Thoughts on spline wear

[Burque73]

Okay, so you have gotten the hub out of the wheel, and the wear looks like others.

Yep, here it is. I posted a tiny thumbnail pic earlier. Not quite as worn as the one you just posted, but still on it's way out.

[Burque73]

I received the salvage wheel with a good spline joint on it, a nice black one.

The Honda Moly 60 stuff is no longer available. Has anyone used the new replacement formula?

[Redman]

....

The Honda Moly 60 stuff is no longer available. Has anyone used the new replacement formula?

...

Yep, That is what Honda dealers carry now. Aint cheap.
Didnt seem all that sticky, didnt seem all that thick. But is the high moly content.

[Grimly]

I've been using Castrol moly grease for years, with no complaints. It's got fewer bits of moly goodness, but works fine and is much more easily found.
Heck, in a pinch I've used normal axle grease, as the tyre was changed every month at times.

[Burque73]

This is the stuff I've been using for the last 20k miles. Either it didn't have a high enough molybdenum content to protect the spline or it was just the softer gold one that did it in.

[Steve]

Just because it says "Moly" on the label does not mean it's the right stuff.

I have heard that you only need to include 4-5% moly to legally call it "moly" grease.
I don't know what the moly content was of the grease that Suzuki recommended, but the Honda 60 was, ... you guessed it, ... 60%. The replacement stuff is 77%, and the higher, the better.

.

[93Bandit]

Just because it says "Moly" on the label does not mean it's the right stuff.

I have heard that you only need to include 4-5% moly to legally call it "moly" grease.
I don't know what the moly content was of the grease that Suzuki recommended, but the Honda 60 was, ... you guessed it, ... 60%. The replacement stuff is 77%, and the higher, the better.

.

I have read online (so it must be true, right???) that the new Honda Moly 77 does not have the required 60%+ molybdenum disulfide. I've read that actual content is anywhere from 35-40%. Seems odd they would name it "moly 77" without having 77% but who knows. I cannot verify this for myself, but instead of taking a chance and ruining my brand new $150 joint, I went ahead and ordered the Loctite version per recommendations I have seen on the GSR. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't mean to add confusion to the topic, I just wanted to make people aware of a potential issue with the new Honda Moly paste.

[Burque73]

I have read online (so it must be true, right???) that the new Honda Moly 77 does not have the required 60%+ molybdenum disulfide. I've read that actual content is anywhere from 35-40%. Seems odd they would name it "moly 77" without having 77% but who knows. I cannot verify this for myself, but instead of taking a chance and ruining my brand new $150 joint, I went ahead and ordered the Loctite version per recommendations I have seen on the GSR. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't mean to add confusion to the topic, I just wanted to make people aware of a potential issue with the new Honda Moly paste.

That's actually the one bwringer recommended via email.

When I talked to the service guy at the Honda dealer, he said he has an aerosol can of some lube he uses. I stopped asking him for advice after that.

Edit: A closer look at the safety data sheet says M-77 has between 63%-71% Molybdenum sulfide. I already have it on hand, so I'll use it.

[bwringer]

Thanks for the added info, Roger! Once in a while, an MSDS sometimes has actual useful info...


Two other things I'll add for folks following along:

- This moly paste is NOT super-grease. It has one purpose: preventing "fretting" wear between mostly stationary hard metal parts. And it's no good at all for anything else. For anything that moves, slides, pivots, or rolls, it's actually somewhat abrasive. It's perfect for spline couplings like this, lousy for anything else.

- As I mentioned, the moly particles are somewhat abrasive, so you need to take care that this stuff doesn't contact that large seal in the final drive (gear oil on your rear tire is no fun, plus that damn seal is $35...). So this is not a case where "the bigger the glob, the better the job" applies. Coat the spline surfaces, but remove the excess.

[Burque73]

I had been curious about the benefit of moly. so thanks for mentioning this.

The instructions on the bottle said to "burnish" the product onto the surface. That term from my perspective is to apply with enough friction that it develops a hardened layer on the surface. We used to burnish stain into the surface of a wood floor with steel wool before applying wax. It made for a beautiful finish, but required frequent reapplication of wax. That's my perspective anyway.

I applied it with a small artist's paintbrush carefully working it into the teeth of both components. Hopefully it was just the right amount.

Looking at the technical data from Dow, a manufacturer of moly paste, the stuff has a pretty short shelf life. I don't really understand how it can degrade, but apparently something changes in it's chemical properties over time.

[Gorminrider]

Looking at the technical data from Dow, a manufacturer of moly paste, the stuff has a pretty short shelf life. I don't really understand how it can degrade, but apparently something changes in it's chemical properties over time.

It might be that the solvents separate from the actual goo. This is my experience with an old tube of Honda stuff I bought. I simply massaged the tube.

[bwringer]

Sounds like you'll be fine, Roger. Once you've upgraded the driven spline, it's pretty much a lifetime part even with some degree of neglect.

[93Bandit]

A closer look at the safety data sheet says M-77 has between 63%-71% Molybdenum sulfide. I already have it on hand, so I'll use it.

Thanks for the update! I should have looked for a MSDS for M77 before I made my post.