Clutch replacement howto

[psychodeathbot]

I'm looking for a howto for replacing the clutch on an R1150R and failed to come up with anything so far -does anyone have a link?

Thanks,
-Erik

[Kartooo]

just did mine. 04 r1150rt. used one of them cheap e-bay cd's. take your time,bag and label all bolts. tie the rear frame up and outta the way for plenty of room. find a couple of pics on the net to see what to take apart and leave hanging. bmw get's some where around 9 hrs . i'm not getting paid by the hr so it took me days with lot's of breaks in between. did k100's and a r80lt, this thing is way more complex.replace the clutch slave while your there and grease up that little bearing good. i installed one of Bruno's clutch disc. my input splines were perfect at 27k. found a leak on trans seal, the one in frt of slave. found a leak on pinion seal of diff. brought the trans and diff to a dealer to install, they have some really nice big $$ tools. it's a challenge,enjoy it, don't fight it.


Larry

[psychodeathbot]

Yea, I did the RMS on my old K75 and replaced the gearbox on separate occasions and compared to an oilhead, it's looking easy. Did you use an MC stand or tie down the front end in any way? If I recall, the oilheads are balanced in such a way that just removing the rear wheel is enough to shift the bike's mass to the front.

[Kartooo]

no stand,just a strap between frt wheel and center stand. weight is on the frt wheel already and as you pull rear wheel,diff,swingarm,trans etc. even more weight goes frt. drain that tank,it's heavy unless you have some help. i used a small floor jack for remove/install of the trans. trans is light but awkward. get some loong bolts at the hardware store,cut off the heads for trans guide pins. i used a 3/8 drive 7/16's socket with the clutch rod to center the clutch disc. trans just slipped right in. i was alone but with 2 people you can save time by pulling wheel,diff and swingarm as one unit. i had plenty of time so i just picked away at a very casual pace.

[psychodeathbot]

but with 2 people you can save time by pulling wheel,diff and swingarm as one unit

I like this idea very much, sir. Yea, I've had the tank off several times and guide pins are very helpful indeed.

Thanks,
-Erik

[Kartooo]

3 pages of pics here;

http://affordable-beemers.smugmug.com/B ... 9466_Zp2er

[f4tweet]

Kartoo, Thanks.

[psychodeathbot]

Ditto.

[iowabeakster]

The guide pins aren't just a good idea, they are pretty much required. Make sure they are long enough, or they won't be of any help.

If you pull the whole deal off as a single unit, I hope your helpers listen better than mine did. Afterwards my friend said, "You told us exactly what to do, we just totally failed to do what you said."

Pay attention to the bundles of wires under the battery tray, they are the primary ground for the the electrical system. One would not want to damage any wires in there... it would be a pain to get it back together and then find you have electrical problems.

I put it back on all by myself, which was not that bad.

If your bike has ABS, the removal of the battery tray is more complicated...

[Kartooo]

If your bike has ABS, the removal of the battery tray is more complicated... [/quote]

i have abs and just gave the battery tray a little "nudge" upward to clear the 2 studs between it and the trans...

[iowabeakster]

Yes, that's what I did too. My battery tray took more than a "nudge", that's for sure. I just found it very cumbersome to bend the tray up, and get the bundle of ground wires over the stud, all while pulling off the back half of the bike, while sliding the jack underneath the transmission.

That's when I called in the extra hands (wife and friend)... who ignored my instructions... and both started doing their own thing ...yanking and jerking as hard as they could.

That's when my blood pressure shot through the roof. And I had to scream ,"STOP!!!!"

So maybe my memories of difficulty have more to do with my helpers than the task itself.

[macx]

All above very good info.

I've had my trans out several times, here's a few more tips that I found worked well for me -

First, when I reinstalled it the last time I used blue loctite on the swingarm pivots instead
of red. Marked them so I could see if they ever worked loose. They had not. That saved
quite a bit of time heating to loosen red loctite. Of course, on that one all the "normal disclaimers" apply.

I removed the fuel lines, press regulator & injectors after removing the airbox instead of before.It was much easier to remove after the airbox is out and I felt there was much less chance of damage to the lines rather than trying to wriggle and pull them out while the airbox was still in place as the manual directed. I just popped them out of the slots in the front of the airbox so I could pull the airbox out first.

I cut the shift indicator wire and installed quick disconnects in the wire behind the starter instead of
threading that long wire all the way underneath and thru that mess under the ABS brakes to
reinstall the shift indicator switch and reconnect it. Why doesn't the shift indicator switch
just fit thru the hole in the trans case? That was a major aggravation and was time consuming
the first time.

I removed the 02 sensor and left the wiring connected instead of pulling the wire out and then having to rethread it behind lots of stuff all the way up to the connector in the under-tank area to reinstall it.

My manual said to also disconnect the throttle cables from the throttle bodies. I didn't do that, just
was careful as I raised the back upper frame. The cable outer sheath pulled out of the TB adjusters but no
damage or problem. Just made sure they slipped back into the adjusters when I reassembled. Saved
a bunch of hassle and re-synch'ing the TB's.

Not hurrying at all, and taking three 10 minute breaks, I had it out in under 3 hours.
That was a far cry from - well, I won't even admit how long it took me the first time.
Of course that was following my oem shop manual step by step, referring to it frequently
as well as the online parts fiche to find some of the things the manual talked about. That
was a big help the first time thru as the CD manual I had (got it off ebay quite reasonable
and it was pretty complete for the most part) didn't show some of the little parts or called
them different names so I was able to look in the online parts fiche to find them.

Here's a little gadget that I made up for a clutch alignment tool. I'm a packrat and save all manner
of little goodies. Once in awhile it pays off!

http://s719.photobucket.com/albums/ww20 ... nt%20tool/

Don't even think about ordering a commercial clutch alignment tool aftermarket. I tried and never got it. Unless you shell out the big bucks for the BMW tool.

You can avoid the hassle altogether if you scribe a mark closely around the disc (where you can
access it) before you take the clutch assy apart. Or spray a little dab of spray paint at the edges
of the disc - anything to show where the original sat before you take the clutch apart. When you
put the new clutch in, just align it to the scribe marks or spray paint. Install the bolts JUST tight
enuf to hold everything in place, then lube the trans input splines and carefully wriggle the trans
into place. Another thing that helps the input shaft to clutch alignment is to shift the trans into
6th gear and fasten a vise grips, etc, softened by a rag or something, to the trans output shaft.
That way you can rotate the input shaft bck and forth by rotating the output shaft. That often
helps get the splines lined up even tho the disc is centered OK. Then carefully pull the trans STRAIGHT back so you don't disturb the clutch disc. With the trans removed again, finish installing & tightening the
clutch bolts. You gotta use new bolts, they're "torque to yield" so are only good for one tightening. At least they're not expensive.

Another thing on the clutch - each of the 3 main pieces have a "color mark" on them from the factory. they can be a little hard to find under the dust and dirt. Find them BEFORE you take the clutch apart.
They're supposed to be about 120 degrees apart, or 1/3rd of the way around. You might want to make
some fresh marks with a paint stick or something, matching the pieces together. You have to put them
back together like they come apart so things are properly balanced and don't vibrate.

The first time I pulled the final drive and driveshaft an all that stuff apart. I pulled the tube off the FD
so I could lube the FD input splines, was kind of fun getting that bck togehter. Should be reassembled
so the U joints are phased. I got the rear half of the shaft attached to the FD, then attached the tube
temporarily (later torqued the pivots). Then stood that asembly with the tube open to the top, and using a flashlight got the U joints aligned between the front & rear half of the shafts. Just took a little patience
and a couple tries for the splines to slide together.

Maybe an easier option (I later found out lubing those FD input splines may not be necessary) is to take
the entire tube & FD assembly out together. The only problem then is getting the drive shaft snapped
back onto the trans output shaft. You have to work from underneath which is a pain if you don't have
a lift (I made myself a lift I use with my floor jack after doing the trans thing the first time). I used a big
screwdriver (real big long one) that I stuck in the front U joint after I got everything positioned / hung in position, then holding the handle of the screwdriver pounded on the screwdriver shaft right up by the U joint which popped the front U joint onto the trrans output shaft over that snap ring. Not easy to get at, but probly easier than all the fiddling if you take the driveshaft & tube all apart off the final drive.

First time thru it can be easy to forget how small vac lines & wires are routed - make notes and tag plugs
and ends of lines to help you remember how it all goes back together. Or even take some closeup pics.

Totally possible to do yourself if you have some basic wrenching experience, and take it slow and easy the first time and study it as it comes apart.

http://s719.photobucket.com/albums/ww20 ... 20Removal/

Good luck!

[Kartooo]

yup ,used the blue loctite too and marked with marker like you. how did you find them teeny weenie needles on the paralever. i went with bushings. i did new bolts on the clutch and marked position with white paint. shift indicator and O2 sensor wire routing sucks, like your idea. did white paint on drive shaft while out too to be in phase. why trans out 3 times ?? i had a clutch spline phobia and just had to look at my splines. they were like new and i replaced clutch with with Bruno's. took me days.... next time maybe 6hrs. i think bmw gets 9hrs total.

[macx]

Mine only had about 32k on them and seemed OK. I couldn't detect much, if any,
wobble in them before I took them apart.

I had bought a set of those bushings, but then (it always happens after I buy something)
started seeing posts esp on AdvRider about problem with them wearing out fast.

So decided to stick with the bearings.

Yeah, have had my trans out "more than once" lately - first for the clutch disc.

Then (and this is a long story, try to make it short) being I do nearly all 2 lane 60 mph roads
with this bike, wanted some diff gears. Lower first (I live in hilly area, and for around town),
less spread between 5th and 6th, and most of all a taller 5th for the 60 mph roads.

So bought a used trans advertised as an GS-A. Put it in, same darn thing as the roadster trans
(!!!). THEN finally found out that only some GS-A's had the low Enduro gears, AND found a place
to interpret the codes stamped on the outside upper right of the bellhousing.

Then finally found a real Enduro trans but with a bad input and leaky front seal.
Done a lot of complicated wrenching in my time, so tackled swapping the gearsets. The Enduro
intermed & output shafts went into my roadster trans (that was the trans I thought was supposed
to be an Enduro trans) which was the 3rd time out for the trans in a few months. Just to close
the loop, I then put in a 2.62 FD out of a K1200LT. Still had a lower 1st, and now 5th is perfect for
2 lanes - 50 to 60mph is 3000 to 3600. NO buzzing or lugging. No constant up and down shifting
for hills, slow cars, or with a passenger. Mathematically works to very near identical to the 1200R
gearing. Still have 75 mph at 3800 rpm for the rare times I take that bike on the freeway.
That's fast enuf for an oldster!

So have had my share of practice with this. That trick with the shift indicator wire just works
sooo slick (I wrap the connectors with tape to keep water out), and leaving the sensor hooked up
and just removing it instead also saved a lot of hassle. Also leaving the throttle cables hooked up
saves hassle, and taking the airbox out without taking the fuel lines out first also was much easier.

Like they say, give the hardest job to the laziest man and he'll figure out the easiest way to do it.
That's me! :-)

[psychodeathbot]

So here I am one year later...a very belated thanks for the above information! Long story short, a couple other projects wiped out my plans to replace the clutch and RMS but I'm finally getting around to ordering the parts and going through the fiche at Max BMW. I'm wondering if anyone is able to confirm which parts I need?

Specifically, I'm wondering about the bolts, pressure plate, and spring. The bike only has about 40k and the clutch only slips under heavy acceleration so I'd be surprised if the pressure plate and spring are cracked but I won't know for sure until I get in there, obviously.

http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/ ... d=05012012

Rear main seal 65X85X7 11111341087
Rear main seal 65X83X7 11111341135
Clutch friction plate 21217670454
Clutch inner hex bolts (6) 21212332469
Collar screw 11221341472

Thanks again,
-Erik

[slowtorque]

Best of luck. Keep us posted on what you find.

[slowtorque]

I hope to break mine down this winter, but only have 18k on her right now. I figure I'll manage 25k by year's end and that should be enuf miles to discern whether I have a problem or not.

[psychodeathbot]

According to Drew from Max BMW, the hex bolts are the only parts that should be replaced *every* time the clutch is serviced. Other parts -such as the spring- need only be replaced if damaged or worn.

Clutch inner hex bolts (6) 21212332469

I'll also probably be doing a clutch slave replacement as well. I'll report back when it's done.

-Erik

[psychodeathbot]

Finally got a chance to dive in this evening on the clutch. I've called it a night, but so far the bodywork, tank, pipe, cat, and pegs are off and the battery and Motronic are out. I've hit a snag with the battery tray, though: I'm not sure how to remove it without disconnecting the throttle cables...there's a bowden in a slot underneath the tray. Is that even possible without removing them from the throttle bodies? Is it necessary to remove the battery tray?

[grwrockster]

I did my one and only clutch (so far) on a mate's R1150R over a year ago now.

but with 2 people you can save time by pulling wheel,diff and swingarm as one unit

. I did this - definiteky a good idea - saves loads of time an hassle.

I'd change the pressure plate etc - the whole kit. Its too much faffing around to go back in there for a while so I'd swap em all out. The Slave swap is a good preventive mtce idea - my mates clutch slave failed at 25K miles and the fluid ran down the pushrod and ruined a perfectly good drive plate (and the reason for the tear-down). I'm thin king of swapping out the slave on my 35k miles '04 Rockster in the near future for this reason - if the original is good it'll do as a spare.

To refit the clutch I centred it with a bar out of the tool kit, but then pulled a dodge I learnt when changing the clutch on an old '76 Triumph 2000 car back when I was about 19. Basically I left the pressure plate bolts finger tight to just stop the drive plate from dropping, and then 'wiggled' (technical term ) the gearbox back into place (using it as its own centring tool if you like). Then rather than pull the 'box again and risk things moving, simply do up the pressure plate bolts through the starter motor hole, by rotating the engine to bring each bolt into the starter motor window. (If you put a felt-tip pen mark on each bolt as you do them up then you can make sure you don't miss any).

I'd never done one and it took (being careful and many references to a Haynes Manual) 5 hours to tear-down, and 6 to have it running again. We did have access to a bike lift which saved the knees and the back (a 1st for me) which was nice!

G.