Oil soaked rear disc/tyre

[Packer]

Checking my '03 1150gs today after a 320 mile run (27,000 miles on road but does include a few jumps and bumps) and find that the rear wheel rim and right tyre wall is smothered in oil. Definitely gear type oil from the smell. It doesn't appear to be coming from the gaiter so I'm assuming that its the large flange seal on the output side of the hub.

There is no detectable movement in the rear wheel when on the centre stand so I am hoping that the bearing is ok. Is it just the seal that needs replacing or are there any other components that should be changed at the same time?

I've tried searching for a repair procedure link without joy. Can anybody point me in the right direction?

 

[Steptoe]

If just replacing the seal, you don't need any procedure help.

Take the rear wheel off, prise out the old seal, replace with a new one.

BUT, when you've removed the old seal, look at the bearing behind the seal, look at all the pins holding the roller cage in place. Check that there isn't any at all missing. Then double check. It's usually a leaking seal thats for first sign of bearing trouble


This is what your looking for - A missing pin from the roller cage.


What happens next. It breaks.



Which then leads onto this

 

[Colban]

www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87214&page=2&highlight=steptoe
Take a close look at this ADV rider thread.Its by Steptoe and it suggests that you need to change the bearing as well as the seal.
Bearing costs about £28 and the seal about a tenner (both fron BWM).

 

[Packer]

That will be a new bearing and seal then!!

Thank you Steptoe (see end of this post) and Colban.

As there had been no trace of oil when I checked the tyres prior ride this leak must have been quite sudden and having read the advrider link I did notice a feeling of roughness through the bike but in diabolical rain I put it down to a rough road surface which I couldn't see due to the amount of water. It would seem though that it was the bearing bidding me farewell. This seems to be confirmed by the fact that the oil in the hub is a) a grey colour and b) slightly low by about 10mm whilst the oil in the gearbox is up to the filler level and looks pristine.

Absolutely no movement apparent in the rear wheel though

Steptoe, I know that you are an independant specialist. Do you do parts mail order? I can go to my local dealer which is only a few miles up the road but I'm happy to give you the business as I appreciate the info.

 

[ELIMINATOR]

Try Sherlocks, or Motobins, or Motoworks. All are BMW specialist parts suppliers.

 

[Packer]

Please sir? How do I re-assemble this?

Glad I bough that bearing as well!

Finest German engineering after 27,000 miles on tarmac. (I know, I feel guilty at not being off road and I will get there eventually).

I can't work out how the bits go together. It surely can't be broken after such a short and easy life!

 

[hodge1150]

rear brg probs

Paranoia is creeping in again, my 1150 has done 62000 now, should I replace the rear bearing as a precautionary measure, or is failure of this bearing unusual. Steptoe saying take a spare bearing and seal with you on trips has me worried, what next, spare gudgeon pins??
So many things to worry about and so little time, still, theres always beer.
Hodge

 

[Colban]

Paranoia is creeping in again, my 1150 has done 62000 now, should I replace the rear bearing as a precautionary measure, or is failure of this bearing unusual. Steptoe saying take a spare bearing and seal with you on trips has me worried, what next, spare gudgeon pins??
So many things to worry about and so little time, still, theres always beer.
Hodge

I'm in a similar position with 53k on the clock.My bearing feels smooth with no play,but this failure isn't uncommon.
Take a good look at the bevel drive oil when you change it along with the engine oil and check it for shiny particles.
Change bearing/seal if any doubt.I believe the later bearings have 17 bigger balls than the earlier 19 balls.
I guess if you have the spares bought and with you,if you dont use them,you can sell them on here.
The bearing number is 61917 C3.If you can find one for below the BWM price of about £28,post it on the board.Ta,col.

 

[Steptoe]

.
Change bearing/seal if any doubt..

Don't change the seal unless it's leaking, especially if your doing it on the road. Believe me you've just as much chance the new seal leaking as the old seal.
And you don't want that on the road if your carrying only one seal. Leave yourself an option.

 

[Sergeant Pluck]

Paranoia is creeping in again, my 1150 has done 62000 now, should I replace the rear bearing as a precautionary measure, or is failure of this bearing unusual.

I'm amazed you got that far without it going! I've started thinking of it as a 'consumable' now, along with tyres, spark plugs etc. Fortunately it's cheap and easy enough to replace to be considered a 'consumable' in my book. I'm on my 3rd now, 51k (and 2nd paralever bearing ). Bike has been used hard though.

Pluck

*Edit* Just re-read that, sorry wasn't trying to fuel your paranoia! If yours if OK then leave it alone I spose

 

[hodge1150]

too late, youve sown the seeds, will order the bearing on Saturday
hodge

 

[Packer]

Don't change the seal unless it's leaking, .

The bits of broken bearing had pushed the seal out of its housing on my bike. The seal also had slices out of it and one of the tension springs had been ripped out of the seal itself.

Still no movement in the back wheel though!

If the bearings fail regularly at short mileages is this possibly of even likely due to the shimming being incorrect? This could result in a lot more end pressure on the bearing which I would not have thought it was suited to. I don't know why they didn't design the hub around a pair of taper rollers with adjustment like cars have. Usually 100,000 miles + without problems.

It may be a helpful check to just dip the hub oil with a white stick or a bit of white cloth occasionally to see if the oil is discoloured grey. See my previous posts above.

 

[Grizzly]

Now Changed Mine TWICE!!

Hi Packer,
I've just recently changed mine for the SECOND time. First time was at 48K with exactly the same mess as yours - ie cage collapsed, bursting through seal but no play in wheel.
This time I was a bit more "tuned-in" to the development of a whine from the bevel box and a slightly rough feel and noise when you spin the wheel on the centre stand, so this time, at 80K, I stripped it down and changed the bearing only - the seal was fine. The bearing cage was ok but the tracks were badly pitted and the bearing would have collapsed soon .
Because of this I would now consider the bearing a "consumable" on the GS and would be tempted to change it at 30K intervals - centainly if a big trip was coming up.
When you do the check on the centre stand once the new bearing is fitted you'll notice/remember how smooth and quiet it is - and store this info in the memory for future checks
The wheel side bearing is only a single row rigid bearing and is not designed to be "pre-loaded" with side thrust by shims - well that's my opinion! -but that's the way it is!! - I'm sure somebody said the same bevel box on other models, ie RT or RS, doesn't suffer the same amount of failures

 

[Packer]

Mine is now back together and smooth.

Instead of heating the new bearing on the exhaust I put it into the kitchen oven cold and then set the tempreature for 270C and left it for 30 mins. It dropped on to the shaft perfectly, no force necessary but it was also a nice blue colour. I'm hoping that was just the oily coating reacting with the heat and steel but does anyone think that I may have overcooked it? If so will that make it more chewy

 

[Steptoe]

Instead of heating the new bearing on the exhaust I put it into the kitchen oven cold and then set the tempreature for 270C and left it for 30 mins.

For fecks sake - heating it on the exhaust is only if your stuck by the side of the road

I use a sandwich toaster for heating up bearings - ideal, it heats both sides, and available from bootsales for peanuts.

 

[hodge1150]

and you can put an egg and beans inside the inner ring of the bearing

hodge

 

[Packer]

Hello Steptoe, do you carry big tyre leavers or something to get the old bearing off? I see on adventure rider that you get it started with a couple of drifts. I used a gear puller but had to grind down the fingers slightly to get behind the bearing after starting it with a couple of good size chisels used as wedges. It was still a fight to get it off, even with the puller.

Also, is it usual to have some corrosion on the shaft inside the outboard lip of the seal?

 

[Steptoe]

Hello Steptoe, do you carry big tyre leavers or something to get the old bearing off? I see on adventure rider that you get it started with a couple of drifts. I used a gear puller but had to grind down the fingers slightly to get behind the bearing after starting it with a couple of good size chisels used as wedges. It was still a fight to get it off, even with the puller.

Also, is it usual to have some corrosion on the shaft inside the outboard lip of the seal?

Proper bearing puller in the workshop.
Two small wedges on the roadside .

Corrosion normal