Final Drive or gearbox or both?

[iainhwilson]

Advice needed please!

My 2001 R1150GS has just under 50,000 miles and broke down in France a couple of days ago. The gearchange had been a little clunky through the footrests for a day, but after a petrol fill up I was pushing the bike over to the car park when I noticed a metallic knocking sound from the back of the gearbox area.

I didn't have any other option except to try to ride gently back to UK. However just before Calais, there was a sound of metal breaking up (like a food mixer full of spanners), a complete loss of drive and a leakage of some oil. I was rescued and recovered very efficiently thanks to Carol Nash.

When the wheel is turned now on the stand the bike has a grinding sound at the front of the shaft drive. Some oil can be seen on the gaiter at the front of the shaft behind the gearbox. The oil in the gearbox is clean with no metal fragments visible.

The wheel can be turned when the bike is in neutral or first or second gear with no resistance except for the grinding. The gears do not change above second gear - the lever does not engage further.

I guess the most likely thing is that the shaft drive has failed at the universal joint? But the oil suggests a leak from the gearbox.

Thoughts - I wondered about taking the swing arm off to have a look, but could I tell if the gearbox will also need replaced, which might be uneconomical?

The bike is otherwise in good condition - do people buy non-runners?

Thanks,

Iain

 

[pablo666]

Advice needed please!

My 2001 R1150GS has just under 50,000 miles and broke down in France a couple of days ago. The gearchange had been a little clunky through the footrests for a day, but after a petrol fill up I was pushing the bike over to the car park when I noticed a metallic knocking sound from the back of the gearbox area.

I didn't have any other option except to try to ride gently back to UK. However just before Calais, there was a sound of metal breaking up (like a food mixer full of spanners), a complete loss of drive and a leakage of some oil. I was rescued and recovered very efficiently thanks to Carol Nash.

When the wheel is turned now on the stand the bike has a grinding sound at the front of the shaft drive. Some oil can be seen on the gaiter at the front of the shaft behind the gearbox. The oil in the gearbox is clean with no metal fragments visible.

The wheel can be turned when the bike is in neutral or first or second gear with no resistance except for the grinding. The gears do not change above second gear - the lever does not engage further.

I guess the most likely thing is that the shaft drive has failed at the universal joint? But the oil suggests a leak from the gearbox.

Thoughts - I wondered about taking the swing arm off to have a look, but could I tell if the gearbox will also need replaced, which might be uneconomical?

The bike is otherwise in good condition - do people buy non-runners?

Thanks,

Iain

It's hard to tell from yr description alone. The Gaiter is sealed so where is the oil from? You say on the Gaiter, so has it come from an external source or is it leaking from the Gaiter? To me, it sounds like the UJ has broken up. There could be melted grease weeping from the gaiter. Inside the gaiter, there are seals which might need replacing and leaking oil from the gearbox/FD. Sometimes it is hard to select up through the gears when not moving, so that might mean all or nothing, it's hard to assess from a distance. Yr first job should be to strip the drive shaft and have a look, and yes people do buy non- runners. The joy of these bikes is that they are relatively easy to repair as I have discovered over the last few years. As an amateur spannerman who often gets advice from this forum, I HTH.

 

[iainhwilson]

Gearbox and final drive

Problem was forward universal joint which consumed itself taking with it the gearbox output shaft. So sounds a bit expensive!

Good photos - but not sure how to mount them

Iain

 

[pablo666]

Get a quote from Steptoe (on here)(if you can get bike to London!) and/or check price for SH parts from Motorworks to give you an idea on what this will cost.
Pablo

 

[ilkleyal]

Depending on your aptitude, a 20 hour repair if you strip the gearbox to fix it, much less if you fit a replacement box.

All parts including box and drive shaft are available so you wont have any problems.

Did you wheelie it at all? if not, a previous owner may have done. Kiss of death for a BMW.

Best of luck with the fix

Al

 

[Steptoe]

Problem was forward universal joint which consumed itself taking with it the gearbox output shaft. So sounds a bit expensive!

Good photos - but not sure how to mount them

Iain

I've done a couple of posts/thread about snapped shafts -and snapped shafts taking off the gearbox output - have a search. Plus a thread of a snapped shaft with the end stuck onto the gearbox output shaft, but it didn't snap off.

What the output shaft should look like.



And what it looks like after the splined end has sheared off due to a snapped shaft U/J .



The snapped U/J with the splined end stuck in the end.



And a nice new shaft £££ !!!

[/QUOTE]

 

[Canuck]

I'm around the exeter area... if you want a hand dismantling it and find out what may be wrong give me a bell on zero one six two six, eight three five one seven eight! Depending on what it is we should be able to fix it... unless its the gearbox that needs re-building.

 

[Steptoe]

Depending on what it is we should be able to fix it... unless its the gearbox that needs re-building.

The gearbox needs a new output shaft. Plus a new driveshaft shaft, and i expect the inside of R/H swingarm pivot pin has been mullered by the broken front U/J.

 

[Canuck]

The gearbox needs a new output shaft. Plus a new driveshaft shaft, and i expect the inside of R/H swingarm pivot pin has been mullered by the broken front U/J.

Sounds very fixable... I'll wait to hear from the chap then we can have a chat about how daring he is to try a fix at home... I'll help out as much as possible and we should be able to get it back up and running after a few hours (or more)... and a few quids worth of parts! All depends on how soon he wants it fixed... if its in the next few weeks I won't be able to help and hopefully you might be able to sort the carnage out for him!

 

[zerocool]

I have a contact with a gearbox if you need one!

 

[waterloo700]

Could be worse. If it had been a chain which had snapped it would have ripped your foot clean off. Need more than Carole Nash then!

 

[iainhwilson]

Zerocool,

Any details about the gearbox please?

Thanks

 

[iainhwilson]

Hi Steptoe

What is the cost of parts for this repair please approximately; and also having the job done by yourself?

Thanks!

 

[Grizzly]

Swinging Arm

Once you've inspected things, I've got a spare swinging arm if you need one. All threads etc in perfect condition, no damage etc.

Cheers....... Grizzly

 

[sockpuppet]

Hi Steptoe

What is the cost of parts for this repair please approximately; and also having the job done by yourself?

Thanks!

Steptoes probably done a fair few but he's not just your average spanner monkey!

 

[chad]

Steptoes probably done a fair few but he's not just your average spanner monkey!

very true he is more your spanner funky Gibbon.

 

[zerocool]

Zerocool,

Any details about the gearbox please?

Thanks

PM me and ill send over the details.