Side play in the

[Cruser]

Final drive?

 

How much should there be if any?

 

I just finished changing the oil in the final drive ,while the bike is on the center stand I decided to shake some stuff around, there is a small but noticeable amount of side play in the final drive halves, I need to know if its normal, abby-normal or ?

 

Question #2

 

I don't think that the cooling fan is working, If I hook it direct to a battery and the fan runs then I guess I can figure that the fan is good but a sending unit or something else is bad, Is this sending unit up under the top of the fairing behind the head light?

 

Thanks

[dingy]

What do you mean by the final drive halves? In general, no, there should be no play in the rear end components. But I am not sure where you are referring to.

 

 

Picture below shows the sensor for the fan. This was taken from an 88 setup, but I think the 85 is very similar.

 

You should be able to reach these if you pull the cover behind radiator on right side with the mesh screen in it.

 

Blue arrow is a ground for the temp. gauge & fan circuit.

 

Green arrow is temp. gauge connector.

 

Red arrow is fan connector.

 

Gary

[Cruser]

Thanks for the reply, so if I can take hold of the rear tire on top and make it wiggle where the rear punkin is then something is loose? would that be too little torque on the axle nuts that would allow that movement?

 

 

I was able to jump the fan and it runs so I will be moving on to the other components, your picture will help alot.

[dingy]

You can rotate the tire a few degrees with the bike in gear. There is some play rotationally.

 

There should be no side play whatsoever. If there is side play I would suggest you find the cause of it before you ride it.

 

I would guess a bearing is going. Even with moderate torque on axle you should not be able to move it sideways.

 

Gary

[MiCarl]

I don't think that the cooling fan is working,

What are you basing the fan not working on? Is the motorcycle overheating?

 

The fan on mine does not kick on until the temp gauge is almost in the red. I believe this is normal. I don't think mine has ever come on when my speed was above 5mph.

[skydoc_17]

Hey Rick,

Jean here, I asked Earl about your bike and he said to look at the pic attached below and make sure the spacer marked with the red arrow is between the rear caliper bracket and the swing arm. If this spacer is missing, the final drive will float laterally. You do not want to run this bike for very long like this. The pic is of an MKII VR but the set-up is the same.

As far as the fan goes, start your bike, let idle, squat down near fan area, when fan comes on, note where the temp gage is. If your bike has never boiled over, then your fan is working.

Jean/Earl

Edited August 20, 2010 by skydoc_17
More Info!

[Cruser]

Hi Jean,

 

The bike has never boiled over, but it gets danged hot and I have never heard the fan run while riding in town or anywhere else, the temp gauge went right up to the line on the red the other day going slow behind traffic in town after a fairly long run up a hill almost "15 miles of up" (steep) I never heard the fan turn on, I have let it idle here in the yard a couple of times, never to the same point as it was that day though, I will do it again this weekend and be a little more patient and see if the fan turns on before it boils over.

 

Ok pic is there now, I will check to see if the spacer is in there, but the wiggle is really more like a bearing has free play , what I'm feeling in this could be normal but I can shake it hard and hear it clunk a little.

 

What started this whole thing was a strange sound I heard on the way home from work yesterday, Its hard to describe but it sounded like a stick running against the tire but only when I would hit a little bit of rough in the road and the bike would bounce on the shocks,I couldn't make it happen below 50 but at 65 and above it was disconcerting, it was weird a sound I had never heard before , now I have to find out what it was even if I go through some unnecessary steps ,I have no one here that can help me who knows about these bike and I'm a Venture virgin,but not for long I have a feeling.

Edited August 20, 2010 by Cruser

[Marcarl]

Sounds to me like you should be replacing the rear bearings, then also take a look at the splines between the pumpkin and the wheel,(you would only need to replace the wheel half) and while you are all down and dirty anyways, take apart the swing arm and clean it up and put in new bearings and spacers. It's all gonna cost a few bucks, but when you got it done, you'll have peace of mind, and be set for as long as you own this scoot, except for the splines, which if they run dry again may have to be replaced again. Also you should tend to the drive shaft to make sure both ends have not gone dry. That's a fun job, but if you are waiting for parts, you'll have the time to fool around.

[Cruser]

1. down the cooling fan is turning on now, I took all of the connections apart cleaned them and the fan now works, even though I think it turns on late ,I will be putting a manual switch in line and will be able to turn it on if I want it on sooner.

 

I took the bike up the hill to a guy who says He knows about these bikes, He seemed competent? He told me that the bearings in the rear seemed ok for now and that if Im going to tear the bike down soon to just do them then? what do you guys think ? like I said there is a very small amount of movement "very very small" according to this other guy?

 

Im going to take most of the winter and fix plastic, paint and do some gaskets and seals that I know are seeping, spark plug wires, and various other projects, the bike should be down by the end of Sept, right after the aspencade Rally in Ruidoso and hopefully done by march when our spring starts here.

[Marcarl]

 

I took the bike up the hill to a guy who says He knows about these bikes, He seemed competent? He told me that the bearings in the rear seemed ok for now and that if Im going to tear the bike down soon to just do them then? what do you guys think ? like I said there is a very small amount of movement "very very small" according to this other guy?

 

What I think,,,, hey you asked what I think OK?

You have only one rear wheel, if it gives up, or locks up? what happens? I think maybe you should be the judge of that.

On the other hand, it may just wear and so get more play and start to make noise, steer you in the wrong direction and vibrate. You could take a chance on that happening slowly and that you might catch it before it wrecks anything else,, then again it might not.

As I'm thinking about this,, is the play between the axle and the wheel or at the swing arm? Swing arm is not as bad as at the axle.

Carl

[Cruser]

No play in the swing arm, and yes I asked what you think because I want to know.

 

Like I said I was told about this guy up the hill from another Rider, The guy is supposedly a Bike Mechanic, He acted like He knew what he was doing, but we all know that doesn't mean he knows anything, so I check with the only other help I have , That is you guys.

[MiCarl]

I wouldn't ride it.

 

I wouldn't take it up the hill anymore to the guy that seemed competent either.

[oldandcrotchety]

Hey Rick,

Jean here, I asked Earl about your bike and he said to look at the pic attached below and make sure the spacer marked with the red arrow is between the rear caliper bracket and the swing arm. If this spacer is missing, the final drive will float laterally. You do not want to run this bike for very long like this. The pic is of an MKII VR but the set-up is the same.

As far as the fan goes, start your bike, let idle, squat down near fan area, when fan comes on, note where the temp gage is. If your bike has never boiled over, then your fan is working.

Jean/Earl

I'm glad you posted that photo. Since I bought my bike 5 years ago, it has never had that spacer on it. I always wondered why there was a empty looking space there, but since it was like that when I got it I just figured that it must be normal. I guess I better order a new spacer from Flat Out Motorcycles. On the parts diagram, they show it as a washer for $1.60, if I am looking at the right one. Looks like something I could pick up at a hardware store if I could determine the right size. Luckily, so far, not being there has not caused any issues.

[jasonm.]

sounds like a wheel beariing or possibly but less likely swing-arm bearing. Note: the right bearing is a ball bearing while theleft is a roller type. The roller is less likely to go bad and can be greased.