Grease / Lube Question

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IMO, you need to pump enough grease into the U joints to see fresh grease coming out of All four fingers of the U joint. On the larger U joints there should be 2 grease fittings.? They should be greased every 5,000 miles. ?I have seen a coach where the Front U joining went dry and failed dropping the drive shaft.? It did around $20,000 to the underside of the coach.You can tell if the U joints need greasing when you hear a slight roar when going up a grade in the road. ?I had U joint issues with my 2004 Windsor.? Monaco worked on it under warranty.? Monaco changed my 16-10 drive shaft to a 17-10 drive shaft which was on the 2004 Dynasty.? After it was all said and done, the problem ended up being a ride height issue involving the drop angle of the drive shaft.?While under the coach, you need to check if the U joints are in phase or not. ?Chuck B2004 Windsor? On Wed, Dec 4, 2019 at 8:05 AM dandick66@... [Monacoers] wrote:
Well, I squeezed under the coach yesterday and was able to get to all of the grease fittings in the rear.? It was a very tight fit and I had to exhale to slide under the subframe.? I won’t be doing it that way again.? Unfortunately, I have a gravel driveway and no curbs or sidewalks to drive up on.? Which leads me to another question: ?If I drive up on a 2x8 or 2x 12 ramp, is it safe to just drive up the outermost wheels, inner wheels, or both?? What about the tag?? I figure it would only be about 15 minutes total, now that I know where everything is.Getting back to the original problem/question, I was finally able to fill the cavity and saw some grease start to come out on the side near the U joint.? I couldn’t believe how much grease it took.? I used over a tube to do the complete coach.? There’s no way that the place I had it done in February did all of the fittings.? I think they greased the visible fittings that they could easily get to.? I’m not sure of the protocol for the group as to letting folks know which businesses to avoid, so I won’t post the name of the place.? At least now I know that it’s been done right.?Thanks to everyone for the responses.Dan D2012 Diplomat 43DFT?————————————————————————————————I decided to grease my 2012 Diplomat 43DFT today.? I have owned the coach for 2 years and paid to have it lubed in February 2019 (I’m thinking they didn’t do a very good job).? I greased the front end and thought it took more grease than it should have since it hasn’t been that many miles since it was done.? When I got to the rear area I found out that I can’t slide under there very well, so I’ll have to figure out somehow to get the coach chassis up a little bit. ?I was able to get to the rear most universal joint and it took about 10 pumps of grease.? Next, I connected to the slip shaft and pumped at lest 55 shots into it and saw no sign of grease coming out anywhere.? So, my question is: should I just keep pumping grease into it? ?55 pumps is a heck of a lot, so I thought I’d stop there for today.

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Chuck,
I did grease the U joints until I saw grease coming out of the fingers. ?They only took a few pumps. ?The slip shaft is the one that took a bunch, but I finally got it done.
Not sure what you mean about U joints being in phase. ?Are you saying they should be in the same position, front and rear? ?If you’re going to Tampa, maybe you can show me what you mean.
Thanks
Dan D? 2012 Diplomat 43DFT?
On Dec 4, 2019, at 10:23 AM, Joseph Bee jbee99807@... [Monacoers] wrote:
 ?
IMO, you need to pump enough grease into the U joints to see fresh grease coming out of All four fingers of the U joint. On the larger U joints there should be 2 grease fittings.? They should be greased every 5,000 miles. ?
I have seen a coach where the Front U joining went dry and failed dropping the drive shaft.? It did around $20,000 to the underside of the coach.
You can tell if the U joints need greasing when you hear a slight roar when going up a grade in the road.. ?
I had U joint issues with my 2004 Windsor.? Monaco worked on it under warranty.? Monaco changed my 16-10 drive shaft to a 17-10 drive shaft which was on the 2004 Dynasty.? After it was all said and done, the problem ended up being a ride height issue involving the drop angle of the drive shaft.?
While under the coach, you need to check if the U joints are in phase or not. ?
Chuck B 2004 Windsor?
On Wed, Dec 4, 2019 at 8:05 AM dandick66@... [Monacoers] wrote:

Well, I squeezed under the coach yesterday and was able to get to all of the grease fittings in the rear.? It was a very tight fit and I had to exhale to slide under the subframe.? I won’t be doing it that way again.? Unfortunately, I have a gravel driveway and no curbs or sidewalks to drive up on.? Which leads me to another question: ?If I drive up on a 2x8 or 2x 12 ramp, is it safe to just drive up the outermost wheels, inner wheels, or both?? What about the tag?? I figure it would only be about 15 minutes total, now that I know where everything is.
Getting back to the original problem/question, I was finally able to fill the cavity and saw some grease start to come out on the side near the U joint.? I couldn’t believe how much grease it took.? I used over a tube to do the complete coach.? There’s no way that the place I had it done in February did all of the fittings.? I think they greased the visible fittings that they could easily get to.? I’m not sure of the protocol for the group as to letting folks know which businesses to avoid, so I won’t post the name of the place.? At least now I know that it’s been done right.?
Thanks to everyone for the responses.
Dan D 2012 Diplomat 43DFT?
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I decided to grease my 2012 Diplomat 43DFT today.? I have owned the coach for 2 years and paid to have it lubed in February 2019 (I’m thinking they didn’t do a very good job).? I greased the front end and thought it took more grease than it should have since it hasn’t been that many miles since it was done.? When I got to the rear area I found out that I can’t slide under there very well, so I’ll have to figure out somehow to get the coach chassis up a little bit. ?
I was able to get to the rear most universal joint and it took about 10 pumps of grease.? Next, I connected to the slip shaft and pumped at lest 55 shots into it and saw no sign of grease coming out anywhere.? So, my question is: should I just keep pumping grease into it? ?55 pumps is a heck of a lot, so I thought I’d stop there for today.

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The yokes on the drive shaft have to be lined up.? The solid part of each yoke has to face each other.? If you don't have a bad vibration they are most likely in phase.Phil CarrellCarlsbad, NM
On Wednesday, December 4, 2019, 4:14:42 PM MST, daniel dick dandick66@... [Monacoers] wrote:
Chuck,
I did grease the U joints until I saw grease coming out of the fingers. ?They only took a few pumps. ?The slip shaft is the one that took a bunch, but I finally got it done.
Not sure what you mean about U joints being in phase. ?Are you saying they should be in the same position, front and rear? ?If you’re going to Tampa, maybe you can show me what you mean.
Thanks
Dan D? 2012 Diplomat 43DFT? On Dec 4, 2019, at 10:23 AM, Joseph Bee jbee99807@... [Monacoers] wrote:
 ?
IMO, you need to pump enough grease into the U joints to see fresh grease coming out of All four fingers of the U joint. On the larger U joints there should be 2 grease fittings.? They should be greased every 5,000 miles. ?
I have seen a coach where the Front U joining went dry and failed dropping the drive shaft.? It did around $20,000 to the underside of the coach.
You can tell if the U joints need greasing when you hear a slight roar when going up a grade in the road.. ?
I had U joint issues with my 2004 Windsor.? Monaco worked on it under warranty.? Monaco changed my 16-10 drive shaft to a 17-10 drive shaft which was on the 2004 Dynasty.? After it was all said and done, the problem ended up being a ride height issue involving the drop angle of the drive shaft.?
While under the coach, you need to check if the U joints are in phase or not. ?
Chuck B 2004 Windsor?
On Wed, Dec 4, 2019 at 8:05 AM dandick66@... [Monacoers] wrote:

Well, I squeezed under the coach yesterday and was able to get to all of the grease fittings in the rear.? It was a very tight fit and I had to exhale to slide under the subframe.? I won’t be doing it that way again.? Unfortunately, I have a gravel driveway and no curbs or sidewalks to drive up on.? Which leads me to another question: ?If I drive up on a 2x8 or 2x 12 ramp, is it safe to just drive up the outermost wheels, inner wheels, or both?? What about the tag?? I figure it would only be about 15 minutes total, now that I know where everything is.
Getting back to the original problem/question, I was finally able to fill the cavity and saw some grease start to come out on the side near the U joint.? I couldn’t believe how much grease it took.? I used over a tube to do the complete coach.? There’s no way that the place I had it done in February did all of the fittings.? I think they greased the visible fittings that they could easily get to.? I’m not sure of the protocol for the group as to letting folks know which businesses to avoid, so I won’t post the name of the place.? At least now I know that it’s been done right.?
Thanks to everyone for the responses.
Dan D 2012 Diplomat 43DFT?
————————————————————————————————

I decided to grease my 2012 Diplomat 43DFT today.? I have owned the coach for 2 years and paid to have it lubed in February 2019 (I’m thinking they didn’t do a very good job).? I greased the front end and thought it took more grease than it should have since it hasn’t been that many miles since it was done.? When I got to the rear area I found out that I can’t slide under there very well, so I’ll have to figure out somehow to get the coach chassis up a little bit. ?
I was able to get to the rear most universal joint and it took about 10 pumps of grease.? Next, I connected to the slip shaft and pumped at lest 55 shots into it and saw no sign of grease coming out anywhere.? So, my question is: should I just keep pumping grease into it? ?55 pumps is a heck of a lot, so I thought I’d stop there for today.

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Dan: ?Chuck brought up a problem that has plagued many a mid 2000’s Monaco coach owner – Keeping grease in the U-Joints. There are many stories of failuresof these U -Joints over the years. Some had real bad outcomes, like the Diplomat owner who lost his front U joint and the drive shaft destroying his Allison. To make matters worse, shrapnel exited out the back of the coach and hit cars on the freeway behind him. ?I lost a U Joint going up the mountain in Jelico, TN. I limped it into an International truck dealer and the mechanic replaced both U-Joints with a model designed for Semi’s.They are much beefier then the originals. Before that I was having to grease the Monaco joints every 3 -? 4 miles. Since going to the International U joints I am greasing them every 5 – 7 miles and they are holding grease much better. I cannot speak for the newer u-joints but the ones that were used in the mid 2000’s were problematic in that they did not hold grease and constantly needed to be added to. ?I hated climbing under the coach to grease, especially considering it was a tight squeeze for my fat butt. Once under there I had little arm room to pump the grease gun. That 20 v Dewalt grease gun made it much easier and worth the price. My last greasing excursion brought a frightful experience to mind. I was wedged under the coach greasing the U joints while laying on my back when a coral snakeslithered up near my head ( 1 ft away ) to see what I was doing. Knowing I couldn’t jump out of the way I laid perfectly still and watched him slither out towards the dual wheel.I was able to make my great escape then. Lol ?Chris T05 AMB RR8R

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Using both grease fittings on each U joint, I pumped enough grease in them to flush out the old grease.? You would be surprised how much water/moisture collects in them.Chuck B2004 Windsor On Thu, Dec 5, 2019 at 9:20 AM chris@... [Monacoers] wrote:
Dan:?Chuck brought up a problem that has plagued many a mid 2000’s Monaco coach owner – Keeping grease in the U-Joints. There are many stories of failuresof these U -Joints over the years. Some had real bad outcomes, like the Diplomat owner who lost his front U joint and the drive shaft destroying his Allison. To make matters worse, shrapnel exited out the back of the coach and hit cars on the freeway behind him.?I lost a U Joint going up the mountain in Jelico, TN. I limped it into an International truck dealer and the mechanic replaced both U-Joints with a model designed for Semi’s.They are much beefier then the originals. Before that I was having to grease the Monaco joints every 3 -? 4 miles. Since going to the International U joints I am greasing them every 5 – 7 miles and they are holding grease much better. I cannot speak for the newer u-joints but the ones that were used in the mid 2000’s were problematic in that they did not hold grease and constantly needed to be added to.?I hated climbing under the coach to grease, especially considering it was a tight squeeze for my fat butt. Once under there I had little arm room to pump the grease gun. That 20 v Dewalt grease gun made it much easier and worth the price. My last greasing excursion brought a frightful experience to mind. I was wedged under the coach greasing the U joints while laying on my back when a coral snakeslithered up near my head ( 1 ft away ) to see what I was doing. Knowing I couldn’t jump out of the way I laid perfectly still and watched him slither out towards the dual wheel.I was able to make my great escape then. Lol?Chris T05 AMB RR8R

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 Chris,
When I bought the coach 2 years ago I remember the tech at the place I bought it told me they had sent the coach out to have the filters changed and they replaced the U joint - I can’t remember if he said they replaced a joint or joints. ?At the time I thought that was a little strange since it only had 22 thousand miles on it.?
When I greased it the other day, I noticed the U joints didn’t take a lot of grease. ?I honestly can remember how many pumps, but I thin it was 2 or 3. That tells me they are holding the grease well.
?When I crawl back under there to check the U joint phasing, I’ll take a real good look at the joints.
Thanks, Dan
On Dec 5, 2019, at 11:23 AM, chris@... [Monacoers] wrote:
 ?
Dan:
? Chuck brought up a problem that has plagued many a mid 2000’s Monaco coach owner – Keeping grease in the U-Joints. There are many stories of failures of these U -Joints over the years. Some had real bad outcomes, like the Diplomat owner who lost his front U joint and the drive shaft destroying his Allison. To make matters
worse, shrapnel exited out the back of the coach and hit cars on the freeway behind him.
? I lost a U Joint going up the mountain in Jelico, TN. I limped it into an International truck dealer and the mechanic replaced both U-Joints with a model designed for Semi’s. They are much beefier then the originals. Before that I was having to grease the Monaco joints every 3 -? 4 miles. Since going to the International U joints I am greasing them every 5 – 7 miles and they are holding grease much better. I cannot speak for the newer u-joints but the ones that were used in the mid 2000’s were problematic in that they did not hold grease and constantly needed to be added to.
? I hated climbing under the coach to grease, especially considering it was a tight squeeze for my fat butt. Once under there I had little arm room to pump the grease gun. That 20 v Dewalt grease gun made it much easier and worth the price. My last greasing excursion brought a frightful experience to mind. I was wedged under the coach greasing the U joints while laying on my back when a coral snake slithered up near my head ( 1 ft away ) to see what I was doing. Knowing I couldn’t jump out of the way I laid perfectly still and watched him slither out towards the dual wheel. I was able to make my great escape then. Lol
? Chris T 05 AMB RR8R

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Dan, ?When you do crawl back under there make sure there are no Coral snakes or for that matter Cottonmouth and rattlesnakes like we have in Florida! LOL ?Richard S.02 Windsor PBTFlagler Beach FL ?From: Monacoers@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, December 6, 2019 7:27 AMTo: Monacoers@yahoogroups.comSubject: Re: [Monacoers] Re: Grease / Lube Question?  Chris, ?When I bought the coach 2 years ago I remember the tech at the place I bought it told me they had sent the coach out to have the filters changed and they replaced the U joint - I can’t remember if he said they replaced a joint or joints. ?At the time I thought that was a little strange since it only had 22 thousand miles on it.? ?When I greased it the other day, I noticed the U joints didn’t take a lot of grease. ?I honestly can remember how many pumps, but I thin it was 2 or 3. That tells me they are holding the grease well. ??When I crawl back under there to check the U joint phasing, I’ll take a real good look at the joints. ?Thanks,Dan On Dec 5, 2019, at 11:23 AM, chris@... [Monacoers] wrote: ? Dan:?I hated climbing under the coach to grease, especially considering it was a tight squeeze for my fat butt. Once under there I had little arm room to pump the grease gun. That 20 v Dewalt grease gun made it much easier and worth the price. My last greasing excursion brought a frightful experience to mind. I was wedged under the coach greasing the U joints while laying on my back when a coral snake slithered up near my head ( 1 ft away ) to see what I was doing. Knowing I couldn’t jump out of the way I laid perfectly still and watched him slither out towards the dual wheel. I was able to make my great escape then. Lol?Chris T