Output Shaft

[JamesJoyce]

Hi,

I checked my output drive shaft earlier today and have a nasty feeling that it may need some attention in the near future. I don't think there is a problem with the bearing as there is very little lateral or radial movement, the splines, however, are looking very worn. I have compared the condition with those detailed in previous threads where the diagnosis has not been good. Unfortunately, mine look very similar to these and are shown below :



I have read a number of threads on this issue and have noted some temporary solutions to this problem, such as welding the sprocket to the shaft, or welding on 'new' splines. As I am planning a RTW tour on my AT (1990, 43k miles) in around 12 months time I thought a replacement part , rather than a fix, would improve my chances of completion.

I understand that replacing the output shaft is one of the more challenging tasks, but (at the moment) I am thinking about giving it a go myself to try and save some money for the trip and also learn a bit along the way. After some initial research it seems to me that the cost of parts is going to be around £200 and consists of mainly of the shaft itself and various gaskets.

Do you think that £200 for parts sounds realistic ? Are the parts difficult to source ? I've looked on ebay, wemoto and davidsilver and have yet to see an output shaft. How long do you think this type of overhaul would take ? Am I crazy to even contemplate starting this ?

Cheers

Dave

[FatFergie]

It is a big job but no reason why you shouldn't do it yourself. If you've got some sort of mechanical sense, a manual and some decent tools and you take your time, being very methodical then it's just a case of slogging away at it. I'd try and get a nice clean workshop that you can use for the time that your doing it. I'd also try to do as much as you can with the motor in the frame. If something gives you trouble, stop and have a cup of tea. Things often make more sense when you step away. If you're still stuck post here!

David Silver will be able to supply everything. I haven't really got a clue how long it would take in man hours or whatever.

[Lord Stig]

I would have thought £200 would be a bit low - there are always extras to account for. I would want to fit a new output shaft bearing and seal for instance (pointless going to that trouble and not changing them), and once the bike is that far stripped I'm sure there are other things you probably could do as precautionary measures, depending on mileage (e.g., cam chains and tensioners.).

On the plus side, you'll know the bike very well, and that has to be invaluable for an RTW.

[samwise]

I was quoted around £200 parts and 6.5 hours labour by the local Honda dealer for the same issue on my Dominator, so might not be too far out.

[camnz]

ive just finished replacing the output shaft in my AT.i was lucky enough to find a bike mechanic that works from home and got the labour for a very good price.i have the recipts here for the parts which worked out at:
counter shaft £98 david silvers
shaft seal £4.39 david silvers
shaft bearing £13.29 david silvers
gasket set £77.76 wemoto

add another 10/15 quid for oil seals and should cover it.if you want to wait 2/3 weeks for a shaft you can get it for about £77.i also planned to rebuild on my own then found someone to help at the last minute.worked well put the engine in today,hooked up the cables,chucked in some oil,got the fuel pump primed and it and it fired first gohappy days.i thought about rings and bearings or full rebuild but everything else inside was in perfect order,at 60000miles still looks brand new.these really are bullet proof machines!

[BobA]

James

My old RD04 had splines much worse than that, and just kept on going.
I reckon if you weren't doing that RTW trip you'd get away with it as long as you kept a proper OE Honda front sprocket on the shaft, kept it well greased, and made absolutely sure the chain was adjusted correctly (by forum standards NOT HONDA mecahanics!)

As you ARE going RTW, you have to weigh up your options really.

1) Do the work yourself, and at the same time check everything else and replace where necessary.

2) Get a good second hand engine (but take a chance it's actually better than the one you have)

3) Just forget it and go, hope it makes it, and kick yourself if it doesn't!

4) Sell it, and buy a better AT!


Personally, with what you may be chucking the bike into, I reckon option 1 is the most sensible, or failing that option 4??
It does make logical sense to be confident you are setting out on a bike that has been thoroughly checked and repaired where needed, but also it will give you the confidence around the bike if anything goes wrong on your travels.

Good Luck


Bob

[Peltsi]

Mine is also much worse than that. I´m very much in doubt that thats going to be a problem. And in this case of mine, an old song sounds good cure for it. "Match in the gas tank, bum bum."

[camnz]

yep,mine was WRECKED!insted of 'square' grooves mine were triangles and razor sharpe,didnt even notice it till the bearing blew apart and i pulled the sprocket off.if the engines running sweet i wouldnt worry changing it

[chronyx]

Looks OK to me...?!

[Lord Stig]

Spline wear seems a remarkably common trait. In that respect a second hand engine might easily be as bad as what you have. Given that the parts are obviously not that severe price-wise, I would think doing it yourself would be the way to go.

I'm still utterly unconvinced about the debate surrounding whether Honda front sprockets go some way to avoiding this problem because of their rubber damper. It might be that I've been incredibly lucky, but at 87,000 miles my splines are pristine, and I've NEVER used expensive Honda sprockets - JT every time. Still, I know it's an emotive issue on this forum, and I don't want to start the debate again. It seems to be a bit of a theological 'it's better to believe in God and follow the Bible in case there is a Heaven and a Hell' (i.e., better to fit OEM in case pattern sprockets are the cause of spline wear) kind of debate. From the data we have (and this goes for front caliper rot, pattern or OEM oil and air filters, speedo gearbox drive wear, fuel pumps, wheel rot and a host of other common AT ailments) it just isn't possible to know what causes what. If you're worried about something and you think that spending money will make it better, go ahead...