Changing timing chest cover

[Buckingham]

Due to the start of corrosion on my front cover, I decided to fit a new cover and seal.
Borrowed the seal tools from the BMW Club tool-hire scheme.

I wasn't expecting to find rust on the crankshaft sprocket where it sticks through into the alternator belt area.
The sealing surface was undamaged, but clearly I needed to push the new seal over the rusty part of the shaft with the risk of damaging the seal lips.

Anyway, I cleaned up the shaft with a Dremel wire brush, after covering up exposed parts.

Seems to have worked ok.

Is this a common problem - my bike has had a easy life, so others must be worse ?

Before & after pix:

 

[beaver]

where did the missing teeth go (or are they all like this?)

 

[mikeyboy]

where did the missing teeth go (or are they all like this?)

Tis supposed to be like that

 

[beaver]

Tis supposed to be like that

ok... what for?... balancing?

 

[Bendy toy]

My timing cover corroded badly under the plastic belt cover. The shaft was ok but the alloy was a mess. Nothing to do with stone chips or neglect as it’s hidden away.
The top of my engine was also a mess that I put down to a brake fluid spill before I owned the bike.
That spill could not have got into the timing cover so looks like I got unlucky in the paint department.

BTW suggest you rub some copper grease over the exposed shaft to keep corrosion at bay.

 

[Buckingham]

BTW suggest you rub some copper grease over the exposed shaft to keep corrosion at bay.

Sure I need to try to protect it, but I'm not sure copper grease or anything else is going to stay on a shaft spinning at engine speed........

 

[Bendy toy]

Sure I need to try to protect it, but I'm not sure copper grease or anything else is going to stay on a shaft spinning at engine speed........

A light smear will be fine. It’s used on clutch splines without throwing off.

Use the same stuff on the cover screws all the way up to the heads. It stops corrosion between the dissimilar metals.