Spline Lube - Can this Work?

[rmarkr]

I spent the weekend doing the clutch and drive line spline lube job. I felt there had to be a shortcut here. Is this a possibility?


12932


This was my thinking. Remove the clutch push rod and insert a hollow tube, "lube tube" up the input shaft, and dispense some grease into the spline, through a hole drilled through the spline shaft, and into a ground out groove in the splines.

Imagine - if this could work it would take 15 mins, not the 2 day epic. Obviously there are issues:

Is the spline input shaft strong enough to bear the holes and the grooves.
Will it be possible to drill the hole into hardened steel
Can one get the clutch push rod out the back of the transmission - I hav'nt been there.
A controlled amount of grease must me metered - hence the feed screw.

I would appreciate any comments.

:blah

[BuddingGeezer]

I spent the weekend doing the clutch and drive line spline lube job. I felt there had to be a shortcut here. Is this a possibility?

Sure it's possible. With the right machine tools.


12932


This was my thinking. Remove the clutch push rod and insert a hollow tube, "lube tube" up the input shaft, and dispense some grease into the spline, through a hole drilled through the spline shaft, and into a ground out groove in the splines.

Imagine - if this could work it would take 15 mins, not the 2 day epic. Obviously there are issues:

Is the spline input shaft strong enough to bear the holes and the grooves.

Not only have the holes and grooves weakened the splines, when the clutch disk moves it spline teeth into a groove, it has lost it's ability to transmit power to the input shaft on the spline teeth in the groove. Take a stranded rope and cut a few strands, is it as strong? I think this a recipe for a walk home some day.

Will it be possible to drill the hole into hardened steel

Can one get the clutch push rod out the back of the transmission - I hav'nt been there.

Yes. remove the clutch rod arm and pull it out. Be careful with the throwout bearing and removing the rubber boot. ($20+ if you tear it)

A controlled amount of grease must me metered - hence the feed screw.

Without cleaning the old clutch dust, you mix it with the grease and make an effective metal grinding compound.

I would appreciate any comments.

:blah

Sometimes there is only one way to skin a cat.

My opinion

But man I got to give you A+ for thinking.

Ralph Sims

[roy]

I spent the weekend doing the clutch and drive line spline lube job. I felt there had to be a shortcut here. Is this a possibility?


12932


This was my thinking. Remove the clutch push rod and insert a hollow tube, "lube tube" up the input shaft, and dispense some grease into the spline, through a hole drilled through the spline shaft, and into a ground out groove in the splines.

Imagine - if this could work it would take 15 mins, not the 2 day epic. Obviously there are issues:

Is the spline input shaft strong enough to bear the holes and the grooves.
Will it be possible to drill the hole into hardened steel
Can one get the clutch push rod out the back of the transmission - I hav'nt been there.
A controlled amount of grease must me metered - hence the feed screw.

I would appreciate any comments.

:blah

I will attempt to answer your questions:

1) Is the spline strong enough to bear holes and grooves? I do not know since they use the same clutch on the Brick GT & LT with 115 ponies or more maybe..

2) Yes you can remove the clutch push rod from the back of the tranny. It is the only way it will come out. NOTE: Replacing the seal around this rod is a major PITA

3) How would you get the grease to go into the splines and not travel straight thru in to end of the output shaft of the motor? From my feeble memory of Easter weekend doing this same job and replacing the main seal. There is some space between the Output of the motor and the tranny input. Any grease in this space would be flung out onto the clutch causing major problems. Hopefully some more knowledgeable folks will chime in and confirm or deny this.

If you pulled the tranny you would notice that the pushrod extends 2 - 3 inches beyond the the end of the tranny input shaft. The push rod shaft has two different diameters. The larger diameter pushes on the diaphram spring which releases the clutch. The smaller diameter is a pilot and goes into the end of the engine output shaft. This is the opening where grease would be flung out onto your clutch.


I also give you an A+ for ideas but don't think it will work.

Roy

[jcridge]

Really good idea, but I'm with Ralph.

When it's time to lube the clutch splines there are other things I do as well.
It's nice to know what's under you, when you ride.

Inspect the engine and transmission seals
Inspect the clutch and clean dust
Alternator bushings
Transmission / Diff Fluid
Driveshaft Splines

When you do this job a few times the time it takes is reduced. About two hours if you stay with it, using a good support to hold the frame up. I have an automotive engine crane that I use with two nylon straps attached to the frame just above the rear shock. The front wheel is pinned against the frame of the crane when you lift and makes for a solid work platform.

I also oil every bolt I remove, everytime I do it. It makes life easier when you take apart things later. One drop will do... I don't oil the brake caliper bolts or axle clamp bolts, just make sure the bolts are clean and torqued correctly.

I don't use air tools, have e'm but perfer to do it all by hand.

[rmarkr]

I will attempt to answer your questions:

3) How would you get the grease to go into the splines and not travel straight thru in to end of the output shaft of the motor? From my feeble memory of Easter weekend doing this same job and replacing the main seal. There is some space between the Output of the motor and the tranny input. Any grease in this space would be flung out onto the clutch causing major problems. Hopefully some more knowledgeable folks will chime in and confirm or deny this.

Roy

Forgive the feeble sketch (and the posting of it), but the intention was that the tube is closed at the forward end, and that the two O rings would "persuade" the grease into the small drilled holes onto the splines. It would require some back and forth movement of the splined clutch hub to get the grease to distribute.

My push rod came out (forward - I removed the gearbox) really clean - no trace of fibre dust on it.

JC - I'm with you on taking a good look at the workings at the back end. My inspection revealed no problems, except a broken header pipe. The clutch spline needed the lube, the swingarm bearings (x4) all felt good and lubed, the drive splines and universal joints looked like new. I did find that the forward rubber boot on the swing arm was detached and that the snap ring was dislodged and could of tangled in the drive joint. I replaced the gear indicator sensor at the rear of the tranny (gets flaky when wet)

The fear that I would do some damage in the disassembly/assembly was unfounded - its a relative easy job

The bike has 40K miles on it (15K mine - last year)

What did get to me is the lack of a M/C lift. Grovelling on the floor is no fun.

Thanks for the responses.

[BuddingGeezer]

[QUOTE=r
What did get to me is the lack of a M/C lift. Grovelling on the floor is no fun.

.[/QUOTE]



The job would be Hell from the floor.

Get the $299 Harbor freight motorcycle lift. Use a jack under the oil pan, and a small rolling jack under the tranny. The job is quite enjoyable if you like to wrench.

Ralph Sims

[deilenberger]

Roy said:

2) Yes you can remove the clutch push rod from the back of the tranny. It is the only way it will come out. NOTE: Replacing the seal around this rod is a major PITA
Not on the K75 - the K75 rod ONLY comes out the front of the transmission, unlike the K100.
I also give you an A+ for ideas but don't think it will work.
RoyA+ for thinking about it.. but, I'd have to agree with Roy.

Unless you're riding 30k miles a year - this is a every several year project.. and when I'm in practice - on a non-ABS bike, about 2 hours to do it. On an ABS-I equipped bike, add an hour. My record time - in REALLY good practice because I tried a spline lube shortcut - 90 minutes.

[rmarkr]

Get the $299 Harbor freight motorcycle lift.
Ralph Sims

It was the plan - but they have been out of stock for a while now. Actually thought about welding up my own - until I got the cost for installing a 240v 50amp circuit in ther garage.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

I spent the weekend doing the clutch and drive line spline lube job. I felt there had to be a shortcut here. Is this a possibility?


12932


This was my thinking. Remove the clutch push rod and insert a hollow tube, "lube tube" up the input shaft, and dispense some grease into the spline, through a hole drilled through the spline shaft, and into a ground out groove in the splines.

Imagine - if this could work it would take 15 mins, not the 2 day epic. Obviously there are issues:

Is the spline input shaft strong enough to bear the holes and the grooves.
Will it be possible to drill the hole into hardened steel
Can one get the clutch push rod out the back of the transmission - I hav'nt been there.
A controlled amount of grease must me metered - hence the feed screw.

I would appreciate any comments.

:blah

Too much grease will fling of the splines and onto the clutch, making the shortcut not so short... Can you meter an exact amount of grease to prevent over-applying ??? What you also miss out on, is a visual inspection of the splines in question which may or may not need repair....... FWIW, my 0.02 cts, YMMV.