TA splines: how to avoid the worst?

[Griff]

Quite interesting reading this thread. The reason I am seeking a new engine for my bike is that the output shaft stripped. On a sunday morning in back country Ireland.

Some strange little chap came out of the woodwork and offered to weld it back on. At the time it seemed the best thing to do. It got me round Ireland, Which is where my fondness for the alp grew, and, most importantly it got me home.

I thought this was a one off. Seems not. I now know to stick with the Honda sprocket. The bike was bought with a pattern one on it, I would like to add. The value of experience and all that.

I empathise with anyone who has problems with their output shafts. It's gut-wrenching everytime I lift the garage door and look at the bike knowing I can't ride it....just yet.

Just thought I'd share.

Griff.

[POTSKI]

Hi All,
Wear in my view is caused by movement; the sprocket /splines are always going to have a touch of play as it moves back and forth it will over time increase..stop it moving!!!!
I super glue mine on (I can hear you all gasping) and when it comes time to change it, get it off with a puller, it may well be "super glue" but it ain't Kryptonite, and a puller still pulled mine off ...I am not sugesting for a second that if your splines are badly worn that you glue it on, mearly that as a preventory measure I have used the superglue as a gap filler on splines that are good to start with or slightly worn.

Anyway... this is what I do; not sugesting anyone else joins me..a bit unconventional no doubt but hey that's me ...you are talking to the guy who runs his bikes on normal turbo diesel semi oil

Cheers
Potski

[T ALP]

That has got to be right potski no movement no wear, the thing is some of the chemical compounds that may get used to fix the sprocket to the shaft can eat steel!
The wear that happens to some output shafts has got to be a design or manifacturing fault or both of those things.
Back in the seventies I ran the old single cam 750/4s same sprocket to shaft setup aprox. 20BHP more and got thrashed to death ALL the time like most others and I never heard of this problem even at high mileages.

If its not a problem with incorrect hardening maybe its the manifacturing tolerances that give some sprockets to shaft more initial play to get the wear started, just a thought.
Chris

[POTSKI]

....If its not a problem with incorrect hardening maybe its the manifacturing tolerances that give some sprockets to shaft more initial play to get the wear started, just a thought....


Good point re chemical compounds T Alp ...any scientist types out there who could shed some more light on that ?



Cheers
Potski

[Warthog]

If you don't want to resort ot a puller for the superglue, just buy some nail-varnish remover.

Don't ask how I know...

[POTSKI]

Good call Warthog... or should it be Ms. Warthog

Cheers
Potski

[StumpyFingers]

I wonder if the problem arose because the sprocket and chain setup were not originally part of the engine design.
Wasn't the VT500 ShaftDrive?

[Axe]

Strikes me as this is a very similar problem to the early MX5 shortnose crank issue (where the woodruff key wears the crank and eventually the crank pully works loose and drops off)

There is a well documented fix which involves (blue and/or red(IIRC)) Loctite.(I just ended up swapping the engine on mine)

Movement between the crank and pully is bad, fill the gaps with something sticky not lubey.

Axe

[StumpyFingers]

Strikes me as this is a very similar problem to the early MX5 shortnose crank issue (where the woodruff key wears the crank and eventually the crank pully works loose and drops off)

There is a well documented fix which involves (blue and/or red(IIRC)) Loctite.(I just ended up swapping the engine on mine)

Movement between the crank and pully is bad, fill the gaps with something sticky not lubey.

Axe

That is a similar experience to my KM100.
It kept chewing up the woodruff key and losing the flywheel.
It was after fixing it for the umpteenth time that I chained it to a lamppost and came indoors to get my kit on when it got nicked never to be seen again.

[T ALP]

Just wondered if the type of power delivery would make a difference, as in single and twin engines are always harder on the drive chain than a smoother power delivery four cylinder engine is.

Chris