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Final Drive spewing Gear Lube

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5.6K views 32 replies 21 participants last post by  jack6251  
#1 · (Edited)
When i got home from Denny's last night from taking some pics for the Motorcycle Tag game we're playing i was looking at the pictures i took I noticed what appeared to be Oil on my rear Tire. Lines of Oil that ran every couple inches down the side of the Tire, all around the tire.

I looked at the pictures on my PC with somewhat a feeling or Horror.

As i calmed down and before getting out of my chair
I thought of the Final Drive Vent opening, I have heard of them spewing out Oil under certain circumstances, like if the Final drive is over filled with
Oil. I immediately got a flashback to the procedures i used when i changed my final drive lube a couple of months ago.

So i went outside and checked with a flashlight and it was only on the one side of the Tire which has the vent for the final drive AND it was final drive lube, it smells a particular way not soon forgotten. and evidence that it originated from the vent opening.

Anyway, Turns out I did have the Final Drive Over-filled with gear lube. I was supposed to fill it up with the Bike on its side-stand but I did it with the bike being held straight-up, like when I check the Engine Oil.

Funny thing is the Service manager at the Honda Dealer told me at the time to do it like I did it, with the bike held straight-up. *BUT* the service manual says to fill it with the bike on its side stand. I knew I shouldn't have listen to that service manager, he's new and i just don't like him, i think he's FOS.

The procedure is to Fill the Gear lube up to the point where it just starts to come out of the fill hole, which is on the SIDE of the final drive *AND* to do it with the bike *ON it's side-stand*. So with the bike in this position I took off the fill cap and around 3 ounces came out. I recapped the fill hole (new O-ring, I had one) and washed the Bike, with emphasis on the read tire/wheel.

I had changed the final drive gear Lube a few months ago and the problem didn't present itself until I took that 80+ mile ride the day before and rode on the Highway at high speeds for quite a bit. I think this is when the excess gear lube started coming out the vent.

Pictures that brought it to my attention:
Image

Image

I am confident everything is back to normal now.

So a reminder to those of us with a final drive, don't over fill them and check them with your bike on a level surface and ON IT'S SIDE STAND.

It just goes to show all designs and technologies have their particular quirks and issues to be concerned with.
 
#2 ·
I'm pretty sure oil is side stand and gear oil is straight up. The manager was correct and your gear lube is now low.

Dingo.

2010 Honda Shadow
Phantom Custom

This posted from my 'droid device.
 
#9 ·
I've found that most "service managers" aren't any kind of mechanic at all. Most only have even limited mechanical skills or knowledge..found this at bike dealerships and car dealerships. They're real nice, but don't know squat.
 
#15 ·
They are just that, service managers. They are there to provide you with a good customer service experience, the grease monkeys in the back are the ones that know whats going on. Most service managers I've talked to know the jargon and seem knowledgeable, but that's because a lot of their day is spent listening to the mechanics talk and picking up things, or simply relaying messages from the mechanics to the customer.

Not saying all service managers are like that, but the majority I've dealt with have been. Extremely nice but not a mechanic. They are the company's buffer between you and those dirty ol' mechanics.
 
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#10 ·
Good catch! Glad it was nothing serious.

On a totally different subject, looking at the side of your bike, your saddle bags look small. Not that is a bad thing. Maybe I am just used to seeing my monsters.

Also, with you drivers backrest fixed in position, to get on the bike you have to lift and push your leg though between it and the gas tank right? My back rest folds down and I can swing my leg over. The few times so far I have had my big bag in the passenger seat and I had to slip my leg through, it felt very awkward.

Sorry for the hijack.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I swing my right leg over the Bike to get on my Bike. My leg goes over both
the driver and passenger backrest when I do this. Thats why I made sure the Flags i installed were not higher than either backrest.

i'm Tall, it's not a problem for me....
 
#12 ·
1995 vt1100 final drive oil check. 1. hold the motorcycle on frim level ground. 2. remove the oil filler cap. 3. check that the oil reaches the lower edge of the oil filler hole. that is all that is printed in my owners manual. so I have been draining the oil on the side stand and checking and filling it with the bike stright up. have not had any issues with oil coming out of the vent after long rides. I did have some come out in cold weather riding when its mid 30's out. but that was last year. my engine oil is to be checked with the bike stright up also. must be that some years are different??
 
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#13 · (Edited)
If you are quoting your manual word for word, I would say it really isn't clear
as stated in your Manual.

What I am hearing you say is in essence: "I check and fill my final drive oil
with my bike straight-up and have never had an issue, except for the time
it had an issue with gear oil coming out the vent outlet".....

Not sure how you should be doing it on your Bike and would suggest you check with an actual Honda Bike Mechanic (or 2) to find out for sure.

Based on what you said your manual said, I would say it should be on its side stand as it didn't specify that you hold it straight up. Does your service manual spell-out that you should hold the bike straight-up when checking your engine Oil? If it does that tells me that it should be on the side stand for the final drive as it didn't specify otherwise.

On the Honda Shadow Aero VT750 2004-2014 I can tell you will absolute certainty that the bike should be on its side-stand when checking and filling the final drive gear oil.
 
#17 ·
I can't see that it would make a whole lot of difference with the gear oil, the reservoir isn't nearly as large as the engine oil reservoir. I would think with the bike on the side stand it would take more gear oil not less as the bike is leaning away from the fill hole. Remember, another thing that can cause you to weep oil out of the vent is cold weather.
 
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J
#18 ·
Ramie said:
I can't see that it would make a whole lot of difference with the gear oil, the reservoir isn't nearly as large as the engine oil reservoir. I would think with the bike on the side stand it would take more gear oil not less as the bike is leaning away from the fill hole. Remember, another thing that can cause you to weep oil out of the vent is cold weather.
Click to expand...
The bike is leaning towards the fill hole when it's on the side stand not a way from it. If you use synthetic gear lube it doesn't weep in cold weather like dinolube does.
 
R
#19 ·
So happens on my Valk, the pumpkin is situated on the right-side. The side stand is of course on the left-side, thusly the bike leans away from the fill hole in this case. However, same instructions in the manual, "place bike on level surface and support the bike upright." (??) Pumpkin only takes 5 to 5.7 oz though.
 
#21 ·
Know your Bike.....

"That`s all I have to say about thaaaat"

I`m Glad you saw them pics, then got outta your chair to check out this issue....

MOM knows best, don`t always believe what`s written on the internet...
>>I'm pretty sure oil is side stand and gear oil is straight up. The manager was correct and your gear lube is now low.<<

:D ;)
 
#22 · (Edited)
I recall what originally caused me to speak to the Service Manager at the time about my final drive.

I thought i was getting an overly loud humming sound from my final drive and i called my Honda dealer and asked for the Service Manager. I made the mistake of pretty much asking him to tell me what i wanted to hear, and i guess he obliged.

Turned out it was just tire noise on certain roads I was riding on possible combined with the chrome drive shaft cover i just installed enhancing the sounds coming from that area as it sits just a bit off the shaft drive housing which could cause a re-verb effect (just my thoughts lol).

Anyway, I should have known better, I had the Service manual and it clearly said
"With the Bike on it's side-stand" but in my want for a solution i went with what the Service Manager said, a person i had previously decided was a Putz. I had asked him "could it be the level is too low in my final drive, should I be checking it with the bike upright?" and he answered "Yes, it should be upright, that's how we do it". Maybe the professional Bike Mechanic knows to not fill it up quite full if the bike is on the service stand and upright and knows how to compensate.

Service Managers are Administrators, Schedulers, Office type people, they may have little
actual mechanical skills and only a cursory or superficial knowledge of how to service the vehicles. Some are very knowledgeable some are the Brother-in-law of the owner and don't know Shyte....
 
#23 ·
Took an 85+ mile ride today and Got on it for some long stretches on the highway too and everything is fine, no more gear lube appearing, problem solved.


When you really look at the final drive on my bike, with the gear lube filled while on the side-stand method as per the Service manual, puts the planetary gears at least 1/2 submerged in gear lube as it rotates, PLENTY of lubrication!
 
#29 ·
Let me know if anyone comes up with an answer, I have an '07 spirit that's been doing it for 2 years now. I really hate the gear oil on the back tire.
Upright, sideways, upside down fill, it doesn't matter. When it wants to leak, it's nasty.
The shops answer was a new vent cap, That went far...
 
#32 ·
Had that myself years back. Folks at the Honda dealership gave me the same answer. Repeatedly. Not just the service manager. Eventually I got fed up with the issues from them and started making the time to do my own wrenching. That's when I tore down the final drive and replaced seals. Have not had an issue since. I coordinated mine to line up with a tire change (also done myself) since removing the final drive only adds loosening four bolts.

I might still have the list of replaced seals somewhere on my computer -- but they might not be the same as yours. Looking at the fiche image for a 2007 VT1100C, it was #32, #34 and #30 that were the focus. Probably one of the first two. Might have been as simple as #34 -- that's supposed to be replaced at each tire change. I'm betting the dealership didn't do that when they changed the tire for me.
 
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