Re: ALI's Return .............. Video Update Pg 5

[HayHauler]

The links to the images are to a server running https, which is a version of a secure website.  This means anyone trying to view these photos will need a sign on to the website to see them.

Just a WAG, but pretty close.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Oss]

I have paypal set up 

see my post in cap letters

[t-man403]

Hope this plays better on your computer than it does on my clunker!! 

https://vimeo.com/74061559

[F6BANGER]

After listening to the video and hearing the grinding get faster every upshift, sounds like the shaft is spinning faster and faster. How about pulling the shaft and the U-joint then starting it. Run it through the gears and if it is still grinding......well then.....bummer

[trout dude]

You can pull or cut the boot to see if the if the u-joint is moving or trying to this would be the fasted way to check that spot. hope this helps.
   Trout Dude

[eric in md]

terry thanks for your  work.. as trout said either cut boot off and video the shaft turning ?

[t-man403]

Well I started to mess around a bit with "ALI".

There are some small things that need to be addressed, as anyone of them could have caused grief for "DDT" while on any trip let alone one as far as the venture he took up here.

The start switch has a dead spot in it and has to be depress a number of times to engage the starter.
The battery itself is shot as you can see through these pix.

Notice the battery tender which has been on the bike for about two weeks, shows good.



The tender changes as soon as the key is turned on and the volt meter as well drops.



This is what happens with the start button depressed.



Just so happens that I have the exact same battery from Wal-mart in my Gurl ! So I swapped them out and "ALI" fired right up ............. as if there was any doubt!!  

My next move was to go to Wal-Mart with a battery from Alabama and see if they would trade me no charge without a receipt. So last night about 8:30, I put on my   face and off I went.
The Gal at customer service says "how can I help" and I say " do you want the long story or the short?"  
So, to cut this story short with you guy's, it turned out that after talking to two different gals at customer services and both of them not having the authority to give me a new battery, they got the assistant store manager for me. I told him the truth about "ALI" , where she's from, why I have her, where I would like her to end up and that I have know idea how old the battery really is. I said I could have brought along my receipt for my battery I bought last summer and pull a fast one but that is not who I am.

With out hesitation he gave me this!



On charge for the night.



Charge complete this morning.



I thanked him very much for doing this, as I know he didn't have to without proof of anything from me. He said that Wal-Mart tries it's best to hold to it's policies but at times an exception has to be made and this was one of those times!  

I don't shop much at Wal-mart, but this is the reason I bought my battery from Wal-Mart last summer ............ know matter where you go on this continent, a Wal-Mart is just around the corner, if it fails.

Thank you Wal-Mart!!  

Pictures fixed.  

THX "HayHauler"!

[t-man403]

I dumped a bit of ALI's oil in a pan about two weeks ago and it looked like this.



That pan sat till yesterday and looked like this after dumping the oil back in.



There is no filings at all in the oil. If the tranny was the problem, I would think there would be some filings in the oil.
The oil is a lot darker than I expected to see after 3000 miles, but "DDT" told me that Rotella is darker out of the bottle than Ams-Oil, which is what I use.

[eric in md]

oil looks good .. keeping fingers crossed

[YoungPUP]

I run Rotella in my Valk as well. It does seem to come a bit darker than "Normal" oil.  I'd be looking in the driveshaft/pinion/pumpkin area.

[Daniel Meyer]

I'm betting pinion cup.

[Disco]

I'm betting pinion cup.

+1

[Skinhead]

The fact that the grinding noise speeds up as gears are increased means the output shaft from the trans is turning, and turning faster as the gears upshift as they should.  Splines are slipping either at the u joint or the pinion cup.  I would pull the rear end and drive shaft.  I think the clutch and trans are ok.

[Willow]

I'm betting pinion cup.

+1

Can I get in on this?

+ another.

[HayHauler]

I'm betting pinion cup.

+1

Can I get in on this?

+ another.

Hay, I'll take some of that action!

Hay 
Jimmyt

[t-man403]

Terry,

I've got fat fingers today sumthin' fierce! Anyway, I'm going to try another time to post something here...

Thanks for the update... I've been missing my gurl a bunch, and I was curious how things were coming along. I know you're busy, and I reckon this time of year just might be even more so for you, so I'm trying not to pester you with inquiries... Anyway, it's good to get some news...

I've been riding CALI some, and I must say she's quite a gal too! She seems to really like the mountain roads that SmokinJoe led us on, and she ain't bad on freeways and straighter back roads either... I think you'll enjoy riding her when you come down here with ALI.

My baby is a bit like her original owner... long in the tooth and beginning to show some serious wear and tear... But, she is my baby, and I do love her dearly. Thanks for taking good care of her... and mending her... Now I got to go wipe my eyes... later...

DDT

Not to worry about "pestering" me! You can send a PM or call anytime you want. I may not answer as you already know, but I will get back to you.
Yes, I am busy, the leave's are changing color here and I am in the heating business. Despite that, I've been fartin' around in the garage with the real small stuff so far, and will get into the drive line of ALI when it gets colder. Heck, I don't want to be working on her when I could be riding with what we have left before the snow fly's.
When I do get her apart and fix the problem, if I have any bolts left over    I can call on "Gene" from the "VR" and "Gryphon Rider" from here on the "VRCC" to come and show me where they go! 

 

[DDT (12)]

Terry,

Thanks for all the info... and the video. I'm not a wrench at all, so I don't have a clue what the problem most likely is... All I know is she is broke! Sho'nuff broke!!! At any rate, this certainly appears to have a potentially very happy outcome... the stuff legends are made of. I'm sooooo glad we met on the motel parking lot that fateful morning before the Honda dealership folks came to take my baby away...

I hear ya about parts being left over!!! I've had that experience before myself... one of the many ways I learned that I am definitely not a wrench! Yes, it is good to have friends to call upon for advice on dealing with seemingly surplus nuts, bolts, rods, and such... I don't recall meeting the guys you mentioned before... perhaps they can ride down with you...?

I'm rather enjoying watching this story unfold... I do miss my gurl, of course, but this so something most certainly out of the ordinary... You are the pivot person is this saga, and I extend to you a most sincere and heartfelt 'tip of the hat'... You are definitely 'the man'!!!

DDT

[SlowRoad]

I run Rotella in my Valk as well. It does seem to come a bit darker than "Normal" oil.  I'd be looking in the driveshaft/pinion/pumpkin area.

I'd be looking in the driveshaft/pinion/pumpkin area.

+1

[t-man403]

A little progress tonight.
Got the bags and the exhaust off. Had to stop there as my wrench set only goes to 23 mm and the axle nut is larger than that. Anyone know what size it is? I'll pick up a wrench on my journey's sometime this week.

A short vid for you viewing pleasure!  

http://youtu.be/33LkQw4B3GM

[Tropic traveler]

Another possibility is the pinion gear itself is stripped out. Or even the ring gear?
I do believe that Bruce has replaced the rear pumpkin more than once, maybe he just wore out another one?
Either case pinion cup, driveshaft, or R&P assembly pulling it will tell the story.

We await the verdict anxiously! 

[YoungPUP]

Uh.. I rewatched the original video posted to the thread.  I see a problem with all of us agreeing that its the ujoint/driveshaft/pinion/pumpkin.  The noise starts as soon as the shifter is dropped at 1:24.  Before the clutch is let out.   Where does that leave this adventure?

[RainMaker]

Uh.. I rewatched the original video posted to the thread.  I see a problem with all of us agreeing that its the ujoint/driveshaft/pinion/pumpkin.  The noise starts as soon as the shifter is dropped at 1:24.  Before the clutch is let out.   Where does that leave this adventure?

Mine "klunks" into gear and if the tire is up, such as when it's on the centerstand, I've seen it move some.  There could be multiple problems, such as clutch and something else but since the speed of the sound increases with each gear shift, and the shifts themselves are being completed in forward and reverse order, it would seem most of the transmission is in fine shape and the clutch is disengaging for the shifts.  I see the output shaft being damaged externally or the drive shaft/pinion cup as the failure points. 

Nasty sound, though.

Thanks for the update!

[t-man403]

A little progress tonight.
Got the bags and the exhaust off. Had to stop there as my wrench set only goes to 23 mm and the axle nut is larger than that. Anyone know what size it is? I'll pick up a wrench on my journey's sometime this week.

A short vid for you viewing pleasure!  

http://youtu.be/33LkQw4B3GM

Yo, t-man, it's a 27mm socket you need. 

I stopped at Honda today and the fiche didn't tell what size the nut is just like my Clymers didn't. I got one of the mechanics to get a 27mm to try on a VTX 1800 and it fit so I went with that and picked up a socket. Got the axle out but I'm having a bit of a time getting the wheel to drop. Didn't have a lot of time to spend on her tonight so I'll probably wait till the weekend to give it another go. 

[SlowRoad]

Sometimes when you slide the wheel to the left away from the the chunk, the drive flange will stay partially engaged in the chunk and the pins will pull out of the wheel hub which won't let it drop.  You may need to gently pry the flange out of the chunk and push the pins back into the wheel hub so that it will drop out.  

Hope this makes sense.

[R J]

All pictures came through for me.

I see someone else is using a C3000 CTEK.

I have 3 of them for my back garage.

Chevy Trike
Valkyrie Trike
2 John Deere Tractors. 1 for mowing and 1 for throwing snow.

Love them.

[R J]

Listening to those 2 videos, I'm leaning towards the pinion cup, it changes speed everytime he hits another gear.     So with that thought in mind I kind of eliminated the clutch.

If it is deeper than the cup, then I'd say splines or innerds of the pumkin.

Keep taking parts off till ya find the problem, and keep us informed please.

Thanks eh.

[hubcapsc]

Got the axle out but I'm having a bit of a time getting the wheel to drop.

Taking the shocks off makes it so you can move the swingarm to wherever
you'd like... I use my jack to raise and sink the bike. It might be that the
driveshaft engages back into the u-joint easier when the swingarm
is raised...



-Mike

[eric in md]

  bump

[wiggydotcom]

Wish I was closer to help with the teardown. The suspense is killing us.

Not trying to be an a--wipe, but weren't there offers to help wrench from the Texas brethren? If the axle is ready to pull, it's a couple minutes away from seeing the pinion cup and shaft.

[t-man403]

Wish I was closer to help with the teardown. The suspense is killing us.

Not trying to be an a--wipe, but weren't there offers to help wrench from the Texas brethren? If the axle is ready to pull, it's a couple minutes away from seeing the pinion cup and shaft.

Okay............I came home from work just for you!! 

I pulled the drive off and this landed on the table! 



Up the swing arm.



Other than the rust collection from dragging it out, I think the u-joint end looks fine.



The pinion cup looks to be the problem. 



I can't do anymore today as it is noon and I have to get to work! 

[HayHauler]

Thanks!!!  That is surely a relief. 

Hay
Jimmyt

[R J]

Well, so far it shouldn't cost to much to put ALI back on the road.

I guess mine will run at least another 225,000 miles.    Even though it is a Trike now.

[Daniel Meyer]

HA! That's great! That's less than $150 in parts and you're done!

[RainMaker]

WOW!  Look at the rust dust!!

The picture of the pinion cup should be interesting.  Never seen a toothless one!

[Serk]

WOW!  Look at the rust dust!!

The picture of the pinion cup should be interesting.  Never seen a toothless one!

I got really really REALLY close to making that toothless pinion cup for ya'...

(to avoid confusion, this is NOT ALI, but Serk's pinion cup a few years ago when I suddenly got the fire lit under my buttocks to pull it apart and have a look see at things. I figure I was one good twist of the throttle away from having it spinning and not scooting...)

[wiggydotcom]

GREAT JOB, T-man! And TY!   

[t-man403]

This is "ALI".



Blown out with compressed air.



Drive shaft.



So am I safe to say all I need to get is the cup, shaft, retaining ring and the seal?

[Daniel Meyer]

So am I safe to say all I need to get is the cup, shaft, retaining ring and the seal?

Ought to do it! May check the three o-rings and thrust washer on the wheel side while you're at it.

[RainMaker]

Another excellent diagnosis by the stealer. 

Just think -  if they had dropped the wheel and looked, they could have repaired this easily.  Instead, declared the transmission dead and lowballed a trade-in with an easy fix.

Good work, T-man!  Ali should be up and operating soon at the rate you are going.

[Rocketman]

Wow.  And that was new 10 months ago?
I'm going to assume that the ripped rubber has something to do with that.

Mark