Those Pesky Splines

[DrMikey]

Anyone routinely lube their oilhead's driveshaft splines? I'm gearing up to do some maintenance. Paul Glaves recommends lubing them at least once every 40K miles. I used to do it on my airhead, but haven't heard how much of an issue it is with the oilhead shafts.

[snod]

I don't have the article in front of me, but I believe Paul was refering to the transmission input splines on OilHeads. You have lube the splines that the clutch plate rides on. Some folks have done it with a long needle on a syringe, but most folks pull the transmission. It is nothing like lubing the rear hub splines on an AirHead.

[awagnon]

You shouldn't have to lube the clutch / transmission input shaft splines and it isn't a routine maintanance item, but I would at about 40,000 miles. It's a good chance to look at the splines to see if there is any wear. Use a good moly-based grease like Honda Moly-60 or the one Paul uses ( ? Guard Dog or something like that ). I believe trying to lube through the starter opening is a waste of time and you may end up getting grease on the clutch plate. I wouldn't pay someone to do the lube, as it's prohibitively expensive. You can do it yourself in a week end. I have a checklist for the procedure on 1150RT's if you want a copy. PM me with your email address and I'll send it to you. It isn't difficult if you have tools and moderate skills.