Final Drive Fluid Change

[Fred W]

Fred- do you know the proper torque for the acorn nuts that hold the drive shaft in place? I can't find it in the tutorials.

it's all right here (step 9 for your info):

https://www.fjr-tips.org/maint/spline/spline.html

Yabbut, Bounce... you have to admit that even the pictures in your shocking historical expose look a whole lot cleaner and lubricationally enhanced, as compared to Skip's. His looks downright factory lube neglected!! (not to mention the surface rust)

I read your article over a year ago (and still have not yanked my pumpkin yet) but Skip's pics...

Well, let me just say that I'll be pulling my shaft this weekend for sure!! And I'd suggest anyone that hasn't pulled their own shaft (or had theirs yanked before) get in there and grease 'er up.

(obligatory sexual references left for the future enjoyment of all google enhanced, smutty minded Feejeratti)

 

[Wicked Webby]

Nice Post Fellas,

I have heard nothing but good things about the Honda Moly stuff... Has any of you used anything else for lubing these splines/axels and such??

WW

 

[stormrider]

I just priced the final drive oil yesterday. I went for engine oil and a couple of crush washers....33.95 for the pint

Whne it comes time I am going to look elsewhere I think. Maybe Mobile 1

 

[snikr]

Skip,

Bring it over to my place and I'll get it done in about 20 minutes. That will pay you back for your help on Hardcoresledder.com.

Tom

 

[Nice Rumble]

Is this an OEM final drive drain bolt or did the previous owner install this with a magnetic pickup? It had quite a bit of metal stuck to it. Not sure as I am not the original owner.

 

[Ignacio]

Is this an OEM final drive drain bolt or did the previous owner install this with a magnetic pickup?

Yes, that's OEM.

Some people, in fact, buy a second one of these and replace their engine oil bolt...that doesn't have a pickup.

 

[dean]

Nice Post Fellas,
I have heard nothing but good things about the Honda Moly stuff... Has any of you used anything else for lubing these splines/axels and such??

WW

me too. i went to the crappy yamaha/honda dealership that's about a mile from my house and they didn't have it. just as well, i hate giving them my money. went to the mom and pop shop that i really like (holeshot motorsports, wilder, kentucky), and asked gary-the-mechanic, former yamaha silver star yamaha factory mechanic. he was aware of the honda stuff, but said instead of that he uses valco copper anti-seize. 8 ounce can with brush attached for $20. he said it's real popular with the goldwing crowd, and if it's good enough for that machine, he'd trust it on my "little" motorcycle.

don't know how likely you'll be able to find it, however, as i'm looking at the label, and it appears to be a cincinnati company.

hth,

dean

cincinnati

 

[Bounce]

Well, after more than 10 years and 3 Wings I'm not sure what his definition of "real popular" is. Nearly to a person, those who actually have trusted experience with long-lived Wings have always reported using Honda Moly 60 paste. It's good and well-known for a reason.

 

[LDRydr]

I got my Honda Moly 60 paste from California Sport Touring, $8 plus shipping. Get some new plugs or something else while you're at it to make it worth the shipping cost. And you don't have to spend all your time or money driving all over town looking for it.

 

[dean]

Well, after more than 10 years and 3 Wings I'm not sure what his definition of "real popular" is. Nearly to a person, those who actually have trusted experience with long-lived Wings have always reported using Honda Moly 60 paste. It's good and well-known for a reason.

sorry, didn't mean to upset you. and didn't mean to come off as if the honda stuff wasn't any good. just stating that a mechanic that i trust, and has a great reputation, and has worked on plenty of gold wings as i've been in the back where they work on the bikes, suggested something different. fwiw, i think his definition of "real popular" is about the same as anyone else's. and perhaps he isn't the king of gold wings that you are. but i'll still trust his word.

 

[Fred W]

I'm not a gold wang rider, but I did say at Holiday Inn Express.

FWIW, I would never substitute copper anti-seize for a real grease in an application that required real lubrication. However, considering the amount of sliding that occurs in this application (drive shaft splines) anti-seize would probably work just fine.

Hell, as evidenced by the above pictures, you can run around with no grease on them just fine...

 

[Lake Powell]

Rumble,

All of the info so far has been good from what I can tell, I have a couple of ideas to add:

I've been able to get a little more of the old oil out of the pumpkin by rotating the wheel a little, I think when the gears mesh it pushes some more of the residual away.

And, when you reassemble the pumpkin to the swing arm loosen and then re-torque the 4 bolts that hold the pumpkin on AFTER you reattach the wheel assembly. This will ensure that everything is properly alligned, but you probably all ready know that.

Best wishes!

 

[Bounce]

Well, after more than 10 years and 3 Wings I'm not sure what his definition of "real popular" is. Nearly to a person, those who actually have trusted experience with long-lived Wings have always reported using Honda Moly 60 paste. It's good and well-known for a reason.

sorry, didn't mean to upset you. and didn't mean to come off as if the honda stuff wasn't any good. just stating that a mechanic that i trust, and has a great reputation, and has worked on plenty of gold wings as i've been in the back where they work on the bikes, suggested something different. fwiw, i think his definition of "real popular" is about the same as anyone else's. and perhaps he isn't the king of gold wings that you are. but i'll still trust his word.

please re-read what i wrote. never did i say "I" in there. what i did say was that trusted mechanics and owners with experience maintaining wings (with final drives lasting into the hundreds of thousand of miles) have (explained to others over the years) that Honda did good with their moly paste (because it sticks where it's put even under pressure and heat).

take it or not. that's your call. the point was that the honda moly 60 paste is a good product that's been proven to work for many miles, is inexpensive, easy to find or order, and is designed for the intended purpose. some people recommend furniture polish to clean their windshields and bikes but i don't use that either.

 

[Fred W]

So tagging on here:

I was compelled to check this out, so I pulled off the rear wheel and drive shaft. My splines looked a whole lot better than skips. Either the PO greased them previously, or maybe they still greased them in '05 and stopped in '06?

Well, I'm sure it was worth the effort anyway. My only issue was when reassembling, the torque spec for the allen head screw to hold the ABS sensor on is 22 ft/lb. Seems a bit high, but it is a pretty stout fastener. Anywhoo... it appears that the screw was made of some sort of metal having similar tensile characteristics to goats cheese and would not take 22 ft/lbs without distorting the head.

I was using a nice craftsman allen socket and 3/8" torque wrench graduated in in/lbs so I don't think the problem was with my tools. It's on there OK for now, but I'll have to replace it (with something better) whenever I pull the wheel off again.

Anyone else ever run into a problem with that cheesy fastener before?

 

[Nice Rumble]

Fred, I had the same problem with the same tools. I found I couldn't reach 22 ft lbs. without feeling that something was going to snap or metal distort so I left it snug without a confirmation from my torque wrench. It's not really a stressed bolt so should not be a problem. I also added a little blue locktite.

So tagging on here:
I was compelled to check this out, so I pulled off the rear wheel and drive shaft. My splines looked a whole lot better than skips. Either the PO greased them previously, or maybe they still greased them in '05 and stopped in '06?

Well, I'm sure it was worth the effort anyway. My only issue was when reassembling, the torque spec for the allen head screw to hold the ABS sensor on is 22 ft/lb. Seems a bit high, but it is a pretty stout fastener. Anywhoo... it appears that the screw was made of some sort of metal having similar tensile characteristics to goats cheese and would not take 22 ft/lbs without distorting the head.

I was using a nice craftsman allen socket and 3/8" torque wrench graduated in in/lbs so I don't think the problem was with my tools. It's on there OK for now, but I'll have to replace it (with something better) whenever I pull the wheel off again.

Anyone else ever run into a problem with that cheesy fastener before?

 

[Fred W]

Fred, I had the same problem with the same tools. I found I couldn't reach 22 ft lbs. without feeling that something was going to snap or metal distort so I left it snug without a confirmation from my torque wrench. It's not really a stressed bolt so should not be a problem. I also added a little blue locktite.

Thanks for the confirmation, Skip. That's kind of what I figured too. Maybe that's another of those "over the top" torque specs like the oil pan drain plug.

Got a chance to give her a few miles this afternoon after the grease job. Still pretty brisk out, and the roads are wet and sloppy in spots from the snow melt, but I just couldn't wait no longer!! :yahoo:

 

[DailyCommuter]

I have been using spectro brand gl5 final gear oil and am very happy with it. I also did the whole driveshaft and pumkin tour with the first oil change after seeing similar pictures in another thread. The spectro brand was about 15 bucks a quart. You guys here and all the info available sure make me an my tools a lot braver! Figure by the end of this season ill be due for the valve adjustment....and I will fear no cam or valve shim because I walk in the valley of the shadow of the FJR Forum.. and the members are my shepards! I love riding a bike that I lovingly maintain myself. I don't worry about someone elses idea of good enough, especially at top speeds! If you ride it then maintain it. Its so worth it. Ill never forget the day I decided to be my own mechanic. The guy at the. Yammy dealership putting my first inspection sticker on it said to me; "oh, you got that Electric shift one on it huh" "yeah"; I said, "what do you think of them?", "dunno" he said;" first one I've seen." "well" I said, "don't plan on learning on mine!".... Expertly trained my ass!!!!

 

[Fred W]

I have been using spectro brand gl5 final gear oil and am very happy with it. I also did the whole driveshaft and pumkin tour with the first oil change after seeing similar pictures in another thread. The spectro brand was about 15 bucks a quart. You guys here and all the info available sure make me an my tools a lot braver! Figure by the end of this season ill be due for the valve adjustment....and I will fear no cam or valve shim because I walk in the valley of the shadow of the FJR Forum.. and the members are my shepards! I love riding a bike that I lovingly maintain myself. I don't worry about someone elses idea of good enough, especially at top speeds! If you ride it then maintain it. Its so worth it. Ill never forget the day I decided to be my own mechanic. The guy at the. Yammy dealership putting my first inspection sticker on it said to me; "oh, you got that Electric shift one on it huh" "yeah"; I said, "what do you think of them?", "dunno" he said;" first one I've seen." "well" I said, "don't plan on learning on mine!".... Expertly trained my ass!!!!

I agree about doing it yourself, but you do have to be somewhat mechanically inclined, and it has to be somewhat enjoyable for you. I know that I can make much more money at work by doing a little OT (nearly always available) than what it costs to pay the knuckleheads at the LBS. So if I hated to turn wrenches I'd bring it in. Lucky for me I consider working on my bikes (and cars) recreational.

Also, FWIW they typically don't send out their ace mechanic to to a state inspection, now do they?

...or was this place so small they only have one wrench?

 

[BkrK12]

Fred, I had the same problem with the same tools. I found I couldn't reach 22 ft lbs. without feeling that something was going to snap or metal distort so I left it snug without a confirmation from my torque wrench. It's not really a stressed bolt so should not be a problem. I also added a little blue locktite.

Thanks for the confirmation, Skip. That's kind of what I figured too. Maybe that's another of those "over the top" torque specs like the oil pan drain plug.

Got a chance to give her a few miles this afternoon after the grease job. Still pretty brisk out, and the roads are wet and sloppy in spots from the snow melt, but I just couldn't wait no longer!! :yahoo:

Take one of the bolts to Ace Hardware. You can get a stainless allen head replacement that is a tad longer but will fit fine. The hole is deep enough. Uou can then apply the appropriate torque on the larger head. Been using them for about six months now. Just pulled one out and it has none of the crud that the OEMS DEVELOPED.

 

[Fred W]

Fred, I had the same problem with the same tools. I found I couldn't reach 22 ft lbs. without feeling that something was going to snap or metal distort so I left it snug without a confirmation from my torque wrench. It's not really a stressed bolt so should not be a problem. I also added a little blue locktite.

Thanks for the confirmation, Skip. That's kind of what I figured too. Maybe that's another of those "over the top" torque specs like the oil pan drain plug.

Got a chance to give her a few miles this afternoon after the grease job. Still pretty brisk out, and the roads are wet and sloppy in spots from the snow melt, but I just couldn't wait no longer!! :yahoo:

Take one of the bolts to Ace Hardware. You can get a stainless allen head replacement that is a tad longer but will fit fine. The hole is deep enough. Uou can then apply the appropriate torque on the larger head. Been using them for about six months now. Just pulled one out and it has none of the crud that the OEMS DEVELOPED.

Yeah, thanks. That was what I was thinking of doing too. Not worried about the crud as much as the damn thing is a POS.