7 - 2DRIVTROUBLESHOOTINGCAUTION:Too little gear lash is extremely destructiveto the gear teeth. If a test ride followingreassembly indicates this condition, stopriding immediately to minimize gear dam-age.c. A slight “thunk” evident at low speed opera-tion. This noise must be distinguished fromnormal vehicle operation.Diagnosis: Possible broken gear teeth.WARNINGStop riding immediately if broken gearteeth are suspected. This condition couldresult in the shaft drive assembly lockingup, causing loss of control of the vehicleand possible injury to the rider. 2. Check:• drained oilDrained oil shows large amounts of metalparticles → Check the bearing for seizure.NOTE:A small amount of metal particles in the oil isnormal.3. Check:• oil leakage a. Clean the entire vehicle thoroughly, then dryit.b. Apply a leak-localizing compound or drypowder spray to the shaft drive.c. Road test the vehicle for the distance nec-essary to locate the leak.Leakage → Check the component housing,gasket, and/or seal for damage.Damage → Replace the component.NOTE:• An apparent oil leak on a new or nearly newvehicle may be the result of a rust-preventa-tive coating or excessive seal lubrication.• Always clean the vehicle and recheck thesuspected location of an apparent leakage. 7www.midwestmanuals.com
