Driveshaft Lubrication and other servicing tasks

[GrinningGSer]

I am very pleased to report that my 2014 WCGSA has signs of joint lubrication:

However, to the best of my knowledge, lubtcation of this joint is not a feature of any scheduled service, probably because failure of this section is very rare.
I feel happier to inspect and lube it regardless.

 

[MondoRich]

 

[GrinningGSer]

A tip when offering the drive up : use a long cable tie to hold the shaft up to the correct mating position .A hydraulic jack also useful to support the drive weight, but only for support ! Gentle coaxing and it'll mate easily, then cut the tie.

 

[ossa eck]

After reading this thread I thought it wise to check my joint out.

 

[ossa eck]

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[ossa eck]

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[JimVonBaden]

There is no schedule for driveshaft lubrication. As has been mentioned, if you ride in a lot of rain, or do high water crossings, you should check your FD by pushing back the boot for a look either right after water crossings, or every 6K. I also recommend, depending on your riding habits, dropping the FD every 12-24K and lubing the splines, plus a light layer of oil around the entire interior area. Make sure you also add some lithium grease around the boot to help seal it. As for what lube, I recommend a moly based high tack lube, the brand doesn't matter.

Jim

 

[mrtee43]

There is no schedule for driveshaft lubrication. As has been mentioned, if you ride in a lot of rain, or do high water crossings, you should check your FD by pushing back the boot for a look either right after water crossings, or every 6K. I also recommend, depending on your riding habits, dropping the FD every 12-24K and lubing the splines, plus a light layer of oil around the entire interior area. Make sure you also add some lithium grease around the boot to help seal it. As for what lube, I recommend a moly based high tack lube, the brand doesn't matter.

Jim

Would the stuff they put in CV joints found on front wheel drive cars do the job ?

 

[Popell]

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Go to say that the condition of yours suggest either a design fault or a deficiency in the stated service schedule - no way should moving parts look that bad

 

[GrinningGSer]

There is no service schedule for this, so not an omission. I'll bet that every bike that"s seen any deep water will look like that. The angle of that shaft section is such that once water is in, it ain't coming out, cos there's no drain hole . Does that matter? It seems not.
Not easy ( possibly impossible ?) to pull the boot back when the final drive is in place
I've Moly"d the splines and ACF50"d the rest cos it's a humid place in there.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Would the stuff they put in CV joints found on front wheel drive cars do the job ?

Typical CV Joint grease? It would be best with Moly, but yes, with white lithium grease on the boot sealing surfaces.

Jim

 

[JimVonBaden]

There is no service schedule for this, so not an omission. I'll bet that every bike that"s seen any deep water will look like that. The angle of that shaft section is such that once water is in, it ain't coming out, cos there's no drain hole . Does that matter? It seems not.
Not easy ( possibly impossible ?) to pull the boot back when the final drive is in place
I've Moly"d the splines and ACF50"d the rest cos it's a humid place in there.

It isn't hard at all to pull the boot back with the FD in place. You will not get it very far, but you only need a small gap to check for water.

Here you can see the lithium grease:

This was at 20K miles, looks perfect, and had not been touched to this point, with plenty of water crossings and heavy rain riding.

Note, this is an 05 Hexhead, but the process is similar, and the materials no different.

Jim

 

[GrinningGSer]

JimVonBaden, your FD is incredibly rust free. It'll be the only one that is.

 

[MrMcNamara]

JimVonBaden, your FD is incredibly rust free. It'll be the only one that is.

Checked mine today - little puddle in the bottom despite never intentionally even going out on a wet day or jet washing. has anyone thought of being brave & drilling a small drain hole in the bottom of the casting & using a small rubber bung? Casting looks meaty enough to take a 3mm hole carefully placed in the water trap?

 

[ossa eck]

Im considering drilling a hole,wouldnt bother with a bung.

Or just check it more regularly, took 20k miles to become an issue .

 

[JimVonBaden]

JimVonBaden, your FD is incredibly rust free. It'll be the only one that is.

Not in my experience.

Jim

 

[MrMcNamara]

Im considering drilling a hole,wouldnt bother with a bung.

Or just check it more regularly, took 20k miles to become an issue .

Mines at 6,600 though it was dealer disturbed at around 5k when the engine / gearbox was swapped out

 

[ossa eck]

Never considered that, I got a new engine /gearbox a year ago.

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[MrMcNamara]

Would a main dealer drop the final drive on a LC to grease the splines ?

Don't think so but given the small amount of time it takes (about an hour) its good insurance given some of us have experienced water getting into the housing - its straightforward if you have reasonable mechanical ability / common sense. Don't forget to apply Loctite to the key components upon reassembly (tie arm / brake calliper)