U joints '86 venture...

[mechanic1]

Ok...on my '86 Venture....do I need to check U joints for the drive shaft on it....where is the post for that? Anyone? Oh,....also....can of worns maybe..but gear oil suggestions for the final drive?

[Prairiehammer]

Ok...on my '86 Venture....do I need to check U joints for the drive shaft on it....where is the post for that? Anyone? Oh,....also....can of worns maybe..but gear oil suggestions for the final drive?

 

Unless you have some aberrant noise or vibration that you have diagnosed to be due to a bad U-joint, there is probably no need to check the U-joint. Removing the U-joint requires removal of the swing arm. Fairly big job just to 'check' the universal. One could try removing the rubber bellows and peering at the still obscured U-joint, but replacing that rubber dust seal is fraught with problems.

 

As for the final drive lubricant, use 80/90 weight gear oil with a GL-4 rating.

[mechanic1]

No problems as far as I know. Bike has about 40k on it only so probably still ok

[frankd]

Universal joint problems on 1st. Gen Ventures are not very common. On my 83 (purchased new), at about 100,000 miles, I had the seal behind the u-joint start to leak, so I had to pull the U-joint to get to it. I saw a slight wear, and since I had it apart, I decided to change it. On my 89 (owned for about 6 years now and had about 65K on it), I started to hear some clunking when I'd let out the clutch or changed gears. Then about 10 miles later, the noise stopped, but when I rolled off the throttle at about 65 MPH, the bike had a pretty bad vibration. When I rolled the throttle back on, it went away. I pulled the shaft and the swing arm, and I found that one of the arms of the u-joint was broken and the one 180 degrees away was about to break. The bearings on both sides were red powder. The other pair were fine, but had very little grease on them. I replaced the u-joint and the yokes on both sides.

 

As for the shaft drive unit lubricant, I use Mobil 1 synthetic. I used to use regular 90W. On the 83, the only difference I noticed was the shaft drive unit ran a bit cooler. That's understandable because the synthetic moves easier, using less energy. However, on my 89, my wife and I both noticed that the bike had less whine when I put in the synthetic. The funny thing was that I didn't think that any of the whine was coming from the shaft drive unit.

[dna9656]

Mobile 1 synthetic motor oil? Mobil makes a synthetic gear lube?

I know Amsoil does...anyone have exp. with Amsoil gear lube in these bikes?

[jdross440]

 

 

 

Mobil1 Synthetic Gear Lubricant LS 75W-90, about $11 a quart. They also have it in 75-140 for abut $20 a quart.