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New seals into final drive

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2022 2:34 am
by malmac
Well sooner or later the seals in a final drive will start to leak.
About two weeks ago I discovered mine were shot.
So I spent the last two weeks making a few tools to do the job.
The Barrington book on hand, off I went.
Here is a few photos of the project.
No bearings needed replacing, however I did need to adjust the shims.
Now I have the tools, it is not such a bad job.

Mal
Australia
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Re: New seals into final drive

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2022 8:21 am
by skychs
Nice job. Thanks for the photos.

Re: New seals into final drive

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2022 6:13 pm
by ZebZ
Amazing bit of kit. Am learning its darned handy to have a machine shop in your back yard. Nice work

Re: New seals into final drive

Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2022 8:01 pm
by malmac
Yes the ability to make up various tools makes jobs easier, more predictable.
It may not actually make it cheaper than getting someone else to do it, but it does give one a sense of satisfaction.

However it is not all about tools it is also about gathering together other peoples knowledge and experience to help you along. Barrington being a great example.
Here is a chart I got off the internet which I have simplified to aid my understanding and help compensate for my lack of experience.

Mal
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Re: New seals into final drive

Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 3:53 pm
by kingcowie
Hey Mal,
i love your work,

Thanks for the posts

Re: New seals into final drive

Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 4:50 pm
by malmac
kingcowie wrote:
Sun Jun 12, 2022 3:53 pm
Hey Mal,
i love your work,

Thanks for the posts
Hi Shane

My wife and I are heading off on July 1 to do a ride around Australia on our R1200GSA.
We will be coming back via Woolongong, any chance of catching up for a coffee?

our contact phone is 0447888637 - if you like the idea, send us your contact details.
We wont be around your way until September/October.

Regards

Mal and Sue

Re: New seals into final drive

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2022 12:01 pm
by vechorik1373
Let me give you a helpful trick, that I figured out long ago.

You will want to check the pattern of engagement of the ring gear and pinion gear. If the final drive is not shimmed correctly, it will destroy itself pretty quickly.

Yes, the chart that was posted is good information, but you will find that if you paint a few of the teeth of the gear with steel ink, and then assemble and spin it, and take it back apart to exmaine it, it will be very difficult to to see if you have the correct oval engagement between the teeth of the ring and pinion gear.

It is MUCH easier to tell, if you put a smear of cheap red lipstick on several teeth of the gear, and then wave the flame from a propane micro torch at the lipstick. It will cause the lipstick to melt in a nice thin coating, and spread it over the entire tooth. Then, when you put it together and spin it, it will transfer the lipstick onto the the engaging teeth, and mostly remove it from the teeth at that you coated. And you easily see the engagement pattern. Lipstick is waxed based. So a rag soaked with a bit of spray carb cleaner will wipe it off effortlessly. So if you pattern of engagement is wrong, you can change shims, and re-coat the teeth and try again, until you get the correct engagement pattern. And if you don't get all the lipstick off the gears, at the end, don't worry about it, it is waxed based and won't harm anything.

Re: New seals into final drive

Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2022 10:18 pm
by kingcowie
Great tip..

Re: New seals into final drive

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2022 4:27 am
by malmac
vechorik1373 wrote:
Sat Jun 18, 2022 12:01 pm
Let me give you a helpful trick, that I figured out long ago.

You will want to check the pattern of engagement of the ring gear and pinion gear. If the final drive is not shimmed correctly, it will destroy itself pretty quickly.

Yes, the chart that was posted is good information, but you will find that if you paint a few of the teeth of the gear with steel ink, and then assemble and spin it, and take it back apart to exmaine it, it will be very difficult to to see if you have the correct oval engagement between the teeth of the ring and pinion gear.

It is MUCH easier to tell, if you put a smear of cheap red lipstick on several teeth of the gear, and then wave the flame from a propane micro torch at the lipstick. It will cause the lipstick to melt in a nice thin coating, and spread it over the entire tooth. Then, when you put it together and spin it, it will transfer the lipstick onto the the engaging teeth, and mostly remove it from the teeth at that you coated. And you easily see the engagement pattern. Lipstick is waxed based. So a rag soaked with a bit of spray carb cleaner will wipe it off effortlessly. So if you pattern of engagement is wrong, you can change shims, and re-coat the teeth and try again, until you get the correct engagement pattern. And if you don't get all the lipstick off the gears, at the end, don't worry about it, it is waxed based and won't harm anything.
Vech

I have to agree that creating a nice clear contact patch is the hardest thing to do. I ended up using white grease against the dark grey of the gears. Thank you for the great tip. I will certainly try that when I am doing my next final drive.

Regards


Mal

Re: New seals into final drive

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2022 12:28 pm
by jwonder
I never had a problem using Prussian blue. Wait about 15 minutes to let it set up and then put some drag on it to make a nice pattern.