THE CARDAN SHAFT

REMOVAL AND REPLACING THE CARDAN SHAFT

   Because of the rubber seal ring in the cardan shaft, it is pretty easy to remove from the cardan joint yoke.  First of all you must screw out the cardan shaft cap, which is a L.H. thread.  Pull the cotter pin from the wedge, and remove the nut and washer.  Gently tap out the wedge pin using a small drift pin, or plastic hammer being sure not to damage the threads.  Remove the cardan joint from the pinion hub.  If it is tight it’s all right to tap it out with the plastic mallet or a small brass hammer.  You have just removed the cardan shaft and joint.  Wash and inspect the joint and hub for signs of wear and damage.  If there is no wear or damage you can return the cardan joint and shaft to the motorcycle in the reverse order as described above.  Don’t forget to tighten up the double row radial thrust bearing using the wedge, and replace the cotter pin with a new one.  This is the bearing that supports the cardan joint splined yoke pinion.

   There is a slot in the pinion hub which is sloped towards its axis.  The boss on the splined yoke of the pinion hub has an opening which should be aligned with the side of the slot edge which comes close to the hub face.  Insert the wedge pin from the side of the boss which has the bevel directed towards the joint.  If your set of spacers which fit between the bearing and the splined yoke are properly fitted, the wedged bolt head will come flush with the yoke boss when you have properly tightened the nut. 

THE CARDAN JOINT

If your cardan joint is damaged or worn, it can be disassembled and repaired.  First you remove the joint bearing lock ring.  If you have a hand press, place the cardan shaft under the hand press and press one of the needle bearings deeper in.  This will press out the other needle bearing on the opposite side by passing through the cardan spider.  If you don’t have a hand press you can do this with a hammer and drift but you must be very careful not to do any damage, or allow any lateral shift. 

   Clamp the bearing that is now sticking out of the yoke in a vice, and remove the bearing.  Turn the joint and press the other bearing out of the yoke, through the spider.  Remove the races and rubber seal rings from the spider beams and remove the cardan shaft yoke from the spider.

   Observing the same order, press the needle bearings off the cardan shaft splined yoke, remove the races and seal rings, and detach the cardan shaft spider.  Clean all parts thoroughly and inspect the parts replacing any worn or damaged parts.

RE-ASSEMBLING THE CARDAN JOINT

    When you have completed the above and are ready to re-assemble the cardan joint, take all of your parts and lay them out on a clean rag on your work bench.  Do an inventory to be sure that all of your parts are there.  First of all you will need to re-assemble your needle bearings, so get out your eyeglasses if you need them.  Coat the needle bearings and inner race surfaces with a fine coating of synthetic bearing grease and repack the bearings into their races.  Fit the cardan shaft spider assembled with the oiler (grease nipple) in the cardan shaft yoke making sure that the oiler is facing in the proper direction.

   Fit the rubber seal rings and races on the spider beams inserted into their relevant places to cover up the seal rings.  You are now ready to press the needle bearings into place.  When you insert the spider beam be careful that the beam does not misalign the needle bearings in the bearing race and, that the race does not get pressed in too deeply, which will prevent the lock ring from being properly fitted.  If this happens, the spider beam will bind, and the bearings will not work.  Next you set the lock rings, then set the cardan shaft yoke on the other pair of the cardan shaft spider beams so that the oiler faces the recess allowing access to the oiler with a grease gun.  Observe the same order to fit in the seal rings and races, and then press in the next set of bearings and set the final pair of lock rings.   

   You are now ready to mount the cardan shaft and joint back into the motorcycle.