Spline failure symptoms?

[jojo]

what are the signs of a spline about to fail or in need of lubing.

I found that lately my '04 RT with 42k on the odo is getting harder to downshift from 3rd to 2nd and 2nd to 1st gear but only when decelerating. nothing serious but just a bit harder than it used to be. downshift to get more power for accelerating is still fine. Should I start worrying about lubing the spline...again?

I changed my clutch last year at 20k mls and all splines were lubed then.

[OoPEZoO]

Can I ask why you replaced your clutch at 20k miles?

[jojo]

because it was dead. there was barely anything left of the clutch plate and the pressure plate and housing needed replacement too. I read on this forum that it is not unusual that a clutch needs replacement at such low mileage.

I use the bike for touring and city commuting (2-up most of the time). I also used to not rev the engine too hard (around 3.5-4k rpm) and used the 6th gear a lot. that might have helped the clutch to die prematurely.

now i don't really fancy taking the RT apart for lubing that spline again

[Ken H.]

Stiff downshifting can be one of the symptoms, but often there are none until they suddenly just give way.

[DavidEBSmith]

I would say it is unusual to wear out a clutch at 20k miles. Replacement at low mileage is usually due to a seal failure that leaks oil onto the clutch surfaces so they slip instead of grip. The only low-mileage failures due to wear that I've heard of were among cops who used the clutch-slipping technique they learned on their wet-clutch Harleys when they switched to the dry-clutch RT-Ps.

 

Anyway, if the splines were lubed 22k ago, lubrication shouldn't be an issue now.

 

First thing to check is the shifter linkage. As I recall it's not adjustable on your bike, but if it's balky, it can cause shifting problems. Beyond that it gets expensive.

[OoPEZoO]

because it was dead. there was barely anything left of the clutch plate and the pressure plate and housing needed replacement too. I read on this forum that it is not unusual that a clutch needs replacement at such low mileage.

I use the bike for touring and city commuting (2-up most of the time). I also used to not rev the engine too hard (around 3.5-4k rpm) and used the 6th gear a lot. that might have helped the clutch to die prematurely.

now i don't really fancy taking the RT apart for lubing that spline again

 

Wow.....I've never heard of killing a clutch in 20k miles. I was always under the impression that the clutches in our bikes lasted 100k+ miles unless severly abused or contaminated by oil. Mine currently has almost 90k on it and is still going strong.

 

In your case......if you killed one clutch in 20k miles, wouldn't it be about time to get in there and check on the replacement clutch by now anyway?

[flars]

Yes - those are the most common symptoms of spline failure. Which leads to the question: when the splines were lubed, was the correct lubricant used???

[Beemr69]

Disassemble and get to your starter , remove so a visual inspection can be done , do a search for the spline lube proctology thread here it just may give you a preview as to spline and disc condition.

[jojo]

Yes - those are the most common symptoms of spline failure. Which leads to the question: when the splines were lubed, was the correct lubricant used???

Well I didn't use the Honda molly because I couldn't find any in Ireland, but I used the Castrol Molly that is recommended for splines. It shouldn't make a huge difference after only 20k miles...or would it?

[jojo]

In your case......if you killed one clutch in 20k miles, wouldn't it be about time to get in there and check on the replacement clutch by now anyway?

i am definitely not on for a clutch job again after only 1.5 year and 20k miles

If the clutch fails again then I'll fix it, sell the bike straight away and by a 1400GTR (Concours14 in the US) and ban BMW from my list of wanted bikes.

[Boffin]

because it was dead. there was barely anything left of the clutch plate and the pressure plate and housing needed replacement too. I read on this forum that it is not unusual that a clutch needs replacement at such low mileage.

I use the bike for touring and city commuting (2-up most of the time). I also used to not rev the engine too hard (around 3.5-4k rpm) and used the 6th gear a lot. that might have helped the clutch to die prematurely.

now i don't really fancy taking the RT apart for lubing that spline again

 

Wow.....I've never heard of killing a clutch in 20k miles. I was always under the impression that the clutches in our bikes lasted 100k+ miles unless severly abused or contaminated by oil. Mine currently has almost 90k on it and is still going strong.

 

In your case......if you killed one clutch in 20k miles, wouldn't it be about time to get in there and check on the replacement clutch by now anyway?

 

The RT clutch can be killed in quick order - I fried mine in under 30K. What does it is using the wrong technique on the dry single plate clutch. I used to slip the clutch out slowly and, crucially, slip the clutch whilst down-shifting under braking.

 

The trick is to let the clutch out fast(ish) at low rpm - aim to be done by 1500rpm - and then accelerate on the torque. DOwn-shifting should take place by matching the engine speed to roadspeed in the lower gear. If you feel the bike decelerate as you let out the clutch you are shaving away thounsands of miles worth of material.

 

If your splines were good at 20K then the first thing to check is the gearchange linkage. This has been known to loosen itself off giving poor changing. It has also been known to get gunged up with road-dirt with a similar result.

 

Ady

[jojo]

Andy...downshifting for decelerating was what I used to do too before my clutch went south. I quited doing that since. I also rev the engine up above 5k rpm before shifting especially on 4th gear and up to avoid to much load on the clutch. i got the bike with 9k miles on it and i don't know how the previous owner used to ride it though.

Thanks for the tip about the gear change linkage. I'll check it out asap.