Does this airhead make me an airhead?

[lonelobo]

Hold it down boys

People people people. ATTENTION CLASS!!!!
I'm trying to have a serious thread here and you guys want to make it entertaining. The RENEGADE is a jealous mistress and can haunt you in your dreams if you keep this rowdy behavior up. You've been warned....

Getting ready to post more pics tonight as I tore into the front calipers this morning in my underwear. How they got into my underwear I'll never know.

 

[lonelobo]

Braking the Bank

Yesterday, I gave myself the day off to do a little RENEGADE wrenching when what's that I hear...the music of the gods....a faint putter of little cylinders....why, it's....it's...it's an airhead coming down my fair lane. It's old and black and it's running very nicely. The road at my place is about twenty feet or so up the hill so I yell a non threatening greeting to the fella. He doesn't hear it even a little cause HE'S ON A MOTORCYCLE THAT RUNS!!!!!!!

Time passes and I calm down...there it is again, I hear a faint putt putt putt. But this time it doesn't come any closer. What the hell, I decide to walk down my lane to see what's happening. Not more than 100 yards down the road sits the bike and it's rider in the driveway and you can tell from 50 yards away that this is his first ride on the bike. Has a grin that reaches all the way around his head and he's just chuckling like the baby on Southpark.
Not knowin his firearm status (we can hide em and carryem in this state) I start calling out far enough away that I can dodge quick couple of rounds from a hogleg. He looks up and shuts the bike down. It's a nice 75/6 in pretty good shape.
The gentleman had just returned from the Barber Museum Eventn and had bought the bike there. That house always has BMW cars and the like parked in the drive and garage and I always wondered who lived there.

So, now the RENEGADE has a functional friend in the neighborhood who I hope he/she will emulate soon. Hopefully, a few thousand sessions with a motorcycle psychologist and positive reinforcement with a running motorcycle will rid RENEGADE of all the previous dysfunctional owner's abuse and neglect and a beautiful new butterfly will emerge to tear up the asphalt like a bat outa well then maybe I'll go to the psych too>>>

Anyway......yesterday, there were strangers living in that house down the street but today there are brilliant neighbors with great taste and an airhead. Can't wait to get to know them better. We've already started accounts of who has what BMW specific tools.

Anyway, I ended up changing out the final drive oil in the RENEGADE and it was pretty smelly. I would liken it to the south bound end of a north bound baby with a bad diaper. A few whiffs of milkiness but not as bad as it could have been or as bad as the south bound end of a north bound baby. Then on to the transmission fluid. Not as stinky and pretty clean.

Both drain plugs had what I would consider very fine particles, hardly able to feel it between my fingers. Replaced with synthetic in both the tranny and final. Then I drained the oil that I thought was in good shape. It was much blacker that I expected but again, no major sludge or shrapnel.

A weather front was approaching so I yanked the front calipers off and brought em inside for a little soak in alcohol. A lot of alcohol. It kept getting thicker and thicker and thicker and turned a nasty brown color. Pads acted like they were glued on with Hillbilly snot. I had to beat them off with a Hillbilly snot smasher. One was missing it's spring clip. Both pistons were seized and what was visible was corroded from brake fluid. Time to get out the air compressor to blow out the pucks. By the way, using the compressor is FAST!!! So, now for what you've all been waiting for.....

Corrosion on this one is where the dust seal seats. And on the piston as seen here......

Here's the other side's piston, which has some pitting as well but the caliper is relatively clean.

So from what you can see, do you think these will function with a rebuild kit?

 

[535IS]

Yes.

 

[crazydrummerdude]

Getting ready to post more pics tonight as I tore into the front calipers this morning in my underwear. How they got into my underwear I'll never know.

 

[kstoo]

....I tore into the front calipers this morning in my underwear. How they got into my underwear I'll never know.

Good thing that we're not talking about rear calipers. That would just be gross.




...

 

[skiteach]

I'd polish the pistons, finest grit paper you can find and go for it! I've used worse looking ones with good results.

 

[rvb1019]

Well, what happens next?

 

[AnnapolisAirhead]

...not to state the obvious, but if a fellah's got corrosion on his piston in the underpants, see medical help. Do not pass GO, go directly to the doc.

 

[lonelobo]

Bumpin it

Well, the RENEGADE is getting restless under the tarp, but I've been forced to work to pay for my BMW fix. I took the Master Cylinder down to Boxers by Bruce to be resleeved (stainless) and have him look at the pistons. He said I had better replace them, so I'm looking for pistons now.

He also let me go through his box of old keys in the hope that one would fit my ignition.....but that attempt was fruitless. I did get some color coded wiring I needed from some old harnesses he had. MC will be done in a week or so.

I ordered a pair of Progressive rear shocks with Heavy Duty springs for $200. Got my finned exhaust wrench in the mail last week...it's blue anodized CNC machined aluminum and SEXY!!

I've located an ignition switch and key for $20 and a used ATE Caliper for $40. The rebuild kit for the caliper that includes the piston is $87 from Motobins (ouch).

The pile of parts just gets bigger and bigger since I can't seem to find the time to install them. Now the problem is that it's already January. You know what I mean, with Thanksgiving and Christmas upon us, the next time you look up....it's January. Traditionally, this is when my business falls off and I should have time to work on my bike, work on my kitchen and living room remodel, get my garage/workshop back into shape (including making wall racks/shelving/a tablesaw station and router table and fence, etc all to be used to build my kitchen cabinets) transport my parents around the 2nd largest state in the union for all the holidays, shop for Christmas, start engineering for several failing retaining walls that are threatening my house, install new hardwood flooring in half the house, and hey...no wonder I don't have any time...

I'll post more pix when time permits.

 

[108625]

Good luck with your multiple endeavors, Lonelobo...Remember, the person with the most to do is usually also the person who gets the most done!

 

[lonelobo]

Cheap ATE 40mm Rebuild Kit w/Pistons

Since the RENEGADE is apparently more than willing to suck all the ducats out of my bank and not even grin while doing it, I am finding that SHOPPING IS GOOD. As you may know from my previous post, I am in the need of ATE 40mm pistons. I found a guy willing to sell me a complete caliper for $40 but he wouldn't guarantee the piston was good and wouldn't take it apart to find out. However, he said if it didn't work he would refund my money. Note: I will immediately blow out the piston and ruin all the seals to find out if the piston is good. Then, I would send him back a pile of useless parts if it was no good. My mother would frown on me doing that! Note: raised as a German Lutheran, only to be confirmed by puppets.

I already have rebuild kits for both calipers but not with pistons. These cost $35/ea. The same source (and others based in the US)quotes around $120 ea. for rebuild kits with the pistons.

However, in one of the few anomalies on the internet, I found that Motobins had the same rebuild kit with pistons for $72 US ea. plus shipping. The exchange rate apparently is fluctuating in our favor since my last post where the same part was $87. Thanks Mr. Obama. So I inquired about the shipping costs because I know they can be exorbitant at times. I received a reply that they were out of the original rebuild kits but have a "pattern" kit #23000A that includes stainless pistons that should be more resistant to corrosion in the future. And the best part is....they are CHEAPER, $58US. Shipping is $16. So for around $130 I get 2 better rebuild kits for the price of one here in the good ole US of A. You may accuse me of being unAmerican, but then you all ride bikes from the Fatherland, now don't you?????

 

[James.A]

Consider converting to a drum front end. Crazy simple and nearly as good.

 

[keelerb]

Crazydrummerdude, you gotta watch the Marx Brothers' "Animal Crackers."

 

[lonelobo]

Voodoo Key in Renegade

Ok, this is just too Bizarre not to share. RENEGADE came to me with no key for the ignition switch. There were 3 keys but none of them would turn the ignition. So, for 2 months I have been trying to find a solution while ordering and installing more critical parts. So just to list the liteny:

1) None of the keys that came with the bike would turn the ignition switch though one unlocked the gas cap. Seat lock was unoperational due to the seat configuration. Locks for bags were also MIA. Fork lock key is broken off in fork lock.

2) Removed switch and went through a box of keys at my best Airhead mechanic's shop---none worked in the ignition, nor the extra seat locks that I have.

3) Found someone willing to sell a used ignition switch with working key for $24 delivered. I'm waiting on this as it has been shipped.

Don't ask me why...possibly due to the dreams about voodoo chicken blood dripping out of my ignition lock...possibly due to the extensive internet research on rekeying ignition locks that led me to the end of the internet (yes, there is an end and it's hard to turn around once you get there), or possibly......RENEGADE REVENGE, I decided to see if the 2 Neiman uncut blanks were correct for the lock. So I slid the uncut blank into the lock and accidentally turned it....yowza, it turns the lock! I have no explanation for this. No other lock in my possession would even budge it no matter how I jiggled, pulled, pushed, or Uri Gellered it. But a blank key works.

But it gets even weirder...just for squats and gobbles I decided to retry the other cut keys of multiple previous attempts. HOLY SH&T, one of them works now. And it turns the lock to 2 detent positions as opposed to only the first detent for the blank.

Anyone have an explanation? Or is it VOODOO! I'm going right now to find a live chicken and some dog hair to fix the rest of the bike. This will be WAY easier than all that mechanical mumbo jumbo, and cheaper too!

 

[sumran]

Ok, this is just too Bizarre not to share. RENEGADE came to me with no key for the ignition switch. There were 3 keys but none of them would turn the ignition. So, for 2 months I have been trying to find a solution while ordering and installing more critical parts. So just to list the liteny:

1) None of the keys that came with the bike would turn the ignition switch though one unlocked the gas cap. Seat lock was unoperational due to the seat configuration. Locks for bags were also MIA. Fork lock key is broken off in fork lock.

2) Removed switch and went through a box of keys at my best Airhead mechanic's shop---none worked in the ignition, nor the extra seat locks that I have.

3) Found someone willing to sell a used ignition switch with working key for $24 delivered. I'm waiting on this as it has been shipped.

Don't ask me why...possibly due to the dreams about voodoo chicken blood dripping out of my ignition lock...possibly due to the extensive internet research on rekeying ignition locks that led me to the end of the internet (yes, there is an end and it's hard to turn around once you get there), or possibly......RENEGADE REVENGE, I decided to see if the 2 Neiman uncut blanks were correct for the lock. So I slid the uncut blank into the lock and accidentally turned it....yowza, it turns the lock! I have no explanation for this. No other lock in my possession would even budge it no matter how I jiggled, pulled, pushed, or Uri Gellered it. But a blank key works.

But it gets even weirder...just for squats and gobbles I decided to retry the other cut keys of multiple previous attempts. HOLY SH&T, one of them works now. And it turns the lock to 2 detent positions as opposed to only the first detent for the blank.

Anyone have an explanation? Or is it VOODOO! I'm going right now to find a live chicken and some dog hair to fix the rest of the bike. This will be WAY easier than all that mechanical mumbo jumbo, and cheaper too!

The problem clearly went away without damaging the poultry or shaving the dog, so why apply that solution now? Since you have done thorough research on rekeying, I will assume that you understand the tumbler mechanics(similar to quantum mechanics, but more accessible). Your ignition must have had some sort of crud, which you refer to as hillbilly snot, in at least one one of the tumblers. The blank shoved all the tumblers all the way up and broke it loose. Now the tumbler can move, so it works.

Take the thing apart, clean and lubricate and life will be good. Don't lose the little springs or change the order of the tumblers or you will be buying another one.

 

[crazydrummerdude]

The blank shoved all the tumblers all the way up and broke it loose. Now the tumbler can move, so it works.

I agree.

But it sure is surprising that the switch would move with the blank.

I think I like Renegade.

 

[lonelobo]

Renegade Braces come off

Finally, a day to putter around with RENEGADE and learn the lessons of patience and humor. Started out by removing the carbs and installing and adjusting new floats and float pins. Neither of the bowls actually trap the knurled end of the pin. They've both bin wallered out like a hillbilly's nose. But the pins are captive once the bowls are installed so it shouldn't be much of an issue.

Then it was on to finally changing the oil filter. Used a hand impact wench as they were bloody tight, "Sorry, I've been working with some British producers this weekend". Matco allen socket and WHAM!!! Turned the inside of the Allen head bolt into a perfect circle! ARGGGGGGH. Looked at the tool closely and it is slightly rounded on the corners. So I inverted the allen wrench part and proceeded to whack the other 2 oil filter cover bolts like step children. They both came out well. Back to No. 1 with a giant Craftsman brand (Vise) grip. It's a tough nut to crack so after applying a little heat I grabbed it with the pliers and using all the strength I could muster, extracted the 1st bolt. For once, something worked out on the first...I mean, 2nd try.

So I found all the pieces possible in the area of the $2500 o-ring. Present were the cover gasket, o-ring AND metal shim (to protect the o-ring). Didn't take measurements but that's the way I will put it back together.

You know, sometimes you should take your whim and kick the HEL$ outta it before it takes you somewhere you don't want to go. Kinda like gettin in a cab that smells like liquor. Just for grins I decided to dissect the oil filter to find out what kinda fish were caught in the net. Below is a pic of tiny long sharp metal shards found in the filter's corrugations. Kind of like steel wool bits.

I found nothing like these little shavings in the oil or on the oil plug.

Can someone please pick from the following:
a) Nothing to worry about
b) Probably nothing to worry about
c) With that bike, that's the last of your problems
d) Stand back when starting
e) Always wear stainless chaps when riding

How concerned should I be at this point?

 

[lonelobo]

Braces title finally fulfilled

The whole point of the title of the last post is what I'll cover in this post. If this is too confusing, please refer to the 3rd post from the end of the previous post unless you are reading this post first, then go straight to the last post for all to be cleared up.

After being absolutely humiliated on a previous page of this thread for putting hose clamps on the Renegade's fuel line, I ordered some super sexy see through official yuppie Bing fuel line for RENEGADE. He/She likes to show a little petrol from time to time so it only seemed fitting. FITTING...get it?

Plus it was the perfect time to put the new fuel line on since the carbs were off anyway.

Then, I remembered ordering new throttle cables and this would be the perfect time for their installation as well. Renegade's bridle looks like it had been chewed on in the stall for the better part of a long time.

And then I remembered that I had a new throttle boot cover and this would be the most perfect time to intall it as well.

So, because it was the perfect time x 3 it was an especially perfect time to clean all the crap out of the throttle grip...mechanism...thing.

So here is the gearing of the throttle that the last Hillbilly owner must have twisted like his favorite pig's ear cause at least 4 or 5 splines are twisted sick. I think I have primary hand grip drive failure. Wonder if BMW will acknowledge it?

So I greased it up slicker than the PO's ole lady and put it back together. Feels a little funny...kind of like the PO's ole lady, but I'm hoping it will work or I will get used to it before I hurt someone.



I did eventually get the super sexy see thru fuel line on and I must say...it's not only super sexy, and see thru, but also slim and lithe. I didn't even have to take off the air filter cover to thread it through to the other side. Notice I DID NOT say I didn't take the cover off, only that I didn't HAVE to take it off. After taking off the left side filter box cover and placing the line through the other side of the air filter box and reinstalling the left cover, I realized the line was much thinner than the line it replaced as I found myself with the entire length of line in my hand with just a little pull...after I had put the left side cover on twice...don't ask. "So what does this super sexy see thru slim and lithe fuel line look like" you ask?

Reminds me of the cow at the A&M vet school that had a window pane surgically implanted in it's abdomen so you could actually see cud and other bovine phenomena. Except that the Renegade doesn't chew cud...on the other hand there ARE those metal shavings in the oil filter.....

more to come

 

[sumran]

The shavings are interesting. If the engine was self destructing, I would expect more flakes than strands. The bovine comparison may be more accurate than you think. I suspect something made its way into the engine and was chewed up by the internals. The next oil change may be more instructive than this one, given Renegade's checkered past. In addition to the oil, you will hopefully have some significant riding time and will have the noise and performance data.

The paper gasket is not always used. It will reduce the compression on the O-ring. Take a close look at the shim, O-ring and gasket configuration that was there. Properly installed the old O-ring should have become flat. If it is still round, there is not enough compression.

Your shifter is interesting and does not look like any BMW shifter I have seen. They do make a heel and toe shifter (I have one and like it) but that isn't it. If that one is as flexible as it looks, you may want to keep an eye out for a replacement shifter.

 

[lonelobo]

Shiftless shifter

That's a RENEGADE shifter! Please, someone stop me. I may be going to find RENEGADE a stable mate...