was centered.  Finally went together with little effort.  

I tell you, I was feeling defeated there for awhile.  Hopefully I can get it all back together tonight.  Makes me nervous with the bike sitting about 2 feet in the air balancing on that lift.  Be glad to get her back on the ground.  Whew......

Thanks for the support and suggestions.  

That's why I never raise the rear tire more than 2=3".....just not necessary. I remove both shocks and raise/lower the s/a with a second floor jack and remove the back half of the fender. I also put jack stands under the front engine guards but seldom are needed since I don't have it 2' in the air. As for getting the driveshaft back in, I always put the bike in gear and install the flange in the final drive. It gives you something to grab since there's a lot of grease on that stuff and makes it easier to turn. Just put the shaft in, you can tell when you've started to engage the u-joint, then start turning the flange back/forth and it will go in.

I have saddlebag rails and a trailer hitch.  Removing the rear fender ain't gonna happen.

So do I, don't have the trailer hitch but do have the bags and rails. A looong time ago I set the bags up with a "quick drop" method of removing them and the rails. I take them off in minutes and if I have an extra set of hands they come off in one piece. Otherwise, the bags come off first then the metal which I can remove in one piece myself. Then three bolts and the back half of the fender comes off so when the wheel is removed it just rolls out, doesn't have to drop 2'. Goes in just as easy, no major lifting involved....just roll it into place and slip a 30" piece of 1x3 on a 2x4 fulcrum and lift the tire a couple inches with your knee while using both hands to engage the splines. With all that stuff off, including the shocks, everything is out of the way and you can literally pull the wheel in minutes without hassle. Figure 15 min. max to pull the bags/rails, lift the bike 2-3" off the floor, place floor jack under the s/a so you can loosen or remove the shocks, raise s/a so axle is above exhaust, remove axle, pull wheel.

I happen to have a centerstand so haven't used a lift to pull the rear on my Valk in over 10 years. But, you can do the same thing just as easy with a bike lift and a floor jack. I put mine on the c/s, use the floor jack to maneuver the s/a up and down as needed. And I can do the whole thing sitting on my little scooter shop stool. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

Success!  

Took the inspection cap off the timing belt cover.  Put it in gear, put a wrench on the end of the crank and gave it a 1/4 turn.  The swing arm was down, looked in and it was centered.  Finally went together with little effort.  

I tell you, I was feeling defeated there for awhile.  Hopefully I can get it all back together tonight.  Makes me nervous with the bike sitting about 2 feet in the air balancing on that lift.  Be glad to get her back on the ground.  Whew......

Thanks for the support and suggestions.  

That's why I never raise the rear tire more than 2=3".....just not necessary. I remove both shocks and raise/lower the s/a with a second floor jack and remove the back half of the fender. I also put jack stands under the front engine guards but seldom are needed since I don't have it 2' in the air. As for getting the driveshaft back in, I always put the bike in gear and install the flange in the final drive. It gives you something to grab since there's a lot of grease on that stuff and makes it easier to turn. Just put the shaft in, you can tell when you've started to engage the u-joint, then start turning the flange back/forth and it will go in.

I have saddlebag rails and a trailer hitch.  Removing the rear fender ain't gonna happen.

I`m with you. I hope to never have install the hitch again.