How To Lubricate The Rear Drive Splines

[Jack103106]

Hey is there a reason I can not see the pictures I am in need to know how to put my back tire back on along with the final drive. Also how much moly do I need to properly do this job?

Respectfully

Jack

[Whiskerfish]

Looks like the host site for the pictures shut down external linking. I can not see them either.

[Rat]

Gonna happen a lot I think ....

Gord

[Wangthang]

ok

[Brant]

UPDATE !! Sodbuster is sending me the files to update the pics. Stand by...

11/11/2017 - all pics updated, but the link to Guard Dog Moly reports they are out of business.

[sodbuster]

Hey all you NGW dudes .... As Brant mentioned, GuardDog is no longer in business. So, I updated the post with viable MOLY alternatives and links to their products. I noticed the pictures were missing too so I relayed them to Brant to be included .... Thanks Brant!!. I didn't want something I created to be half baked so now it's fixed!! Have a good one and keep the shiney side up

[sickradsean]

great how to! im almost done with everything but am having a hard time finding the honda 77 grease. the local shop suggested the redline assembly lube (they do make a thicker CV-2 grease as well) anyone use these before?

[Track T 2411]

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b/ma ... ease&pos=3
This is what I use... available at any O'Reilly's...

[sickradsean]

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b/ma ... ease&pos=3
This is what I use... available at any O'Reilly's...

I had literally bought that and then started questioning myself after reading all of the info about the OEM lube. Does this grease hold up well?

[Track T 2411]

I've had no issues with it over the last 20k miles. I do make certain to lube the splines at every tire change, as well as follow the recommended installation/ alignment procedure.

[sodbuster]

Another good alternative is Bel-Ray waterproof grease.

[Sidecar Bob]

I'll say it again: I put my '83 together in '97 (I had it for a couple of years before that). At the time I was unaware of any requirement for special grease or for doing up the nuts/bolts in a specific order but I did believe in cleaning & re-lubing the splines every time I had the wheel off (usually when replacing the tire). When the Internet came along and I noticed people talking about it I started looking at grease recommendation in the FSM more carefully and started using the recommended NLGI No.2 lithium based grease with molybdenum additive (standard moly-lith grease you can get anywhere for not much more than ordinary chassis grease) and I eventually figured out that doing up the final drive nuts last (as I had usually done anyway) is the recommended procedure for any shaft drive Honda (and a good procedure for any shaft drive bike). And after loosing a spline flange on the winter machine due to failure of one of the o-rings that keeps the grease in and the dirt out of the splines (what I removed looked more like grinding compound than the fresh grease I applied a year before) I have become an advocate of replacing those o-rings periodically in all shaft drive Hondas.

When I changed the tire this spring my splines looked almost like new even though the bike has about 132,000 Km on it.

Why would anyone would chase around trying to find something much more expensive than what the FSM says to use that doesn't make any difference?

[Track T 2411]

While the FSM should be considered 'the bible' when it comes to this stuff, there are service bulletins that supersede it in this case. Read Mike Nixon's thread on the subject and make your own decision. FWIW, the grease I posted is relatively inexpensive and readily available in my area.

[Sidecar Bob]

I know all about that but if it was really necessary wouldn't I have destroyed the splines before I ever heard of these expensive high moly products?

[sodbuster]

FWIW .... I added an update to my original posting .... Update #3

https://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17275