Drive Shaft maintenance on MKII

[cimmer]

Doing some preventive maintenance on my 89 VR and got to the drive shaft and wasnt sure what to do with the end that goes into the differential. Mine would not pull out of the diff even with the circlip and washer removed the oil seal wouldn't come out. I also still wasn't able to pull the drive shaft out of the coupling gear it slides into. I worked on the oil seal and was able to loosen it and pull the outer part back and see if there was a retainer of some sort in there holding it in place. I should also state that the drive shaft could be pushed in the coupler and the spring in there would push it out. So while thinking this over I sat the unit down, leaning it down on the drive shaft and when I came back there was a small puddle of gear lube leaking out under the seal.

Now the question I have is, I have read here that you need to grease the spines on both ends but it appears to me that this differential is greasing the end of the drive shaft with gear lube which makes sense to me that is should. Why else would you have a oil seal and have it sealed to the housing like it was if that isn't gear lube greasing the spines. The parts manual and maintenance manual are not very clear on this but I did find a Yamaha document in the library of the other site and it stated that the gear lube did grease the spines on the differential side of the drive shaft on the 86 -93 Ventures.

What have others found when trying to remove their drive shafts from the differential on their MKIIs.

Thanks

Rick F.

[Squidley]

Rick,

 

That end in the differential isn't supposed to have oil in it as far as I know, there should only be grease. If there is "Oil" and I say that in quotes for a reason, it could be that the grease broke down and left an oily residue. I have had some of the shafts come right out of the diff, but others I had to fight with. How dirty was all of it?

[Prairiehammer]

The driveshaft splines and final drive coupler on the XVZ13 ('86-93) models are lubricated by the final drive oil.Removal and inspection of the final drive assembly on these models are not necessary. (Yamaha Tech Bulletin M92-006).

There is nothing holding the driveshaft into the MKII (and Second Gen) final drive except the O-ring (oil seal). As is mentioned here: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13266 http://www.venturerider.org/vmaxrear/100_1406%20%28Small%29.jpg

Edited September 22, 2013 by Prairiehammer

[GeorgeS]

On my 89, ( now sold ) I could remove the rear drive unit, and then pull out the drive shaft in ONE piece.

At about 35,000 miles, I pulled the rear, and the oil seal came apart. I had to replace the Oil seal at the input of the drive unit.

 

Every 10K or so I would simply remove the 4 nuts, pull off the drive unit, and pull out the shaft and hand greese both ends and replace it.

 

I did the same thing on my new 08 RSTD last year, at 3800 miles, when replaced the Brickstone with a new E-3.

 

The OIL ( SAE-90 ) in the drive Box, Does Not lubricate the drive shaft!! You have to greese it, BY HAND, and there are NO Zerk fittings

 

IF--- the SAE - 90 is getting into the Drive shaft houseing past the rear oil seal, and running forward, it will drip out from a HOLE, in the bottom of the forward rubber boot, of the drive shaft, under the U- Joint.

 

Mine did this !! thats when I pulled out and replace the BAD, SEAL, at the input to the drive box.

Check the IPC, for parts lay out.

[cimmer]

Mine was leaking a bit of gear lube. I did work the seal loose but I didnt pull real hard on the shaft. I was afraid of damaging something in there. I will order some new seals and work on it this late fall and see what I can find.

I am just wondering why Yamaha stated it was oiled by the gear lube in the differential. And why an oil seal on that end of the drive shaft, mine was seal tight to the housing. This is the first time I have tried to remove it and who knows if it had ever been grease before.

Thanks for the input guys..

Rick F.