Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: lather on March 05, 2022, 09:23:02 AM
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I am going to install the rear drive from my parts bike and then repair this one at my leisure.
My research indicates there are two oil seals and an o-ring that are usually replaced and also a needle bearing that should be replaced if the seals are replaced.
Will it be obvious which seal has failed or should I replace all?
The service manual section on seal and bearing replacement is poorly illustrated. Has anyone done this? Will it be fairly straight forward when I get the case open?
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Hey Bob,
There are two lip seals in the drive, one large and one small. It is usually the small one that fails, it was the small one on my bike that failed. That said, if you open the drive it is probably best to have both on hand already, and change both as long as you are in there.
The small seal is no problem to remove but the large seal is buried so it is 'blind' in the housing. Take a sheet metal or even a sheet rock screw and drive it into the seal frame near the center. Do not go too deep, it is not necessary. Then pull the screw and the seal free.
Not an awful job but you will be wading elbow deep in some really stinky stuff (Easy Boys!!!) Otherwise a pretty easy job. Best of luck with it!
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Thanks for the help and encouragement Brian. Looking at the service manual is a bit intimidating. Hopefully it will make sense when I open the case. Also, reading threads on the other site (which are not easy to follow) some are saying you need to remove and replace the needle bearing to replace the buried seal. Are you saying the sheet metal screw trice gets around this?
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No, no needle bearing was changed in my go- through. I will take a look at the manual and see if I can find any other seals and what has to be done to get them R&R'd. Been a long, long time since I was in one of those drives and while my memory is like a bear trap, it is getting to be an old, rusty bear trap and not to be trusted. We age like bread and get stale and moldy, not a fine wine.
Just my personal opinion but doing a job like this I would try to replace all seals while in there. This is one of those high labor, low parts cost jobs so what I call 'shotgunning' works best for me (replace all soft, wear parts without regard to how they seem to be).
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I am in agreement with your repair job philosophy as well as your assessment of the aging effect on memory :-[
I appreciate your help. At my age nothing is easy any more.
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you got that right!
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Is that actually a leaking rear/final drive, or is that just spline grease? Mine looks not dissimilar and isn't leaking any fluid.
EDIT: I just looked and I don't have all the spots around the outside of the rim, just the streaky hub.
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Is that actually a leaking rear/final drive, or is that just spline grease? Mine looks not dissimilar and isn't leaking any fluid.
EDIT: I just looked and I don't have all the spots around the outside of the rim, just the streaky hub.
Yes it is a leaking rear drive. I had used some red gear oil last fill. You could see a puddle of the red oil inside the rear drive. I had cleaned the rim off once alreadyy and waht you see is from a 30 mile ride. Way to much for just spline grease. Anyway I swapped in the rear drive from my 09 and all is well now. Wheel is clean after 60 mile ride yesterday.