Cleaning Rear Wheel Splines

[Bob_Roller]

Brought my final drive into work today to get it reassembled after having a shop repair some stripped filler hole threads .

Brought the rear wheel in, if I had time, I was going to clean the rear wheel splines .

I sprayed LPS1 into the cavity with the splines, let it sit a while, then went after the splines with cotton swabs on a wooden stick .

After about an hour and a half, got them cleaned to where no more rust would come off .

I was tyring to come up with something a bit more abrasive to clean the rust off of the splines, couldn't think of anything else to use .

Anyone else have any suggestions ?

[montmil]

A strip of SuperFine Scotchbrite and some WD40 as a lubricant? Need more popsicle sticks.

Monte

[Bengt_Phorqs]

If you are trying to remove rust, then use Naval Jelly.  Swab it on, let is sit for an hour or so, then rinse it off and blow it dry.  Repeat as needed.  It's a mild acid but works great to remove rust in hard to reach areas.

[montmil]

The belly button jelly will definitely do the job on rust. My question / concern would be rinsing it out of the final drive cavity and if that product, mixed with water, might leech past the oil seal and into the final drive works. ?

Monte

[Bob_Roller]

I got the splines on the output shaft cleaned before reassembling the final drive .

The splines on the wheel itself, were the pain to clean up, I would be hesitant to use an acid based product there, as you can't get it all removed, so now you have an aluminum wheel riveted to a steel drive dog with a mild acid mixed in, a great recipe for corrosion .

[Crossrodes]

Coca Cola?

[Bob_Roller]

Read the ingredients on a container of Coca-Cola, phosphoric acid is the main 'active' ingredient .

Phosphoric acid is a good rust remover, but the same concerns remain, if you don't get all of the acid neutralized, it becomes a 'galvanic cell ', a simple battery .

[Crossrodes]

True...but you can neutralize it with water.  I know a fellow who used it on his boat to free up seized sea cocks....worked like a charm when everything else he tried failed.  Plus a through-hull fitting is one part of a boat where you definitely do not want galvanic action.

[montmil]

Read the ingredients on a container of Coca-Cola, phosphoric acid is the main 'active' ingredient .

Phosphoric acid is a good rust remover, but the same concerns remain, if you don't get all of the acid neutralized, it becomes a 'galvanic cell ', a simple battery .

Coke will do it. My late father had a Farmall Cub with a flat head four-banger. Him leaving the usual tin can off the vertical exhaust pipe allowed rain to leech into a couple cylinders and rust the rings to the cylinder walls. Not good.

Local tractor mechanic pulled the head and poured Coca Cola into cylinders and let it sit for a couple days. Broke the rust. Mopped out the soda pop and the tractor ran from then on. Coke. It's the real thing.  

[Lucky_Lou]

Ive just stripped the gearbox off to do the splines while Gerties got her feet up.I cleaned the crown wheel with carb cleaner and a stiff bristle brush i used carb cleaner so i didnt leave any residue to bother the brakes i was supprized how much gunk came out.
Pic 1 uncleaned
Pic 2 cleaned
Pic 3 the gunk
Lou

[montmil]

Clean is good, Lou, although the Maker's Mark looks a wee rusty.

I'm as guilty as many others likely are in using too much Moly-60 grease on the final drive portion of the splines. I'm never short on the wheel splines either. The grease ends up being packed into the cavity, gets nice and warm, then will be slung out into the brake shoe area.

I now try to visualize how the grease will transfer when the rear wheel in refit. Helps me a little bit.