First time rear wheel removal on a shaft drive

[Rocky ST]

Hope this doesn’t sound stupid but I’ve never removed the rear wheel on a shaft drive. Getting a new rear tyre on my ST1300 tomorrow,now before putting the rear wheel back in I intend to grease the splines,what grease is suitable for the job please?
Thanks in anticipation

 

[Josh_ST]

Oh boy!

Sta-Lube Engine Assembly Lube with Moly-Graphite for greasing splines on rear wheel | Cleaning, Oil, Maint.

Can I use Sta-Lube Engine Assembly Lube to grease the splines on the rear hub and rear wheel? Do I really need to use a dedicated molybdenum disulphide grease? I'm asking because I already have this huge $15 tube I used ONCE to grease the cams after a shim check and adjustment. Thanks in...

www.st-owners.com

 

[Larry Fine]

Loctite LB 8012 / 51048 / 234227: https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-2342...sr_1_2?keywords=LB+8012&qid=1663788601&sr=8-2

Also available in a spray: https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-1852755-8012-Paste-Aerosol/dp/B0742N4J2X

 

[TerryS]

I use this stuff, Molybond GA50, 50% molybdenum disulphide paste.

Molybond GA50 - (Dry Moly Paste) 100gm Tube (Each)

An assembly compound containing 50% of molybdenum disulphide in a lithium based grease used as an anti-seize and anti-scuffing compound for metal parts which may reach temperatures up to 400°C. It has excellent anti-seize capabilities compared to nickel and copper based anti-seize compounds and...

nzsafetyblackwoods.co.nz

 

[Oldbikefixr]

Hope this doesn’t sound stupid but I’ve never removed the rear wheel on a shaft drive. Getting a new rear tyre on my ST1300 tomorrow,now before putting the rear wheel back in I intend to grease the splines,what grease is suitable for the job please?
Thanks in anticipation

Read Larry FIne's post. Same stuff I've used since the mid 1990's. Never an issue with spline wear, clumping, whatever.

 

[CYYJ]

...what grease is suitable for the job please?

Hi Rocky:

Lots of good answers above.

Be aware that it is CRITICAL that you use a grease with a very high moly contents - often, this product is called an "assembly paste". If you use any of the exact products specified above, you will be OK. But if you just pick up a tube of "moly grease" at the store, it won't have sufficient molybdenum content, and that will result in fairly rapid failure of the differential at the rear of the moto, necessitating a $2,000 + repair.

Michael

 

[SMSW]

This has been the occasional subject of other threads. You might read these before venturing forth to work on your bike:

Final Drive. | ST1300-Leaks

This may be covered elsewhere and is just a Heads-Up observation for all. I'm putting on new rubber for a trip to the French Alps in a few weeks and noticed a pile of muck and corrosion inside the wheel spline drive area (as Photo). Cleaned it all out and looks like dirt & muck got in around the...

www.st-owners.com

This is a good one:

M77 Replaces Moly 60- Apparently So | Cleaning, Oil, Maint.

There have been several discussions regarding the replacement of the discontinued Moly 60 paste. As I need some spline lubricant I wanted to know what Honda had to say on this issue. I went to my local Honda motorcycle dealer and asked for Moly 60 paste Honda P/N 08734-0001 knowing that it had...

www.st-owners.com

ST1100 Final Drive O-rings and lube questions | ST1100 Related

Just removed, cleaned, and synced the carbs on my ‘92 ST1100 and gettting ready to service the rear end and final drive. Figured I would check with the experts here on this forum regarding a couple of questions. 1. Best place to order the 3 final drive o rings. I seem to recall someone was...

www.st-owners.com

Rear wheel alignment? | ST1300 Related

What method is used to correctly align the rear wheel on the ST1300 ?

www.st-owners.com

Can't find Moly Paste. Mix my own? | Cleaning, Oil, Maint.

It does appear there is a little marking on the splines and it's no real surprise, it was real dry in there. I would have put a bit more Moly Paste on than you did but that's just me. Next time you're in replace the three seals if you haven't already done so. They'll be due. If you can get hold...

www.st-owners.com

Sta-Lube Engine Assembly Lube with Moly-Graphite for greasing splines on rear wheel | Cleaning, Oil, Maint.

Better too much than too little, from the perspective of your splines' needs. That being said, the loctite stuff is expensive. Holy moley (Thank you, Radar), though I think for the purposes of this thread it should be Holy Moly! I just saw the Loctite on ebay for $77+! Sanity returned when I...

www.st-owners.com

Some of those links will take you to the middle of a thread. To get the real flavor of the discussion, just scroll up or down and click on the first of several pages

 

[jfheath]

The other criteria is that the paste is suitable for high pressure situations. Dow Corning told me that mineral based products were better for that than silicone based. I don't know about Lithium based alternatives.

Rocol and loctite as described above are two of the most widely used products. I use the Rocol now my M60 has nearly all gone.

 

[Bmacleod]

Hope this doesn’t sound stupid but I’ve never removed the rear wheel on a shaft drive. Getting a new rear tyre on my ST1300 tomorrow,now before putting the rear wheel back in I intend to grease the splines,what grease is suitable for the job please?
Thanks in anticipation

Honda recommends it's M77 and while it's suitable, I find it is expensive and only available from the dealer. The other recommendations given, such as the loctite would be my choice, for that reason alone

 

[dduelin]

Hi Rocky:

Lots of good answers above.

Be aware that it is CRITICAL that you use a grease with a very high moly contents - often, this product is called an "assembly paste". If you use any of the exact products specified above, you will be OK. But if you just pick up a tube of "moly grease" at the store, it won't have sufficient molybdenum content, and that will result in fairly rapid failure of the differential at the rear of the moto, necessitating a $2,000 + repair.

Michael

In the USA eBay final drives and driven spline hubs show up all the time for $200 or less. Not that anyone should factor the low price to replace it instead of using the correct lubricant to maintain it but it’s not an expensive repair if it came to that. Has anyone actually had to replace a final drive in the history of ST-O?

Honda recommends their M-77 for this application. There are other owner recommended pastes but M-77 will do the job and many dealerships will have it in stock.

 

[minhtri2002]

In the USA eBay final drives and driven spline hubs show up all the time for $200 or less. Not that anyone should factor the low price to replace it instead of using the correct lubricant to maintain it but it’s not an expensive repair if it came to that. Has anyone actually had to replace a final drive in the history of ST-O?

Honda recommends their M-77 for this application. There are other owner recommended pastes but M-77 will do the job and many dealerships will have it in stock.

I got flat tire in the rear wheel and I have just removed rear wheel couple days ago to get it done tire patch and i was applied M77 paste tube from Honda dealership that we always have in parts inventory. I forgot the loctite 50 at home so i was using m77 paste for temporary after installed rear wheel back on then will remove it again and apply the right stuff.
So i drove it around 80 miles later and remove rear wheel again to apply loctite 50. Guess what, m77 paste was drying up to small balls that i could see it. Luckily, i clean it up and still in good condition and apply Loctite 50 about 5 grams to both sides.
Honda 60 is discontinued so i’d say and recommend everyone getting Loctite 50 is the best choice for now.

 

[dduelin]

I got flat tire in the rear wheel and I have just removed rear wheel couple days ago to get it done tire patch and i was applied M77 paste tube from Honda dealership that we always have in parts inventory. I forgot the loctite 50 at home so i was using m77 paste for temporary after installed rear wheel back on then will remove it again and apply the right stuff.
So i drove it around 80 miles later and remove rear wheel again to apply loctite 50. Guess what, m77 paste was drying up to small balls that i could see it. Luckily, i clean it up and still in good condition and apply Loctite 50 about 5 grams to both sides.
Honda 60 is discontinued so i’d say and recommend everyone getting Loctite 50 is the best choice for now.

Moly60 was highly resistant to separation in the tube but Honda superseded M60 with M-77 over 10 years ago. I recognize there are choices other than Honda M-77 but Honda is the one with skin in this game.

Unlike M60, M-77 will separate in the tube and if the tube is not kneaded prior to opening the product will not be applied properly. I've noted this in previous threads.

 

[dwalby]

Unlike M60, M-77 will separate in the tube and if the tube is not kneaded prior to opening the product will not be applied properly. I've noted this in previous threads.

So do we need a thread with precise instructions as to the acceptable kneading technique to make sure the product will perform as designed? Not the first time that M77 has been reported to dry up in little balls, seems like Honda screwed the pooch on this recommendation.

 

[dduelin]

So do we need a thread with precise instructions as to the acceptable kneading technique to make sure the product will perform as designed? Not the first time that M77 has been reported to dry up in little balls, seems like Honda screwed the pooch on this recommendation.

Tell me, what do you do when you open a can of paint and see that the pigment has separated from the liquid? Mix it or complain that Sherwin Williams screwed the pooch?

 

[Igofar]

In the USA eBay final drives and driven spline hubs show up all the time for $200 or less. Not that anyone should factor the low price to replace it instead of using the correct lubricant to maintain it but it’s not an expensive repair if it came to that. Has anyone actually had to replace a final drive in the history of ST-O?

Honda recommends their M-77 for this application. There are other owner recommended pastes but M-77 will do the job and many dealerships will have it in stock.

I’ve had to replace (3) male/female driveshaft units due to spline damage, one of them the owner used moly grease, the other two, were dealership serviced, and Honda M77 was used.

 

[dwalby]

Tell me, what do you do when you open a can of paint and see that the pigment has separated from the liquid? Mix it or complain that Sherwin Williams screwed the pooch?

In that case I can easily see that something needs mixing, and can easily see when its properly mixed, so you're not really making a fair comparison. If I'm using a mystery compound inside a plastic tube that I can't see through to observe the state of its contents, its apparently a crapshoot figuring out if and when its properly mixed, based on multiple reports of it balling up after being applied.

 

[Igofar]

I have opened up many rear wheels in the last couple of years that used M77, and always found the same thing….rust colored, dried up, little balls that had fallen away from the area that they were supposed to be protecting etc.
Maybe many of the trained Honda tech’s didn’t read the proper instructions either

 

[Rocky ST]

Wow
There’s a wealth of information there,many thanks.
I’ve just had a look on David Silver spares (used them lots in the past) now they have a moly grease listed in there ST1300 section. Now I don’t know how to insert a link,but here’s a screenshot of it
Is this what I’m looking for?
Thanks once again

 

[Grand Rouge]

What did Honda do wrong with the final drive splines? Excessive wear within a thousand miles...A few have stated a hundred miles....with low percentage Moly. I have 3 Ford F350 trucks and 2 Ram 2500 vehicles. Diesel powered. Couple of em putting out 1,000 pound feet of torque. Often pulling 12,000 pound loads behind, often steep grades on construction sites. Never once has there been a spline failure or U Joint CV joint failure, front axle spline etc. lowest mileage truck 68,000. Highest 179,000. Grease / Paste......no high moly content....grease / paste easily cleaned away with brake cleaner or kerosene....and a couple of rags.

Here we are beating away at each other, fearing the 2,000 dollar spline and "differential' replacement costs...er....differential? ST1300 (for one) does not have a differential.

Younger brother has an 06 Triumph Rocker III. Coming up on 70,000 miles. Rear tire generally changed 4,000 miles.
So regular rear drive service. Torque around 160 pound feet. HP about 140. Liqui Moly grease of choice. Splines ....appear as new.

Just asking.....whre did Hoda screw up?

 

[dduelin]

I fail to see how one knows what was applied, when and how, and what product was used if they didn't apply it or see it applied.

Since everyone but Honda knows what to use for spline lubrication I'll sign off this thread. I have nothing else to offer.