Changed the final drive oil this weekend ( just under 24K ) ..... the old oil looked really nasty; thinking about changing it every 12K instead of 24K. any thoughts..??
Thanks.
Thanks.
Final Drive Oil
- Thread starter dlb
- Start date
Change it at every oil change, This way you won't forget and it is easy to do. Takes an extra 10 min.
Mellow
Admin
Yup... every FD bike I've ever owned I changed w/oil changes...
and exactly what lubricant goes back there?
Warren
2
Be very careful with the large plug. Its soft aluminum and easy to strip.
I have been using, in all of my motorcycle final drives, Mobil One Synthetic Gear Lubricant LS 75W-90. Use what the service manual calls for or an equivalent.
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dlb,
Your manual calls for: Hypoid Gear Oil SAE # 80 and takes 4.4 oz, the bolt torque is 9 ft/lbs. As said above, do it at every oil change, for that little amount of oil it is money well spent.
Your manual calls for: Hypoid Gear Oil SAE # 80 and takes 4.4 oz, the bolt torque is 9 ft/lbs. As said above, do it at every oil change, for that little amount of oil it is money well spent.
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It isn't needed but if it helps to ease your worries, then you won't hurt anything. Just takes a few extra minutes. I wouldn't expect any significant increase in the life of the FD though. Kinda like changing your oil every 1k miles versus what the manual calls for. 
I just change mine every 20k miles to line up with other maintenance I perform on the NT. (I do the same on my '09 Wing and it has over 105k on it and the FD hasn't grenaded yet...)
I just change mine every 20k miles to line up with other maintenance I perform on the NT. (I do the same on my '09 Wing and it has over 105k on it and the FD hasn't grenaded yet...)
Bear
2
I change with every oil change and use Royal Purple Synthetic.
Lorien, the grease you should be using on the splines of the final drive is Honda Moly-60. I don't think the final drive oil has moly in it.
skiper
Guest
I'm gonna guess there is some additive in the dif. oil , as there was a silver sheen to mine also. Moly 60 could be in there - 24, 000 miles seems like a long interval .. just my guess - don't try guessing at home , etc etc ..
I do not know what the modern synthetic final drive oil is using for EP (extreme pressure) additives. I do know that the '70's era Castrol 80 and 90 weight gear oil did use moly compounds for the base of the EP additive package.
My understanding is that Honda does use a final drive oil with Moly from the factory but it is not specified as a requirement when changing the oil.
This could be a "bedding in" agent for the initial factory "final drive" oil fill.
Using Molly is quite common on big end bearings and camshaft lobes etc when rebuilding engines.
This could be a "bedding in" agent for the initial factory "final drive" oil fill.
Using Molly is quite common on big end bearings and camshaft lobes etc when rebuilding engines.
I use Valvoline 80-90 synthetic gear oil in FD. Change it every other oil change, and replace the fill plug o-ring as they get flattened out. With a new seal you can torque to 9 ft-lbs and it won't leak.
Brad
Brad
KMGuy
Guest
Anybody have issues with vent or plug slinging the FD oil? When I first got my bike Chuck pointed out that it might be overfilled but it seemed to sling a LOT. I'll take some pic's after work and post them later.
If the final drive is losing oil through the vent then it is usually a sign of over filling OR that the oil is too thin
DirtFlier
Site Supporter
On my bike, the vent cap was installed too deeply at the factory which prevented heat from venting normally. Every once in a while, the pressure would get too grew and spew oil out of the tiny gap between cap and case. I bought a new vent cap and installed it to the proper depth. Problem solved.
In my opinion changing the final drive oil every oil change or even every other oil change is a bit much but everyone is entitled to their own ideas. If there is a problem with the gears or bearings, having ultra-fresh oil inside isn't going to make any difference. A bad bearing is still a bad bearing and it probably didn't go bad because of old oil. More than likely, it was caused by improper heat treat of the rollers or races.
I change final drive oil over the winter when there is white stuff on the ground and that's still less than the prescribed mileage.
In my opinion changing the final drive oil every oil change or even every other oil change is a bit much but everyone is entitled to their own ideas. If there is a problem with the gears or bearings, having ultra-fresh oil inside isn't going to make any difference. A bad bearing is still a bad bearing and it probably didn't go bad because of old oil. More than likely, it was caused by improper heat treat of the rollers or races.
I change final drive oil over the winter when there is white stuff on the ground and that's still less than the prescribed mileage.
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KMGuy
Guest
Wow, sorry got unexpectedly busy here, here's a pic of what I'm seeing.
skiper
Guest
The vent is just above the top edge of your photo .. the vertical cylinder , is it dirty there ?