Final Drive universal joint splines

[west coast traveller]

2003 R1150GS-I'm currently dismantling the drive train to lube gearbox input shaft splines and replace final drive/swingarm pivot bearings. All gone very well-up to now...for some reason the final drive U/J was well and truly stuck to the drive shaft needing some heat to remove it. On examination there seems to be some adhesive/ spline lock/glue that has been used on assembly and despite using heat/paint stripper/acetate I can't clean the inner splines on the drive shaft ready for reassembly. Has anyone experienced this problem and any ideas what to use to dissolve whatever it is on the splines? Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

[flatdog]

Not very good practice if it has been stuck on

I'd use something abrasive like a copper wire brush or wire brush attachment on a drill/anglegrinder type tool to get it off.

 

[Keith Chapman]

My drive shaft is stuck, it has not caused me any bother. the only time it will cause trouble is if/when I need to remove the shaft. I will need to remove the whole swingarm assembly. I do have a spare shaft (in two pieces) and swingarm ready for when they are needed.

St Eptoe says it is not causing any harm so I am leaving well alone until I really need to touch it.

Some people have managed to separate the shafts. The problem has been mentioned on the forum before, a bit of searching should find the posts.

 

[west coast traveller]

2003 R1150GS-I'm currently dismantling the drive train to lube gearbox input shaft splines and replace final drive/swingarm pivot bearings. All gone very well-up to now...for some reason the final drive U/J was well and truly stuck to the drive shaft needing some heat to remove it. On examination there seems to be some adhesive/ spline lock/glue that has been used on assembly and despite using heat/paint stripper/acetate I can't clean the inner splines on the drive shaft ready for reassembly. Has anyone experienced this problem and any ideas what to use to dissolve whatever it is on the splines? Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

All sorted.......nothing that some good old elbow grease, a dremmel and a junior hachsaw blade couldn't cure (and a bit of patience)!
Thanks for the replies.

 

[Big Al Litch]

Mine was like that.
I had to replace the bevel-box bearings at a very low mileage and found that the shaft was effectivly a single unit so I had to remove the whole arm and take it down to the local garage where they separated it using heat. I reassembled it using a new short section (with the coating removed) and made sure the splines were greased and was able to slide freely, never been a problem since and that was done nearly 7-years ago.

 

[Steptoe]

Someone on ukgser (i think it was Sloukes) used a car ball joint separator to separate his.

 

[alfazer]

Someone on ukgser (i think it was Sloukes) used a car ball joint separator to separate his.

It might have been me. I used the wedge/fork type that you hit with a hammer. The distance you need it to move is bigger than the thickness of the wedge so you need to use a big open end spanner as a spacer the further it gets forced apart. An adjustable wrench is good because they have fatter jaws.

I used a scriber and wire brush to clean out the splines for re-assembly.

Sorry, I didn't take photos.

 

[west coast traveller]

Thanks for the replies everybody. Now I don't suppose anyone's got ideas about how to fit a new circlip/snap ring into the final drive end U/J (don't ask....... it was all going sooo well)!!????

 

[Steptoe]

Well feck me, how's about that , todays job only had a seized shaft

 

[west coast traveller]

New snap ring arrived, groove in U/J cleaned and checked, snap ring carefully pressed into groove, U/J tapped onto shaft......result!! (sometimes better walking away from a job and having a few days break to reflect on what was done wrong!!) Bike should be up and running Saturday

 

[Karolis]

At 11k miles (4 of which my own) I'm removing the gearbox to do the input shaft splines + other work like failed clutch slave cylinder. Surprise surprise spent the whole day trying to separate the FD from the swingarm - no joy. Can't separe the shaft at gearbox end either, not really sure what the hell is going on. Anyone knows how much heat is needed? I don't want to set the grease/oil on fire, but blowing hot air gun through the FD pivot bearing hole I was not successful.

 

[Ian J Hartley]

I'm not sure of what it is you are stuck on, but to remove the drive shaft from either the gearbox output shaft, or the final drive input shaft, you have to apply a lever between the casing and the drive shaft Universal joint knuckle and apply a sharp whack with a hammer to lever the shaft off. Both ends of the drive shaft are secured on with snap rings, and it is these that have to be overcome. Pulling doesn't work, it has to be a sharp jolt.

Ian

The same goes when you come to refit. Place drive shaft on the splines and apply a sharp whack with a soft faced hammer. Or use a block of wood and a normal hammer.

 

[moonhead911]

I'm not sure of what it is you are stuck on, but to remove the drive shaft from either the gearbox output shaft, or the final drive input shaft, you have to apply a lever between the casing and the drive shaft Universal joint knuckle and apply a sharp whack with a hammer to lever the shaft off. Both ends of the drive shaft are secured on with snap rings, and it is these that have to be overcome. Pulling doesn't work, it has to be a sharp jolt.

Ian

The same goes when you come to refit. Place drive shaft on the splines and apply a sharp whack with a soft faced hammer. Or use a block of wood and a normal hammer.

think hes on about splitting the drive shaft in 2. mine is the same the thing is stuck together i tryed heating it with no luck. so i have to remove the swinging are to line the shaft up when ever im working on the rear end

 

[Slipperyeel]

think hes on about splitting the drive shaft in 2. mine is the same the thing is stuck together i tryed heating it with no luck. so i have to remove the swinging are to line the shaft up when ever im working on the rear end

I think Ian understood correctly and gave the right advice...



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[Karolis]

Sorry I should have been more clear. I'm not trying to separate the shaft, rather simply remove the FD at this point, which

Should simply slide out of the shaft at the swingarm assembly (I know, have done this on a friend's GS)

However it seems that on some bikes the factory put strong adhesive/loctite at the splines and this cannot be done easily, this is what originaly this old thread is about. There is nothing binding the FD at this point, and there's no where to put the leverage. I tried that, and pulling with both hands on FD and feet on the gearbox

 

[Ian J Hartley]

I suppose the only thing you could do, if you haven't tried it already is to undo the forward swinging arm pivots, which might give you enough rearward movement to get better access to the gearbox output shaft and try applying heat to the end of the drive shaft where it fits onto the output shaft. If you can remove it from there, then that should allow you to remove the entire back end, which should give you more access to the final drive end.

That's how I would tackle it if I was in your position.

Ian

 

[Karolis]

Removed at the gearbox end, FD won't separate even with heat. Need some sort of tool to spread it out.

And my pivot needle bearings are fucked now, either was like that or the heat destroyed the cage. Seems like you can't source these from anywhere else except for BMW, 68 EUR a pop.

I'm thinking of going the bushings route, anything like http://rubberchickenracinggarage.com/bushings.html in Europe?

 

[Ian J Hartley]

Ouch! I feel for you. That is one sick backend you have there.

You may find your Drive shaft is knackered as well. That joint is a splined slip joint and designed to slide, but you know that already.

Anyway there are solid bushes available. Motorworks sell them under part no
TRA 11094 at £69 a set so loads cheaper than the OEM bearings.

Good luck
Ian

 

[Ian J Hartley]

Here's a picture of what the kit looks like.