Clutch spline lube yes or no?

[BlueK11LT]

Looks like iam going to have to renew the friction plate on my 90,000 mile K1100LT,it is slipping under hard acceleration in the higher gears,and adjustment has not really made a difference,there also appears to be a small damp patch around the bell housing weep hole which leads me to believe the crankshaft oil seal is failing.
I have read on this and other forums and also some youtube videos some conflicting opinions whether the clutch splines should be lubed or not,obviously the possibility of lubricant being flung onto the clutch plate is what is at risk here.
I will be using Honda Moly 60 paste (I have quite a bit left over from when I used to use it on my ST1100)
So is it OK to use it sparingly and only apply a thin coating or just clean the splines up and leave them dry?
Opinions please
Thanks

[blackie1]

check this out

[Laitch]

So is it OK to use it sparingly and only apply a thin coating or just clean the splines up and leave them dry?

[bizzaro]

Hell I would. Never used Honda Molly paste but it should be pretty sticky n tacky. Just use a tooth brush or similar brush and be judicious about where it goes and how much you put down. It shouldn't take much. Just work it in the splines where it needs to be. 

[nicsanterre]

check this out

Thanks

Envoyé de mon SM-T350 en utilisant Tapatalk

[bizzaro]

Be aware that your bike is put together a bit different than k100 of 1985 in the video. So the tear down is a little different, but relatively the same. But it won't be exactly the same as the video.

[wally.fisher]

Looks like iam going to have to renew the friction plate on my 90,000 mile K1100LT,it is slipping under hard acceleration in the higher gears,and adjustment has not really made a difference,there also appears to be a small damp patch around the bell housing weep hole which leads me to believe the crankshaft oil seal is failing.
I have read on this and other forums and also some youtube videos some conflicting opinions whether the clutch splines should be lubed or not,obviously the possibility of lubricant being flung onto the clutch plate is what is at risk here.
I will be using Honda Moly 60 paste (I have quite a bit left over from when I used to use it on my ST1100)
So is it OK to use it sparingly and only apply a thin coating or just clean the splines up and leave them dry?
Opinions please
Thanks

Never leave the splines dry it will cause you more problems on shifting  gears,  is your clutch cable routed correctly your clutch will slip if not. DAHIK.

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[The Mighty Gryphon]

Lube them.  A very thin film is all you need.  It will make shifting easier, especially down from second to first.  I do all my bikes as soon as I get them.  You're in there anyway to do the other stuff, might just as well make a clean sweep of it.

[BlueK11LT]

OK then I will lube the splines,but with a very thin coating.
blackie1 & Laitch - It was actually after watching the above Chris Harris

videos

and noticing his contradictions that was partly the reason for me starting the thread in the first place

[Laitch]

OK then I will lube the splines,but with a very thin coating.
blackie1 & Laitch - It was actually after watching the above Chris Harris

videos

and noticing his contradictions that was partly the reason for me starting the thread in the first place

Which contradictions?

[stokester]

Lube them.  A very thin film is all you need.  It will make shifting easier, especially down from second to first.  I do all my bikes as soon as I get them.  You're in there anyway to do the other stuff, might just as well make a clean sweep of it.

Yes, I've used Honda Moly 60 as well as Guard Dog Moly in my Brick as well as my Airheads.


I noticed right away that the downshifts improved on the K75, eliminating false neutrals.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

As long as you're slopping molybdenum all over the place, I would suggest getting some Molybdenum disulfide powder, 1.5 microns and put a couple tablespoons in the transmission and about 1 tablespoon in the final drive.  It will also help make a big difference in the ease of shifting.  I get mine on eBay.

Just don't put it in the engine.  It will stop the damn sprag from working.  You don't need to know how I found this out.

[BlueK11LT]

Which contradictions?

If you view part 4 of 6      (K100 spline lube) at just before 3.00 mins into the video he states that he is not going to lube the clutch splines because it will end up causing a slipping clutch.
But at 7 mins and 30 sec into this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=13&v=87FfDU5r640 he is lubing the clutch splines

[bizzaro]

As long as you're slopping molybdenum all over the place, I would suggest getting some Molybdenum disulfide powder, 1.5 microns and put a couple tablespoons in the transmission and about 1 tablespoon in the final drive.  It will also help make a big difference in the ease of shifting.  I get mine on eBay.

Just don't put it in the engine.  It will stop the damn sprag from working.  You don't need to know how I found this out.

If you use the molybdenum powder in your tranny and final drive, I would say less is more. Most of the moly will separate and end up as thick sludge in the bottom of your case.  Relatively harmless I guess, save for some heat retension.  Then the only way to get it out is to tear down the respective parts.  It is really thick and mud like so I don't think you can rinse it out with Mechanical detergents/solvents.  So just be aware of this. I discovered this after using it, and may use it again,  but will use maybe one light tablespoon in the tranny and one teaspoon in the final drive. YMMV. Just thought you should be aware of this before you start pouring it in there.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Good point Bizz.  I will start using less of the powder.  Reduces cost too. 

[Laitch]

If you view . . .

Here's a mechanic who has a pretty good reputation for repairing Airheads and Bricks. He makes two videos that explain lubing splined parts. The resolution of the videos is excellent. The explanations are thorough. The videos are created two years apart. What he clearly indicates in both videos is that excess lube is likely to be slung from its position and perhaps affect the friction disc.

The lube protects by forming a thin, durable film on the engaging parts. It's wasted if it applied thickly and also can become an annoyance. The amount he applied on the friction disc, I'm not bothered by the contradiction.

I understand your dilemma. It could seem like dealing with an unreasonable parent. What can be done? You can obey the last command to avoid punishment. :giggles

Once you understand how stuff works it will get easier.

[wally.fisher]

If you view part 4 of 6      (K100 spline lube) at just before 3.00 mins into the video he states that he is not going to lube the clutch splines because it will end up causing a slipping clutch.
But at 7 mins and 30 sec into this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=13&v=87FfDU5r640 he is lubing the clutch splines

Two different videos and  gearboxes.


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[TaosBrick]

Dude. ALWAYS lube splines when you have that shizzle apart, and then every 30k to 40k miles. If you put the grease on the input spline only and liberally, it will do the job nicely AND NOT fling on to the engine side of the clutch disk, as it might were you to lube the clutch disk splines and have it be pushed into the forbidden zone by the shaft upon insertion. I use Guard Dog Moly.
Ask yourself, would you rather replace your input shaft, which is BIG $, and good luck finding someone to do it competently, or would you rather ride in sound assurance that all will remain intact and shift as smoothly as the agricultural nature of BMW transmissions of that era will do.

[Scott_]

.......there also appears to be a small damp patch around the bell housing weep hole which leads me to believe the crankshaft oil seal is failing.......
Opinions please
Thanks

I can just about say with 99.9999% certainty that the oil in the weep hole is a old/dried up/broken clutch nut o-ring. This is a very, very common issue as these bikes age.
What you can do to slow the leaking down is to keep your oil level between the sight glass center dot, and the lower level mark. Not above the dot... This will keep the oil below the lip edge of the output shaft seal lip when parked on the center stand.