Final drive plastic cover - how to remove?

[dbambi]

Hi everybody - this is my first post here so please be gentle

Have just completed a long (5000mls) European trip and the bike (2005 1200GS) is showing signs of some wear and tear. The most serious one is the oil leak from the final drive and it requires an urgent RHS seal replacement. I've got (I think) everything needed for the job but before I've even begun I hit the wall - how to remove the plastic cover on the FD RHS? I mean, it can be done by simply pushing a suitable small and flat screwdriver between the cover and the white metal around it, but the metal is so soft that this would leave very ugly marks on it. Checked many threads (some of them excellent!) on this forum explaining how to change the seal or completely rebuild the FD but apparently nobody bothered to describe this little detail. So, any help will be warmly appreciated...




Regards...

 

[RickG]

As you say, just poke a small screwdriver in the gap between the outer edge of the plastic and the casing and lever it out, it's not held in very tightly. Take it easy and you won't damage the casing

 

[Fanum]

The seal's dead anyway, so sacrifice it....a short but fat self tapper, then use pliers on the head of the screw

 

[Timolgra]

Or slide a fine allen key down the side of the seal, turn it with your pliars and pull the seal out.

 

[dbambi]

The seal's dead anyway, so sacrifice it....a short but fat self tapper, then use pliers on the head of the screw

Seal removal should not pose a problem (taper trick is definitely the best approach) - the problem here lies one layer above the seal - how to remove the plastic cover (the one visible from the outside) without damaging or excessively scratching white metal around it...



Regards..

 

[Timolgra]

Seal removal should not pose a problem (taper trick is definitely the best approach) - the problem here lies one layer above the seal - how to remove the plastic cover (the one visible from the outside) without damaging or excessively scratching white metal around it...



Regards..

tap it round to turn it

 

[Spout]

without damaging or excessively scratching white metal around it...
..

A (strategically placed) rag.

 

[Bear]

Prise the cover out with a 1/4 inch screwdriver between the it and the axle. Prise the locking ring out with a 1/8 inch screwdriver, then you can get at the seal. If you look at the new seal you will see where the steel outer finishes. I cut some of the old seal away to expose the steel backing then levered it out with the 1/4 inch screwdriver. Use the old seal to tap the new one into place. The whole job takes about three minutes the second time you do it. In my case neither new seal did any good as the axle was worn where the seal runs on it, which is not a problem anyone else here has reported as far as I know. Look in the stickies for details of how to replace the FD oil, which is well worth doing.