Author Topic: Spline grease at the dealer  (Read 10518 times)

Offline F14CRAZY

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Spline grease at the dealer
« on: July 17, 2016, 01:08:12 PM »
Last week I brought in my final drive to BMW Motorcycles of Grand Rapids, down the street from me pretty much, so have them replace the ring gear seal. When I went to pick it up I asked Rob in the service department (I believe he's the service manager) about what grease they use for splines. I mentioned that there's a considerable amount of debate online about what works the best.

He brought me into the service area and showed me this:

http://www.crcindustries.com/ei/product_detail.aspx?id=SL3141

Sta-Lube Moly-Graph, which I've seen at stores including NAPA. He said they never have any issues with it  :dunno2:

I checked the data sheet on it and it doesn't like moly as being an ingredient unless it's lumped in some category.

Either we're way overthinking spline lubrication or they're not taking care with their customer's splines.

At any rate I cleaned and re-lubed my clutch and driveshaft splines with Honda Moly 60.
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • '87 K75C
'87 K75C w/ Pichler V1 fairing. LED's, CATZ driving lights, Audiovox cruise, LT top case, tons of other mods by Drake...


Offline Motorhobo

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2016, 01:35:06 PM »
Did you check the product spec sheet for MoS2? The spec sheet for this Dow product didn't say molybdenum or moly, just the element specification...

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,8567.msg66069.html#msg66069

Can't believe they'd call it moly if there's no moly in it.
1994/1995 K75 ABS Frankenbike: original engine 136k miles, frame from Gary Weaver (RIP), 173k miles -- Current Odometer: 198k miles
1994 K75 since 2013, 82,000 mi (19k mine) w/California Sidecar Friendship II Sidecar & Black Lab 'Miss B' - RIP

Past: 1974 Honda 550/4 (first bike), 1994 K75 (sold), 1995 K75 ABS (parts bike), Sidecar Dog & Best Bud 'Bo' - RIP

Offline Martin

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2016, 02:00:08 PM »
Crazy there is a lot of myths and conjecture about what lube to use. I have 150,000 K's on my bike and have only ever used Optimol paste ( no discernible wear ) which used to be recommended. This is now apparently not recommended, so I now have a tube of Honda Moly 60 still available at Honda car dealers under the new name of Honda M77 assembly paste. I think if you use Guarddog if you can get it or Honda paste or any of the high Moly content pastes used by and recommended by this site you are pretty safe. I think the trick is to do it at regular intervals which seems to be every second tyre change or 20,000 to 30,00 miles. I have also been told to use Mercury moly spline lube paste by a boat mechanic. He said the boat splines suffer more abuse in a harsher environment than any motorcycle spline. Any boaties please let us know if you have used this product.
Regards Martin.
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  • 1992 K75s Hybrid, Lefaux, Vespa V twin.

Offline Chaos

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2016, 08:46:55 PM »
that Sta-Lube stuff seems to be trying to cash in on moly qualities while actually being a lithium based product.  Misleading to say the least  :nono
  • sw ohio
1987 K75S    VIN 0231
Original owner, Original litter
200,000 miles (plus or minus) and 5 paint jobs
sold 6/23
2023 Ural 2WD sidecar (BMW's bastard step child)

Offline F14CRAZY

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2016, 08:57:32 PM »
Did you check the product spec sheet for MoS2? The spec sheet for this Dow product didn't say molybdenum or moly, just the element specification...

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,8567.msg66069.html#msg66069

Can't believe they'd call it moly if there's no moly in it.

I did check. I searched the sheet for "moly" and nothing came up aside from in its name.
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • '87 K75C
'87 K75C w/ Pichler V1 fairing. LED's, CATZ driving lights, Audiovox cruise, LT top case, tons of other mods by Drake...


Offline Laitch

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2016, 10:25:11 PM »
For those who are interested, attached is pg. 1 of the 13-page MSDS for Dow Corning's MolyKote 77, a product that can be purchase in small, non-industrial quantities on eBay and Amazon. This image shows the moly content and lithium stearate content.
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Offline Motorhobo

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2016, 03:51:39 AM »
I did check. I searched the sheet for "moly" and nothing came up aside from in its name.

That's what I mean -- moly might not be named while MoS2 is named. MoS2 is molybdenum disulphide, commonly referred to as moly. I was pointing out that in the Dow spec sheet for a moly product, a search for 'moly' comes up empty while a search for 'MoS2' points to the spec -- although the actual percentage of MoS2 isn't given in that product brochure.
1994/1995 K75 ABS Frankenbike: original engine 136k miles, frame from Gary Weaver (RIP), 173k miles -- Current Odometer: 198k miles
1994 K75 since 2013, 82,000 mi (19k mine) w/California Sidecar Friendship II Sidecar & Black Lab 'Miss B' - RIP

Past: 1974 Honda 550/4 (first bike), 1994 K75 (sold), 1995 K75 ABS (parts bike), Sidecar Dog & Best Bud 'Bo' - RIP

Offline Motorhobo

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2016, 12:07:08 PM »
For those who are interested, attached is pg. 1 of the 13-page MSDS for Dow Corning's MolyKote 77, a product that can be purchase in small, non-industrial quantities on eBay and Amazon. This image shows the moly content and lithium stearate content.

Btw do you think this MolyKote 77 is exactly the same stuff as the branded Honda M77 stuff?
1994/1995 K75 ABS Frankenbike: original engine 136k miles, frame from Gary Weaver (RIP), 173k miles -- Current Odometer: 198k miles
1994 K75 since 2013, 82,000 mi (19k mine) w/California Sidecar Friendship II Sidecar & Black Lab 'Miss B' - RIP

Past: 1974 Honda 550/4 (first bike), 1994 K75 (sold), 1995 K75 ABS (parts bike), Sidecar Dog & Best Bud 'Bo' - RIP

Offline Laitch

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #8 on: July 18, 2016, 12:31:33 PM »
Btw do you think this MolyKote 77 is exactly the same stuff as the branded Honda M77 stuff?
I don't know, Motorhobo. I just posted its contents for those of us looking for a high percentage of Moly in the lubricant. I use Staburag NBU 30 PTM. As far as I can determine it has no significant MoS2 in it. :yow I'm trying to stay calm anyway while I'm using it.
  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles

Offline 67charger

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #9 on: July 18, 2016, 12:51:00 PM »
As easy as it is to access the splines, I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't do it at least annually. I'll bet you could use canola oil if you lubed every third Sunday.
 
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Offline Laitch

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #10 on: July 18, 2016, 03:01:17 PM »
I'll bet you could use canola oil if you lubed every third Sunday.
Hain or Mazola?
  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles

Offline 67charger

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #11 on: July 18, 2016, 06:49:42 PM »
I don't always use vegetable oil, but when I do, I use
molyzola. 
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Offline Laitch

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #12 on: July 18, 2016, 08:09:25 PM »
I don't always use vegetable oil, but when I do, I use
molyzola.
Well, that was a slippery response.  :clap:
  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles

Offline imoir

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #13 on: July 19, 2016, 08:41:45 AM »
Yeah, I posted about this exact thing two weeks ago.  http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,8567.0.html  They even offered to order me some from Tucker Rocky.

I contacted CRC and they confirmed the Moly AND Graphite content was about 1 - 3%.

Current:
92 K75S "Goose"
88 Honda Hawk GT
72 Norton Commando

Past:
90 Honda Hawk GT
86 FJ 1200
84 KZ 650
82 Maxim 500

Offline F14CRAZY

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Re: Spline grease at the dealer
« Reply #14 on: July 19, 2016, 10:26:54 PM »
Yeah, I posted about this exact thing two weeks ago.  http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,8567.0.html  They even offered to order me some from Tucker Rocky.

I contacted CRC and they confirmed the Moly AND Graphite content was about 1 - 3%.

yeeeeaaaa...considering the BMW manuals say what, 50% moly at a minimum?
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • '87 K75C
'87 K75C w/ Pichler V1 fairing. LED's, CATZ driving lights, Audiovox cruise, LT top case, tons of other mods by Drake...


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