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TECHNICAL MOTOBRICK WRENCHING In Remembrance of Inge K. => The Motobrick Workshop => Topic started by: F14CRAZY on October 04, 2015, 01:12:11 PM

Title: Oil bath
Post by: F14CRAZY on October 04, 2015, 01:12:11 PM
Would it be feasible to modify the swingarm so that the driveshaft and splines ran in an oil bath?
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: johnny on October 04, 2015, 02:46:32 PM
greetings...

feasible = achievable -n- attainable -n- doable -n- possible -n- practicable -n- realizable -n- viable -n- workable...

yesser... more feasible on a monolever than  paralever...

draw it up and have bocutter ed make it outta wood...

j o
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: F14CRAZY on October 04, 2015, 03:02:17 PM
I mean if you RTV-ed the swingarm to the final drive and tapped a hole to fill it with oil, maybe halfway, it seems like it'd work.

I don't know how the seal between the swingarm and the trans works though. I know there's a rubber boot up there but that's it
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: kioolt on October 04, 2015, 03:15:14 PM
I seem to remember about 20 years ago reading about someone that did just that.  I don't recall the particulars.  For reference though, my 82 R100RT has an oil bath drive shaft.  It has a fill and drain plug on the input side of the drive.  It also has a gasket between the drive and drive shaft housing.  As for the drive shaft to transmission where the rubber boot is there are only metal clamps of the rubber boot.  It's been a long time since I have serviced or even ridden my 82 but I seem to remember that the oil level is about half way between the fill and drain plugs.
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: billday on October 04, 2015, 07:38:29 PM
Why?
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: kioolt on October 04, 2015, 07:48:30 PM
I believe I can answer that question for F14crazy.  It would eliminate the need for the periodic removal of the rear drive to lube the rear spline which is known for failure.
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: billday on October 05, 2015, 07:25:06 PM
Gear oil swirling around the shaft isn't going to preserve your splines.
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: F14CRAZY on October 05, 2015, 07:32:12 PM
But didn't airheads have driveshaft splines that were in oil?
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: kioolt on October 05, 2015, 07:37:55 PM
Yes they did.  BMW seemed to think it was ok for airheads.  I don't remember hearing about drive spline failures until the early K-bikes.

Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: TX brick on October 08, 2015, 08:37:54 AM
My only concern is would the oil hurt the rubber damper in the shaft?
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: F14CRAZY on October 08, 2015, 09:41:17 AM
My only concern is would the oil hurt the rubber damper in the shaft?

I didn't know there was one. That could be an issue
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: kioolt on October 08, 2015, 10:01:01 AM
It's really not hard to remove the rear drive at every tire change and lube the splines then.
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: Motorhobo on October 09, 2015, 07:11:23 AM
It's really not hard to remove the rear drive at every tire change and lube the splines then.

Agree -- unless you're putting enough miles on the bike to require two new rear tires anually, which F14CRAZY does. In that case it gets to be a tedious chore. But I'd think if you're putting that many miles on the bike, then most of them are highway which isn't as detrimental to splines as city or twisties. Last time I brought up the topic, a lot of folks here said they don't do the FD splines every tire change, but more like every 15k miles.
Title: Re: Oil bath
Post by: F14CRAZY on October 09, 2015, 11:50:26 AM
You are correct that the vast majority of my mileage is Interstate and I also feel that means there's less wear going on compared with city riding.

I mean it isn't that tedious to do but its still something to do.

If the shaft was running in oil I figure it could be quickly and easily changed when the final drive and trans oils are changed