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Cruiser Maintenance, Repairs, & Upgrades
Page Two
Kawasaki Vulcan VN750 Final Drive Removal
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Support the bike with the rear tire elevated. I used a small jack to raise
the bike and then put blocks under the rear of the main frame. According to friend and
VN750 mechanic gYpSy of Austin TX, the procedure can be accomplished using the center
stand originally equipped on the bike. I have no center stand on this bike. I have removed both exhaust pipes, but the procedure can be done with only the mufflers removed. |
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Remove the torque link by removing both torque link clips and nuts.
Disconnect the brake adjusting nut, joint & spring. Remove the rear axle key and nut. Support the tire & wheel and remove the rear axle. Slide the rear wheel toward the right to disengage the wheel from the final gear case. Be careful to not allow the brake assembly to fall freely from the wheel (it's not bolted into the wheel). |
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I removed my license plate extension (it's going on another bike anyway) to get the rear wheel out without deflating the tire. If you are doing this on the center stand, deflate the tire and carefully work the tire out of the rear fender by tipping the tire sideways. |
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Remove the left shock absorber. Remove the four mounting nuts joining the
final gear case to the swingarm and remove the final gear case. A spring should come out
with it, resting in a depression in the end of the pinion shaft. Remember, the final gear case is filled with oil, and must be handled in the upright position to keep the oil from running out of the vent hole. |
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The final gear case is removed, exposing the Propeller Shaft Joint (coupling). Note the rust pile on the table. |
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This shot shows the spring on the end of the pinion shaft. |
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This is what my pinion shaft spline looks like after I failed to lubricate it at the regular mileage interval. |
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Here's a look inside of the Propeller Shaft Joint, showing the clip ring
that holds it in place on the Propeller Shaft. I ground a small set of clip ring pliers
down on the bench grinder so they would fit inside of the joint. After removing the clip ring, spacer and Propeller Shaft Joint, I inspected the splines on the drive shaft. They were not damaged, so my problems were confined to the pinion shaft. |
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Now it's time to go find parts. |
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After finding a used Final Drive out of a 1994 VN750, and buying new parts to replace the Propeller Shaft Joint, spacer, clip ring, and both O-rings, the work continued. The most difficult task is replacing the clip ring. Once the ring was in place, I put 17mL of high temp grease inside of the joint. (That's about 3 teaspoons). Be careful not to trap air behind the grease. It will force your grease back out before the pinion shaft O-ring reaches its position. |
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With the Final Drive Assembly mounted, I drained the gearbox
and replaced the gear oil. The rest of the assembly went back in reverse of the tear-down. With the drive shaft lubed, she's good to go another 18,000 miles. ...now...what about that waterpump leak.... |
DISCLAIMER: ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT ARE ONLY SHOWING HOW THE PROCEDURE WAS DONE BY US, AND DOES NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE BEST, PROPER, SAFEST, OR ONLY WAY TO DO SO. NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOSS, DAMAGE OR INJURY IS ASSUMED BY US IN ANY WAY. FOLLOW THESE EXAMPLES AT YOUR OWN RISK.
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