Changing gearbox oil

[stowei]

Hi there. I'm in the process of changing the gearbox oil in my R1150GS and I wonder about the easiest way to do this without making a mess?

In my workshop manula there are two references to setting the gearbox level - the first says just put in one litre, the second says fill it to the lower edge of the filler. I presume that the two amount to more or less the same thing, but can anyone tell me if the 'one litre' method is good enough? The 'lower edge of the filler' method will be messy because I don't have anything more spohisticated than a platic funnel, which it is hard to get to a decent angle because the filler hole is horizontal (unlike the rear bevel drive). With the 'one litre' method I can tip the bike away from vertical and fill the gearbox much more easily.

How do those who do this regularly do it?

Thanks

 

[Bryn]

Drain it.. then take note of the fill amount, put 3/4 of that in then just use the funnel to keep adding a bit until it comes out the top... simple...just keep a clean bit of rag handy to wipe away what runs out.. and make sure the bike is standing on level ground...and there's something on the floor to catch the drips


Its a very easy job...

I used Halfords part synthetic 75W90 GL5 in mine

 

[Sir James]

Level surface and on the centre stand

I used a piece of tube / hose on the end of a funnel and fill to level , any extra will run out so put a cloth down

 

[Sempione]

+1 on the comments above.

Open the filler plug before you drain the oil.

 

[TJ]

Hi there. I'm in the process of changing the gearbox oil in my R1150GS and I wonder about the easiest way to do this without making a mess?

In my workshop manula there are two references to setting the gearbox level - the first says just put in one litre, the second says fill it to the lower edge of the filler. I presume that the two amount to more or less the same thing, but can anyone tell me if the 'one litre' method is good enough? The 'lower edge of the filler' method will be messy because I don't have anything more spohisticated than a platic funnel, which it is hard to get to a decent angle because the filler hole is horizontal (unlike the rear bevel drive). With the 'one litre' method I can tip the bike away from vertical and fill the gearbox much more easily.

How do those who do this regularly do it?

Thanks

Doesn't the bottle of oil have a small tube on it?? The oil I use does and this fit's in to the filler hole nicely no mess.

 

[GhostCav]

Doesn't the bottle of oil have a small tube on it?? The oil I use does and this fit's in to the filler hole nicely no mess.

Yeah same here, easy to do & no mess. Just keep topping it up till it starts to show/run out at the the fill level. Then plug it up. Easy.

 

[pomm001]

as everyone else says:
use the correct oil and DON'T be tempted to use any form of super snake oil additive, there's a good change it will wreck your gearbox

 

[stowei]

Mission accomplished thanks. Yes there was a tube inside the oil bottle but I couldn't for the life of me work out how to attach it without getting even messier than doing without it. In the end I poured in 75cl and then added the next 25 more slowly until it started to drip back.

 

[motobiker]

Not been mentioned. But I feel its sensible to do the FD oil at the same time as the GB. rather than as 'normal' - with every other GB change. same oil.. takes 2 minutes. so why not?

 

[Hay Ewe]

Me, I undo both plugs, and drain the oil, leaning the bike to the right hand side for a while, and then lay him down to get it all out.
Then i pick him up and lay him down on the left hand side. put the drain plug back in and pour 1 liter of oil back in, put the filler plug in and then pick him and to stand on his own two feet

too easy

If the BMW manual says 1 liter, it gets 1 liter,

for the engine, thats slighty different, dotn fill it full other wise it blows out, but thats been covererd on other threads

Hay Ewe

 

[kanhulk13]

also (for next time)...I used a longer piece of aluminium foil just under the drain hole to direct the liquid away from the footpeg and centre stand (same procedure for the rear diff).

Leaving it overnight drained a fair amount of additional fluid from the gearbox and rear differential and oil drain plugs. Let's just say that the oil pan worked under the oil drain, but I shouldn't have used only newspaper under the gearbox...

Now to get the stink of used gearbox oil out of the garage...

and yes, 1 litre of 75W/140 (BMW gave it to me) in the gearbox.
Such that I needed to go out and buy a 2nd litre for the rear differential.

Last night was the spoke check, tonight is brake caliper cleaning