I'm a fully qualified tosser now.

[robc]

Why? Because 700 miles from home my driveshaft oil seal and possibly bearing on my RT went poof and dumped all of the driveshaft oil on my rear wheel. Scotch mist was getting me wet and it was a Sunday. Best of all I was in the middle of nowhere so I couldn't even go to the pub.

I was 15 miles south of Ullapool and I got recovered to Inverness where there was a BMW dealership and a hotel. They couldn't get parts an do the repair until today so I had to hire a van and drive 660 miles home with the bike in the back. Got home yesterday morning.

A mini adventure but my 5 day Scottish trip got cut in half. Still, that gives me an excuse to go back and do the whole trip again one day.

There were no symptoms prior to the failure other than a slight rear wheel slip on a wet corner 1 mile before we pulled over for a rest stop. It might have been just then when the seal went or it could have been wet, mucky roads.
Even now, there is no play in the rear wheel and the wheel spins with no real grinding noises. There is a bit but I put that down to there being no oil in there.
Anyway, I've got an oil seal and both bearings on order so I'll change the lot when I need to. It's the seal on the hub rather than the input seal (which was replaced in April) as the oil was pouring out of the hub between then hub and brake disk.

The amount of oil that came out in the layby tells me the seal had only just gone. If I didn't pull over to let my mates catch up and put on their waterproofs the story will have been much different. Fast wet corners with oil pouring out onto my rear tyre and/or a seized driveshaft could have ended in much more than a 2 hour wait in the rain for recovery. The recovery vehicle might have been a white one with blue flashing lights instead.

Do I get free ukgser membership next year?

Regards

Rob C

 

[Stewart H]

I have taken to carrying that bearing and seal on my travels, both as a lucky talisman and to minimise grief should the dreaded event occur, that Ullapool road usually sees me making "progress" glad you felt it before things got too drastic. dont know about the free subs though, you were riding an RT and cold sober
Stewart

 

[robc]

Hi Stewart,
I too was "making progress". The day before we were riding on the A712 just north of Gretna Green. That was a terrific road. Very fast, very twisty and very bumpy. The RT's suspension bottomed out a few times. Maybe I bounced too hard too many times.

I should get free subscription because the RT is a GS in disguise But if others don't agree I also have a GS.

So, you carry spares to fix this. Do you also carry the tools? Do you carry the big spanner to remove the pivot bolt and final drive or is it fixable in place?

Regards

Rob C

 

[Stewart H]

Hi Stewart,
I too was "making progress". The day before we were riding on the A712 just north of Gretna Green. That was a terrific road. Very fast, very twisty and very bumpy. The RT's suspension bottomed out a few times. Maybe I bounced too hard too many times.

I should get free subscription because the RT is a GS in disguise But if others don't agree I also have a GS.

So, you carry spares to fix this. Do you also carry the tools? Do you carry the big spanner to remove the pivot bolt and final drive or is it fixable in place?

Regards

Rob C

not quite enough to do the whole job, but from experience theres nothing like taking a vehicle to bits on a campsite to get people offering whatever they have, besides if you are carrying the bits to fix it it will not fail

Stewart

 

[Packer]

So, you carry spares to fix this. Do you also carry the tools? Do you carry the big spanner to remove the pivot bolt and final drive or is it fixable in place?

You do not need to remove the FD. It isn't normally necessary to replace the small bearing either, just the large outer one and the seal. You do need a 6mm Allen wrench which isn't in the GS standard tool kit and suitable leavers or bearing puller.

Mr Steptoe did post a thread on how to fix it at the side of the road including such strokes of genius as heating the new bearing on the exhaust pipe so that it drops into place in one easy action.

Anyone able to find the link to Steppers roadside fix post?

 

[MattW]

You do not need to remove the FD. It isn't normally necessary to replace the small bearing either, just the large outer one and the seal. You do need a 6mm Allen wrench which isn't in the GS standard tool kit and suitable leavers or bearing puller.

Mr Steptoe did post a thread on how to fix it at the side of the road including such strokes of genius as heating the new bearing on the exhaust pipe so that it drops into place in one easy action.

Anyone able to find the link to Steppers roadside fix post?

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87214&page=2

I believe the hex driver you need is a 7mm - not a common size in most sets.

 

[robc]

Perfect. I'll do the road side fix at home but with the addition of a blow torch. Nowt like a bit of practice.

I'm going to replace the small bearing too just for the hell of it whilst I've got the final drive in bits.

Once I've fixed the RT I'll be pulling the GS to bits to check that over too. I've done 34,000 on that (59k in total) so it's due a check. The RT has only done 39k of which I've only done 2k on it.

Cheers

RobC

 

[Packer]

Once I've fixed the RT I'll be pulling the GS to bits to check that over too.

Look in the Font of Wisdom section, Steptoe has posted how to remove the seal and check the bearing without pulling the FD apart.

Having said that, at that mileage you would be as well replacing it anyway. Mine had been changed twice before it got 61,000 miles.

 

[Welshman]

You do not need to remove the FD. It isn't normally necessary to replace the small bearing either, just the large outer one and the seal. You do need a 6mm Allen wrench which isn't in the GS standard tool kit and suitable leavers or bearing puller.

Mr Steptoe did post a thread on how to fix it at the side of the road including such strokes of genius as heating the new bearing on the exhaust pipe so that it drops into place in one easy action.

Anyone able to find the link to Steppers roadside fix post?

I think its a 7mm Allen, if caught early no seal required, and no pullers required just some heat

 

[Grizzly]

Small Bearing Needs Shimming Check

If there's no need to change the small taper bearing then don't bother - as it needs set up with the correct shim washer & the job gets a lot more complicated.
If you only change the large hub side bearing it's simply a replacement using the existing shim washer

Cheers..............Grizzly

 

[Big Al Litch]

Nice holiday!

 

[robc]

The plot thickens.

I'm still in the process of removing and refitting these bearings. Not in a hurry obviously.

Something made me look at the invoices I received with the bike. The previous owner at the end of June this year had both bearings replaced as the big bearing had failed.

3,000 miles later and it fails again.

Shim wise, there is one under the small bearing but not under the big bearing. Speaking to the dealer this morning (the same one who fixed the problem in June and happens to be my local BMW dealer) said there should be a shim under the big bearing too.

I replaced the small bearing last night using the shim that was already fitted but I don't want to fit the big bearing until I know if it needs a shim or not.

Anyone know for sure or does it vary bike to bike?

I'm waiting to hear back from the dealer. I'm going to push them to fix it for me FOC. Properly this time.

Regards

RobC

 

[bristoltriathlonking]

I'd say take it to the dealer (if they are official BMW) and kick up an almighty fuss unless they do it for you!

Whilst I would love to spend hours on my bike, servicing it and caressing it with love, it's just not entirely practical with a full-time job and all that.

People on here are often quick to judge those who don't do all the routine servicing themselves, but i'd happily pay an expert (and I expect them to be an expert) a reasonable amount of money to do the job.

If they mess it up (and within 3,000 miles I'd suggest that's a mess up - either a faulty part or badly fitted) then you're entitled to kick up a fuss.

 

[bristoltriathlonking]

...but at 72,000 miles, my FD has never been replaced and is still going strong!

 

[MattW]

The plot thickens.

I'm still in the process of removing and refitting these bearings. Not in a hurry obviously.

Something made me look at the invoices I received with the bike. The previous owner at the end of June this year had both bearings replaced as the big bearing had failed.

3,000 miles later and it fails again.

Shim wise, there is one under the small bearing but not under the big bearing. Speaking to the dealer this morning (the same one who fixed the problem in June and happens to be my local BMW dealer) said there should be a shim under the big bearing too.

I replaced the small bearing last night using the shim that was already fitted but I don't want to fit the big bearing until I know if it needs a shim or not.

Anyone know for sure or does it vary bike to bike?

I'm waiting to hear back from the dealer. I'm going to push them to fix it for me FOC. Properly this time.

Regards

RobC

In your position, I'd package everything up and send it off to Steptoe or Scriminger. It's obviously not been shimmed correctly from the word go and the techniques and tools required to properly shim up something like this aren't within the abilities of most home mechanics (no disrespect intended). I'm not afraid of spanners and I'll turn my hand to most things but if it were me in your shoes, I'd send it off for expert attention.