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1996 R100GS Fluid chang.

D

dougfollett

New member
I can't seem to get the hang of doing a simple search. I'm looking for information on changing fluids on a 1996 R100GS so reluctantly I'm posting. I just drained the fluid out of the final drive and now need to fill it. my brother says to fill the final drive until it overflows and put the filler plug back in. Is that the proper technique? And one final question, is there a way to change the fluid on the drive shaft? For some reason I'm thinking there isn't. Thanks
 
Doug -

The built-in search feature is SNAFU for now...hopefully the office will fix it. In the meantime, try the suggestion here:

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?69994-Advanced-Search-Feature

As your late model bike, if I read my Haynes right, your final drive should take 260cc of gear oil...I don't know about the fill it up until it overflows...doesn't sound right to me. :hungover And the manual says no oil in the driveshaft...the bearings are sealed for life.
 
20774 said:
Doug -

The built-in search feature is SNAFU for now...hopefully the office will fix it. In the meantime, try the suggestion here:

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?69994-Advanced-Search-Feature

As your late model bike, if I read my Haynes right, your final drive should take 260cc of gear oil...I don't know about the fill it up until it overflows...doesn't sound right to me. :hungover And the manual says no oil in the driveshaft...the bearings are sealed for life.
Click to expand...

Since I didn't know exactly how much I had put in, I drained and started over. My calculations tell me that 260ccs equals 8.45 ozs. I carefully measured out that amount and added it. There was about a quarter of an oz that ran over. It's full to the top. I sucked out a smidgen with my hypo and then put the filler plug back in. Guess that does it eh?
 
Interesting! I found something on the Airheads archive where Tom Cutter suggests that the factory fill amount of 260cc is too much for the paralever R100R and R100GS. There have been situations where this may have resulted in an oil migration issue into the shaft. He suggested dropping the oil level to about 220cc.
 
ASFAIK you top it up to the filler hole. DITTO for the tranmission oil.

That's the way I have done it for over 20 years with my R100GS.

/Guenther
 
For the final drive, you fill to the BOTTOM of the filler threads, not the top. I have never heard of such proposed foolishness as filling to overflowing.
Transmissions get filled until fluid just begins to ooze out.
All fills/drains done on the c-stand.
 
Last edited:
bikerfish1100 said:
For the final drive, you fill to the BOTTOM of the filler threads, not the top. I have never heard of such proposed foolishness as filling to overflowing.
Transmissions get filled until fluid just begins to ooze out.
All fills/drains done on the c-stand.
Click to expand...

Isn't "filling until it overflows" the same as "to bottom of threads and oozing out?"

Such foolishness!
 
jimmylee said:
Isn't "filling until it overflows" the same as "to bottom of threads and oozing out?"
Click to expand...

I think the issue here is that final drives typically have a vertical hole that you fill, so bottom of the threads is applicable. On the /7 transmissions and on, the fill hole is horizontal, so bottom of the threads in fact is oozing out. However, as was discussed on an earlier thread, /5 transmissions have a more or less vertical fill hole for the transmissions, so bottom of the threads (and NOT oozing out) is the call there.
 
dougfollett said:
My brother says to fill the final drive until it overflows and put the filler plug back in.
Click to expand...

And he is correct. Same goes for the transmission.

And if you put an extra ounce in there or not would not be the end of the world.

This isn't rocket science. And if you are that worried and provided you use non-synthetic gear lube, add Dow Corning M Gear oil additive to the gear oil at 5%. I use it in the transmission and final drive of my airhead and in the final drive of my oilhead. Zilch deposits on my magnets.
 
Alex- any/all manuals I have ever read say to fill to bottom of filler hole of FD, not the top. Where have you read differently? :scratch Given that seals can blow from overfilling, I would avoid that option.

Jimmylee- The OP asked about filling FD. I included info on filling trans as a way of possibly validating his brother's instructions, as I suspect he confused the 2 operations. you don't need to do the same. No, no foolishness on my part. :)
 
bikerfish1100 said:
Alex- any/all manuals I have ever read say to fill to bottom of filler hole of FD, not the top. Given that seals can blow from overfilling, I would avoid that option.
Click to expand...

To the bottom of the filler hole and that is confirmed when gear oil trickles out. I actually fill it a tad more, but that is my choice.

And for a seal to blow out, you would have to block the breather. The only way for pressure to build up is if you do seal the breather and the temperature within the FD increases.
 
Alex- remind me that I do the pouring of the 12 yo Scotch. I've figured out an easy way to fill a shot glass without having a bunch of it end up on the floor. (hint: I stop before it reaches the top.)
 
GUENTHER said:
ASFAIK you top it up to the filler hole. DITTO for the tranmission oil.

That's the way I have done it for over 20 years with my R100GS.

/Guenther
Click to expand...

For the '81-'84 Airheads (to '86 for G/S) this is not correct for the final drive.

These bikes have a separate level check hole on the back side from which oil will flow before you'll see it at the filler hole. Way before.

HOWEVER, I'd advise never using this, as it's a really small plug and the (today) average DIYer will simply strip it. INSTEAD, look in your owners manual and put in the recommended quantity, never removing the check plug. Seems to me in ALL instances, all BMW versions, "correct quantity" is a lot less messy. Can you say "ratio rite?"
 
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