R1150gs swingarm removal query

[Al-1150]

I've done the reading and feel like Im missing step one. My Clymer manual just says to undo pivot pin but nothing about how the locknut works.
I can make up the 30mm long socket with a cutout for the allen key, but what is the technique? Do I push the allen key and socket together anticlockwise with the same force.
Just a little apprehensive and don't want to cause myself undue hassle.

Also I see that someone previous to me marked up lines on the pivot pun and lock nut (that no longer align) is there a reason for this?

Would just undoing the locknut and then loosening the pivot pin not work the same?

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[Paul G (BHT)]

Slacken the big lock nut first then wind the pin out.

Refitting is slightly more difficult as the pin will need to be held in the right place as the locknut is done up.

 

[Al-1150]

Slacken the big lock nut first then wind the pin out.

Refitting is slightly more difficult as the pin will need to be held in the right place as the locknut is done up.

Thanks Paul this is the detail I'm looking for. How do you hold the pin in the right place while tightening the nut and where is the right place?

I'm guessing that is why the previous owner marked the nut and pin.

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[dub 24]

As Paul says undo the big nut first then back out the pin. Be careful though there could be threadlock on both, if they aren't moving apply heat from a direct flame but be careful not to damage the paint.
On reassembly put in the fixed pin on the right first ,the manual says tighten to 160NM personally on my rebuild I just tightened it up really tight as per Steptoes advice. Go to the left side put in the pin and tighten according to BMW 7NM but Chris Harris and I think the general rule of thumb recommend 11-12NM . Mark a point on the pin and the casing with tippex to make sure it doesn't move when tightening the nut . Hold the pin with the allen key and again tighten the nut up as far as you feel comfortable.

Put tippex on the nut and the casing and do the same on the pin on the other side to give you a reference to make sure they haven't moved. I did the swing arm on my rebuild like this last year and to date when I check the tippex marks they haven't moved.

I see you are on my side of the pond so if you want to chat by phone feel free to PM me your number and I'll help out any way I can.


Folks please feel free to correct anything I may have got wrong or to give better advice

 

[Al-1150]

As Paul says undo the big nut first then back out the pin. Be careful though there could be threadlock on both, if they aren't moving apply heat from a direct flame but be careful not to damage the paint.
On reassembly put in the fixed pin on the right first ,the manual says tighten to 160NM personally on my rebuild I just tightened it up really tight as per Steptoes advice. Go to the left side put in the pin and tighten according to BMW 7NM but Chris Harris and I think the general rule of thumb recommend 11-12NM . Mark a point on the pin and the casing with tippex to make sure it doesn't move when tightening the nut . Hold the pin with the allen key and again tighten the nut up as far as you feel comfortable.

Put tippex on the nut and the casing and do the same on the pin on the other side to give you a reference to make sure they haven't moved. I did the swing arm on my rebuild like this last year and to date when I check the tippex marks they haven't moved.

I see you are on my side of the pond so if you want to chat by phone feel free to PM me your number and I'll help out any way I can.


Folks please feel free to correct anything I may have got wrong or to give better advice

Thanks a million. Just the detail I needed.

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[DrFarkoff]

Are you taking off the Final Drive ??

because if you aren;t you are opening a whole world of hurt

How are you going to get the driveshaft back on ?

That front boot is a ballix at the best of times

Buts its easy enough with the FD off

But If you haven;t taken the FD off before you take the Swingarm off Its really hard to break the FD pivots loose

Also If you are working on the bike and likelyto be Levering with force ??

Put a ratchet strap or tie down strap,but not a bungie between the front wheel and the centre stand to prevent it rocking forward and collapsing the stand

 

[Al-1150]

Are you taking off the Final Drive ??

because if you aren;t you are opening a whole world of hurt

How are you going to get the driveshaft back on ?

That front boot is a ballix at the best of times

Buts its easy enough with the FD off

But If you haven;t taken the FD off before you take the Swingarm off Its really hard to break the FD pivots loose

Also If you are working on the bike and likelyto be Levering with force ??

Put a ratchet strap or tie down strap,but not a bungie between the front wheel and the centre stand to prevent it rocking forward and collapsing the stand

Hey there.
I thought I could take the swingarm off with the final drive still attached and planned to reverse the steps to reassemble. Not that straight forward I guess.

Back story: current bike has a standard GS gearbox, I got offered a reconditioned Adventure gearbox for a good price so thought I'd do it while the tank and subframe etc are all already off.

Yes I have the front wheel secured to the floor and the centre stand secured to front wheel and a tie wrap on the frontbrake, jack under engine, seems secure enough.

Is reinstalling the final drive particularly tricky?

Would it be easier to unistall the gearbox with swing arm and FD attached then transfer to new gearbox off the bike and reinstall.

Hmmm maybe getting cold feet on this. As you say its the putting back together that has me worried.

I'm not a mechanic but have worked on bikes as far as removing and reinstalling an engine before. Only on 3 much smaller bikes though and only 1 of those was a shaftdrive, an R25/3, obviously a far less complex machine.

I was a bit unsure but my mechanic assured me there was very little I could do to screw this up....... but, starting to feel now like there is a lot I can do to screw this up.

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[Al-1150]

This is where I'm at. At this stage I thought I could undo a few bolts slide it off. Replace gearbox and slide it back on again.

Sounded a bit too straight forward

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[Al-1150]

Also can someone confirm that the locknut isn't a reverse thread. That should have been in my poorly drafted initial question.

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[DrFarkoff]

Just undo that brake line loop off the swingarm before you do any more and separate the Speed sensor for the ABS (which isn't there anymore) and coil it up and cable tie it to the caliper mount

Heat the pivot Lock nut and crack it off and see if you can turn the inner (Wheel Side) pivot screw Leave it in for the moment and see if you can slacken off the fixed one on the out side If these are very hard to turn heat them some more Some lunatics throw whole tubes of ThreadLock at them they don;t need that!!!! So heat to maybe 120degress C as a max value and they should unscrew easily It may be corrosion and a lash with ACF50 will help but what I am saying don;t keep horsing away at them! Do as much as you can to protect the threads unless you have a friend with an engineering shop to make you an M26 and M28 thread chaser

Once they are both turning easily slip Take the bolt out of the tie bar in below and then take them out and that is the FD loose

Likely the needles will fall out of your pivot bearings at the FD and the outers will have brinelling from the Needle rollers and You would well to replace them "but" BMW patented the dimensions and they are something like 90 pounds sterling from BM and others for 2 off them
So.... Check out www.nushings.com I like these as the load surfaces is increased from 30 or so 1cm long 1mm wide tapered rollers to the whole length of the paralever pins at half the price!!

The rear part of the driveshaft should separate but some years had a strange clear plastic coating that swells and they lock up, so just pop it off the FD with a couple of taps of a mallet on the lower bit where the tie rod bolted in or a lever of some kind but be careful if you use the Pivot bolt holes to lever through that you do not damage the threads!

That should be the FD free now and set it as near vertical as you can get (So the oil doesn;t run out the breather!)

Do the same at the Gearbox and remove the swingarm. Here there can be another issue as those pins have been in there for a thousand years IF you cannot undo them? Again plenty of heat and do what you can don't but if you use too much force on them? The feckin allen adapter turns in the pin! Nowadays I prefer to Get an air hacksaw and cut between the swingarm and the gearbox innerside its Much easier to remove them with least damage to the box from the inner side Mind you i have a new set of hole saws these days Hmmm

Anyway Do what you can and get the two pins off and If you got the rear bit of the driveshaft off, then slide the swingarm off the propshaft and then unclick the shaft at the gearbox

If the shaft is still in one piece, slide it back and Unclick the shaft from the gearbox and remove it, If the shaft is stuck you should look into some way to get it pulled apart and you could try cleaning the clear coating off and see what the fit is like after if its very loose you will need a replacement

You are nearly there now Undo that fuel pressure rail between the injectors and seal the injectors to stop dust and dirt ingress
There are 2 x 10 mm nuts in the battery tray undo them and prise the battery tray up They may already be broken (age related usually)
Below the battery tray is the main engine earth which loops around that left tray mount and you will only find out about just as you take the weight of the gearbox and its a ballix at that stage So prise it so you get clearance to get the box slipped back
Undo the hydraulic clutch yoke off the gearbox That steel bar should slide out to the right hand side when you slacken the allen bolts that pinch it, and unplug the Gear position indicator and secure the cable "inside" the rear part of the gearbox(up on the left side of the frame by the rear of the alternator)

Its unlikely the clutch pushrod will behave and slide out easy So when you are ready and have all but the top two gearbox bolts undone and that earth cable moved out of the way
Undo the top two and slide the box straight back all the way off the pushrod, don;t let the box hang and try and keep the centre line as straight as you can so you don;t bend or worse break the end off the pushrod

and there you have the pushrod hanging out of the clutch work it loose without breaking it and see if you have 6mm or thereabouts on your clutch plate before you go tearing anything else apart


Soooooo What's "NEXT"???

 

[DrFarkoff]

Also can someone confirm that the locknut isn't a reverse thread. That should have been in my poorly drafted initial question.

all Lefty loosey, Righty tighty on these machines

Anti clockwise to loosen

Clockwise to tighten

 

[Al-1150]

Thanks for all that, super detail.
I'll have a good read later.

Hopefully I won't run into too many gremlins.

Whats next? Put it back together and ride it all going to plan.

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[DrFarkoff]

Hopefully I won't run into too many gremlins.

Hopefully I have pointed out the applicable gremlins

The beauty of what you are doing is that you will have something when you put it back together with Alloy antiseize and NO locktite you will Always be able to get stuff undone

Do you have a good Torque wrench ?? If not now is the time to get a decent one in NM

and a tub of Aluminium antiseize (not Coppaslip Copper grease etc) AND a White Tippex type pen (More on that later )

 

[davegs]

Don't hesitate to take the final drive off these are heavy and as the good doctor says makes it much harder with it attached.