Tachometer drive gear grease

I adjusted the valve clearance on my '78 Z1R, and I also replaced the seal and o-ring for the tachometer drive.  The FSM says to "apply a small amount of high temperature grease to the tachometer pinion shaft."  

Any recommendations for what type of grease to use?  I'm not sure what type of grease is compatible with engine oil.  Also, I'm not sure if the intent it to just protect the tach gear on startup, with the idea that whatever is applied to the tach gear would be washed away by the engine oil, or if they expect that grease to stay put.  Based on where the shaft seal is, the grease would be exposed to engine oil, so I'm guessing it would be washed out eventually?

My first though was to just use engine oil or assembly lube, like Permatex Ultra Slick.  I have some of that and a few other similar products.  But assembly lube is designed to be washed out, so would not be right if the intent is for the grease to stay put.

Any thoughts or suggestions?


 

Grease helps the oring seal.
Grease helps the seal seal (dry shaft and dry seal can burn and wear rapidly)

Nessism recommend Molykote 111 for assembling and sealing carburetor O-Rings. Not sure about shaft to housing though, it’s kinda thick. Just a suggestion. 

wrote:

Grease helps the oring seal.
Grease helps the seal seal (dry shaft and dry seal can burn and wear rapidly)

Sure, I understand why you want grease there.  The question is what specific kind of grease should go there? 

I have a shelf with at least 20 tubs/tubes of grease, but as far as I know the only one that is designed to end up in the oil pan is assembly lube.  I'm guessing wheel bearing grease or brake grease probably aren't what Kawasaki was thinking of?  I don't know.

Maybe some assembly lube?  It's designed to be compatible with engine oil.  

Molykote is great stuff but it's a silicone grease.  Don't think it's the best mix with engine oil.

Not much in the way of oil flow volume on the pinion shaft.  It just sits there & spins.  Not much load either.

Seeing as how thew pinion gear is cut with a twist, oil will either be directed (sorta) in the direction of the holder's bore (splash) or away from it.  Don't know off the tops of our heads which direction it spins.  Doubt there's enough flow volume to wash out whatever is applied as far as a grease-based lube is concerned.  Nothing in the Z1 White Manual on greasing it, so we always used motor oil on the shaft before inserting it into the holder & let splash handle it from there.

Thought experiment: The fact that there's so much oil escaping from a bad pinion seal when they really let loose indicates there's no oil starvation likely.

On the other hand, perhaps Mama Kaw learned from earlier motors that something more was needed.

Lubricants have advanced far since that manual was written.  Suspect anything other than dry would be OK.

Arcane stuff.  Love it...

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

wrote:

Thought experiment: The fact that there's so much oil escaping from a bad pinion seal when they really let loose indicates there's no oil starvation likely.


 

That was my thought exactly.  Given how much they leak, it's clear that plenty of oil gets into the pinion shaft.

Nothing in the Z1 White Manual on greasing it, so we always used motor oil  
 

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.  I had not thought to check manuals from other years.  The quote I first posted is from the 77-78 KZ1000 A1/A2/D1 manual.  I just checked the kz900 manual, and it says nothing about it, like the white manual.

Then I checked the 1981-83 KZ1000/1100 manual.  It says "apply a small amount of molybdenum-disulfide engine assembly grease to the tachometer pinion shaft"

That's much more specific.  I'm going to use one of the assembly lubes I already have.


 

Anything you use shouldn't be a problem because it's such a tiny amount, probably no more than a few grams, so I would think engine oil contamination is unlikely.  I would probably use Permatex brake caliper grease >> it's high temp, waterproof, stays put, doesn't attract dust & grit, and should be safe for the o-ring.