The member photo gallery is now integrated and live!!  All user albums and pictures have been ported from old gallery.


To register send an e-mail to admin@bmwr65.org and provide your location and desired user name.

Author Topic: Drive Spline Lube photos  (Read 632 times)

Offline montmil

  • Mt. Olympus Resident
  • ****
  • Posts: 8371
Drive Spline Lube photos
« on: January 26, 2014, 01:06:09 PM »
Pulled the wheels off the R100S so they'd be ready to drop of at Cycleworks for the new Bridgestone install and was pleased to see no excess spline lube had been pushed out and slung around inside the brake drum.

There are occasional posts regarding the importance of greasing both the rear drive and transmission input splines to insure their longevity. There's also the note about not over-greasing the splines.

I imagine that new Airhead owners ask themselves, "Self, how much is too much?"

Here are two photos from the R100S just after I removed the rear wheel. Just the smallest bit of squeeze out indicates the use of the correct amount of spline lube.

I use Honda Moly-60; available in small tubes at any Honda dealer. There are other high-pressure, high-temp moly grease products out there but finding them in small quantities is often difficult. Having to buy a one-pound tub is several lifetimes too much plus kinda expensive.



The brake drum and interior is bone dry. I have seen Airheads with no grease and with way too much. Both can lead to problems. Honda Moly-go is a grey color. You can see just a smidgen on the outer edge of the spline cup.



Just one small hanging 'booger' of moly grease drawn out at disassembly. I recall one Airhead brake shoe assembly that had the springs and metal brake shoe bits covered in grease. No wonder the owner couldn't get a good rear brake while riding!
Monte Miller
Denton, TEXAS
1978 BMW R100S
1981 BMW R65
1983 BMW R65
1995 Triumph Trophy
1986 VW Cabriolet

Offline Bob_Roller

  • Global Moderator
  • Mt. Olympus Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 9124
  • -7 hours GMT
Re: Drive Spline Lube photos
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2014, 01:38:19 PM »
That's the job I have today, or tomorrow afternoon .

The final drive output seal is seeping on the '81 R65, 90,000 miles and 33 years of use .

I've been guilty of over lubing the splines, gotten better the last 10 years after finding the Honda moly grease .

I've got an ' expired ' can of moly assembly paste from work .

All lubricants  at work have a ' shelf life ' and must be disposed of when the expiration date arrives .

Any thoughts on mixing this assembly paste, which is 85 % moly, with the Honda moly grease ????

The paste is ' thinner ', or more liquid than the grease, it's a liquid that evaporates with time and leaves only the moly behind .
'81 R65
'82 R65 LS
'84 R65 LS
'87 Moto Guzzi V65 Lario
'02 R1150R
Riding all year long since 1993 .
I'll give up my R65, when they pry my cold dead hands from the handlebars !!!!!

Offline montmil

  • Mt. Olympus Resident
  • ****
  • Posts: 8371
Re: Drive Spline Lube photos
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2014, 02:20:33 PM »
Does that mean you'd have to leave the R65 parked until the "thinner" evaporates?  ::)

With the Honda College of Knowledge working for you, I don't know of a really good reason to mess with the Moly-60, IMHO.
Monte Miller
Denton, TEXAS
1978 BMW R100S
1981 BMW R65
1983 BMW R65
1995 Triumph Trophy
1986 VW Cabriolet