bitterclinger00 wrote:Update...thanks for all of the replys...got the rear tire mounted yesterday and came home to tackle the final drive and drive shaft. Got it out and sure enough, along with the driven flange and final drive it all needs greasing. Anxiously waiting for my moly to arrive. Don't know if the grease gets used up fast or it hadn't been done in awhile. And yes I keep my laptop in the garage with DIY arcticles from GoldwingDocs....otherwise I'd be clueless.
Thanks again...all
The Moly grease that gets used on the splines is a bit of a different beast. Meshing gears continually move grease around, pushing it between the teeth and lubricating them as the grease gets squished between them.
On splines where the Moly is used, the grease is actually just a carrier. The splines don't continually mesh with one another, and for the most part they barely move in relation to one another. So there is no movement to continually move lubricating grease between them. This is why using regular grease on these splines will destroy them: the grease gets squished out (and slung out from centrifugal force), there is nothing left to lubricate the splines, and they start to wear against one another.
Moly "grease" is spread on the splines. After assembly, it gets squished/slung out just like regular grease. Unlike regular grease however, the molybdenum disulfide that it contains forms a very strong bond with the metal, and remains after the grease carrier has been lost. This layer of "moly" is what actually does the lubrication, not the grease.
This is why it is important to fully clean the splines with a good solvent when replacing the grease. If contaminated grease remains on the splines, the fresh moly applied will not be able to bond with the metal, and lubrication can be affected.
Oh...and wear gloves when applying Moly grease, and make sure you wash any skin that comes into contact with it. It can be toxic, and is a known carcinogen when its dust is inhaled or ingested.