Transmission Spline Lube Task

[jhall]

Today, I prepared to lube the 1995 RT's splines tomorrow morning. Got some Dow Corning M77 grease on hand, and found the 27mm socket I'd had trimmed to fit the swing arm lock nuts 35-40 years ago. Will also address the t/o bearing, and maybe install the new cable I have on hand. Hopefully will get up early and git er done.

The Airhead is coming up on 40,000 miles, and spline lube may or may not have ever been done before. Will know more tomorrow.

 

[30807]

I Wil be interested to know what you find I just bought a 1983 rt and don't know what I will find.

 

[stevenrankin]

I is surprising

It is surprising how lubing the splines on a regular basis makes a noticeable difference in clutch actuation.


I Will be interested to know what you find I just bought a 1983 rt and don't know what I will find.

Depending on the mileage of your bike, you can assume the selling dealer when he sold the bike greased the splines. As to the previous owner, well, I would not bet on it. So if I were purchasing an airhead where I didn't have a maintenance log or confirmed lubrication of the splines after the 40K miles mark, or every 30 or 40K mark after purchase, I would make it one of the first things to remedy before putting a lot of miles on.

Every 40K miles is a good time to do it at. If the clutch action seems sticky or slow or funny, doing a lube at lower mileage may make a difference.

Luck is with us there are quite a few fellows who have taken the time to either write down or better yet, video the procedure to share on the internet. It is not a simple job, but not a terrible one either, a good job for a rainy day. St.

 

[r65_steve]

The spline we're talking about here are between the end of the driveshaft and the final drive, right?

I guess I'm not clear on why they need to be lubed....does the shaft move back and forth a bit? I guess this is the only relief in that system? How does this help with the clutch which is at the other end of that system?

I saw someone do this on a new R1200, but I'm not clear on why you'd need to take the swing arm off? He took off the final drive.

I'm sure my Rockster needs this too.

 

[stevenrankin]

R65 Steve

Steve, the spline, we are talking about is the main input shaft spine on the transmission, coupling the engine to the transmission.

As part of the system the clutch plate slides on it so there is where lubrication is needed to allow the clutch to work properly.

Also the cut splines themselves are in need of a bit of lubrication to counter/cushion the stress of the transmission of power distribution (I am not sure I am properly describing things)

On the 84 and older twin shock airheads the final drive has a spline system on the final drive and inside the rear wheel, transmitting power to the rear wheel. This spline system needs to be regularly lubed as well, best time for that is when a rear tire is changed. The grease prevents wear from the forces on the splines due to stop and start and power applied to the rear wheel (again, I am not sure if I am making sense?)

I am not familiar with the final drive configuration of 85 and newer models other than Joe's bike and perhaps your Rockstar eliminated the rear wheel splines in the mono shock configuration and the Paralever system.

Internally the drive shaft on the 84 and older bikes (I am not familiar with 85 and newer). have splines connecting the drive shaft to the final drive. These are inside the drive shaft tube and are lubed by gear oil in the tube.

One of the most overlooked and abused systems on airheads is the main input shaft between the engine and transmission. Not all but a significant number of airhead owners don't make the effort to lubricate this system because while it is not a particularly hard job to do, it is not easy either. The penalty for not doing it is grim, a sticky clutch at the least, a worn transmission input shaft at the worst. I have seen a few of these at my friend's airhead shop.

Like I said, it is a perfect rainy day job, or winter task. Cheers, St.

 

[stevenrankin]

Botheration

Duh, I have done it again, not properly read the question and wrote first.

Sorry R65 Steve, an R1200 and your R1150R Rockstar are much different animals than the R bikes here.

I admit, I know nothing at all about their systems or maintenance. I am stuck in the old days with my airheads. I have never worked on anything newer than my 84.

Now if you still have an R65, well, it is an airhead and while the R65 airheads were a little bit different than their bigger brothers in small ways, they are pretty much the same as their bigger brothers. The spline lube issues would then apply to your R65.

I better get my reading glasses and use them, LOL, Cheers, St.

 

[r65_steve]

Thanks Steve.

I really need to change my login name. The R65 is long gone, but I have a newish to me R100. I didn't think of the lubing of the clutch spline. Your post makes sense. I will be getting some new tires for the R100 this weekend....I'm not gonna do it, but I'll ask the guy to check on that while we're in there.

Yup, R1200 I think has a wet clutch (I think) and is a different animal from even my R1150/Rockster. If the Rockster needs the clutch splines lubed that'd not happening soon, cause that *IS* a lot of work! The splines in the final drive I'm capable of doing.

 

[stevenrankin]

R 65

Hey glad to help.

My friend has an airhead shop as a retirement kind of thing and he did a replacement clutch on a R1100 one time, whew, what a nightmare! The newer bikes are a handful to work on, and one reason why I have never owned or worked on anything newer than my 84.

Just for your own information, I would make a point to look up requires maintenance for your R1200, I could be very wrong but I don't think they have a wet clutch, they have hydraulic actuation but not a wet system. You may find there is a requirement for transmission input shaft lubrication after all.

Check in with the guys and gals in the R1200 forum, they will be happy to help you out.

As for the R100, yep, input shaft has to be lubed on a regular basis. If you have a mono spring bike, (85 to 95 or a GS) there is no rear wheel splines from the final drive to the wheel. One less thing to worry about and one thing BMW made easier. Cheers, St.

 

[r65_steve]

Just for your own information, I would make a point to look up requires maintenance for your R1200, I could be very wrong but I don't think they have a wet clutch, they have hydraulic actuation but not a wet system. You may find there is a requirement for transmission input shaft lubrication after all.

Check in with the guys and gals in the R1200 forum, they will be happy to help you out.

I don't have the R1200, I just watched a guy work on one.

As for the R100, yep, input shaft has to be lubed on a regular basis. .

Well after plugging all the other leaks, I seem to have a new one. Little drops of fresh oil. I think it might be coming from the RMS. So, a lube of the splines would be a perfect compliment to that.

 

[jhall]

Task Done; Excellent Results

I did the job yesterday in about 4 hours but, if doing another today, it would probably only take two hours. Also replaced the clutch cable, cleaned and lubed all pivot points, and serviced the t/o bearing. Over the last 15,000 miles clutch feel and shifting had became less smooth, especially noticeable when letting the clutch out, and when downshifting to 3rd and 2nd. Once in awhile I'd need to lightly crack the throttle while holding light pressure down on the shifter - and that isn't always convenient, i.e. sometimes when I just need to 'grab' lower gears in the twisties. Earlier, I'd switched to RedLine synthetic oil, which improved downshifting, but did not entirely eliminate it. Yesterday, after the job, I test rode over 50 miles on KY backroads; clutch lever and shifter are both now consistently smooth as silk.

This 1995 Airhead is nearing 40,000 miles, and I bought it six months ago it at 25,000. Yesterday, I found no evidence of prior greasing of the splines, and pretty sure it still had the original clutch cable. The splines were clean, but dry, with no shiny spots or other signs of wear. Also, no grease was present, backed up against the transmission end of the shaft, as woulda been if greased prior.

It's been 15-20 years since I last did this job on an Airhead, so I first reviewed a few how-to articles on line. My only disagreements with those articles: no need to remove the gas tank, and it's best leave the transmission in neutral, instead of 5th gear. In neutral, I was able to rotate the input shaft a few teeth at a time, with a small pick. That way I could do a neater job of cleaning and lubing the splines, and see the results better.

I also installed long studs in the two top mount bolt holes, to keep the shaft in better alignment. As for the plastic t/o bearing carrier, I read several complaints about it being plastic, but it is just a bearing CARRIER; as such, it carries no load, and only keeps the bearing centered in the large bore. Kinda hard to imagine problems with it, other than possibly gumming up. I cleaned the carrier and bore, and applied a light coat of oil to both. I also added a few drops of oil to the bearing.

The mono shock Airhead was a bit more PITA in accessing the t/o bearing and related parts, due to the swing arm crossmember being 'fatter' and the exhaust collector's presence.

I am very pleased with the outcome of this job, and will probably do it again in another 30,000 miles, Good Lord Willing.

 

[stevenrankin]

Well

Well, Steve, you won't be the first person to have a rear main seal go. Take a look on line for videos at Brook Ream's web https://brook.reams.me or Anton Largidair's, http://www.largiader.com(forgive the spelling). Brook has very good vids.

If you do decide to change the rear main seal I strongly recommend buying the proper tool for the job. The biggest pain of installing the new seal is getting it in straight and to the right depth with out damaging it. https://www.boxer2valve.com/rear-crankshaft-seal-installing-tool.html

BMW dealers have a tool for the job but I think it is NLA and was very expensive. The tool I give the Link for is not perfect as the BMW tool but better than nothing and believe me, you don't want to get the seal in wrong or damage it, that makes for a bad day.

You should be able to do the whole job in a day. While you are doing the rear main seal it would be a good idea to change the 0-ring on the oil pump as well. While they don't fail as often as the RMS, it doesn't take much longer to put a new one in and not have to worry.


Joe, You are sure putting the miles on, man, I wish I had the weather and health to do the same. My RT is still on the lift waiting for the painted parts to get done. Painters move at their own pace I have been told. I have the RS to ride but new heath issues kind of keep me off of it. Thank God I have my 335 Convertible, not the same as a bike but better than a cage car.

Cheers, St.

 

[PAS]

As for the plastic t/o bearing carrier, I read several complaints about it being plastic, but it is just a bearing CARRIER; as such, it carries no load, and only keeps the bearing centered in the large bore. Kinda hard to imagine problems with it, other than possibly gumming up. I cleaned the carrier and bore, and applied a light coat of oil to both. I also added a few drops of oil to the bearing.

The problem is that the carrier has been known to swell up from heat and it doesnt want to move. A solution was to sand it slightly to reduce the diameter.

 

[r65_steve]

Well, Steve, you won't be the first person to have a rear main seal go. Take a look on line for videos at Brook Ream's web https://brook.reams.me or Anton Largidair's, http://www.largiader.com(forgive the spelling). Brook has very good vids.

If you do decide to change the rear main seal I strongly recommend buying the proper tool for the job. The biggest pain of installing the new seal is getting it in straight and to the right depth with out damaging it. https://www.boxer2valve.com/rear-crankshaft-seal-installing-tool.html

BMW dealers have a tool for the job but I think it is NLA and was very expensive. The tool I give the Link for is not perfect as the BMW tool but better than nothing and believe me, you don't want to get the seal in wrong or damage it, that makes for a bad day.

You should be able to do the whole job in a day. While you are doing the rear main seal it would be a good idea to change the 0-ring on the oil pump as well. While they don't fail as often as the RMS, it doesn't take much longer to put a new one in and not have to worry.


Joe, You are sure putting the miles on, man, I wish I had the weather and health to do the same. My RT is still on the lift waiting for the painted parts to get done. Painters move at their own pace I have been told. I have the RS to ride but new heath issues kind of keep me off of it. Thank God I have my 335 Convertible, not the same as a bike but better than a cage car.

Cheers, St.

Oh yeah, I have done the RMS on the R65 years ago. And my 944 and my old 911. Anytime you're close to it, do it!
I think the R65 leaked from the factory for the amount of mess it made.

 

[jhall]

Mission Creep

Oh yeah, I have done the RMS on the R65 years ago. And my 944 and my old 911. Anytime you're close to it, do it!
I think the R65 leaked from the factory for the amount of mess it made.

I rode a 1978 R100/7 for about 11 years and 140,000 miles, and never replaced the RMS. Still, I am not against replacing it in interest of prevention, but in lubing the splines yesterday, I was not 'close to it' anyway. Besides, I am prone to mission creep, so was also mindful of that. IMHO, this ain't the time of year to be tying the Airhead up with unnecessary maintenance tasks. LOL

 

[r65_steve]

I rode a 1978 R100/7 for about 11 years and 140,000 miles, and never replaced the RMS. Still, I am not against replacing the RMS in interest of prevention, but in lubing the splines yesterday, I was not 'close to it' anyway. Besides, I tend to become a victim of mission creep, so was also mindful of that. IMHO, this ain't the time of year to be tying the Airhead up with unnecessary maintenance tasks. LOL

Nope, not at all!!
Getting new tires on Saturday so I can finally put some miles on mine.

 

[jhall]

Seizing Opportunity To Ride

Joe, You are sure putting the miles on, man, I wish I had the weather and health to do the same. My RT is still on the lift waiting for the painted parts to get done. Painters move at their own pace I have been told. I have the RS to ride but new heath issues kind of keep me off of it. Thank God I have my 335 Convertible, not the same as a bike but better than a cage car.

Cheers, St.

Steven, at 68 years old I do not take health, or even tomorrow, for granted, so seize every opportunity to do the things I love. Also, often have to work around obstacles like the weather. Yesterday's 50+ mile test ride was in light rain. Today it's raining heavier, so gonna wait till the afternoon when it's forecasted to lighten up. I feel lucky with health, but know it could change overnight. Only problem of recent is my right hand swells and aches, due to the Airhead's throttle and vibration. I installed light return springs, and a Grip Puppy on the throttle side, along with a wrist rest. But it's still a problem, probably because I broke several bones in the right hand yester-decade (kickbxed till I was 40). Not complaining, but have postponed selling the GoldWing; it has cruise control, and NO handlebar vibration, so there may come a time when it is the only motorcycle I can ride.

Sounds like we both agree, growing old is not for wimps. LOL

 

[stevenrankin]

Main seals

The BMW rear main seals are kind of a funny item. I recall BMW redesigned them at one point in time, not sure of the years involved. I have seen guys ride a long time and many miles without changing one. At the same token, I was privy to changing my first one on my 83 R80RT at 50K miles. Subsequent ones have lasted longer.

Steve, the mess you see from the dripping oil is not a sign the seal has been leaking for a long time, it could just be it is leaking badly and has built up. Joe, I take it you didn't completely remove the transmission when you did your splines, only "cracked" it open. The best way to lube them and I have done this myself.

The only time I have gone full blown and removed the transmission and all the bits has been when I get the drips from the seal leaking or, during one of my two major overhauls.

Cheers, St.

 

[pglaves]

Joe, I take it you didn't completely remove the transmission when you did your splines, only "cracked" it open. The best way to lube them and I have done this myself.

The only time I have gone full blown and removed the transmission and all the bits has been when I get the drips from the seal leaking or, during one of my two major overhauls.

Cheers, St.

Years ago, when BMW specified Airhead spline lubes to be performed once a year, the issue of transmission removal vs just sliding the transmission rearward was hotly debated. The debate centered around the ability to clean both the input shaft and the clutch hub splines to remove any abrasive bits of metal from prior wear stuck in the dried lubricant. This was in the era when BMW was changing its lubricant recommendation from anti-seize to assembly lube to BMW #14 red grease (Texaco Starplex).

I was of the opinion that removing the transmission and cleaning the splines of all old grease and debris was worth the effort. Others felt that slathering on new grease was good enough. In hindsight it is now my opinion that "it depends" on what the situation is that is found when the splines are exposed.

p.s. That BMW red grease was the poorest spline lubricant possible. It had virtually no tolerance for heat. It would melt and drip out of the cartridge grease gun sitting on a shelf in a garage. It was easy to remove from the splines though because it had all melted and run down to the bottom of the bell housing, leaving traces on the clutch disk.

 

[stevenrankin]

Yes

Paul, you make a great point and thanks for the information on BMW's procedures. I will add it to the brain box and hopefully not forget it.

Obviously, I would hope that if someone took the time and just cracked the transmission to lube the splines, they would also check them as well. While it does make it harder to do so, for most of us who properly maintain our bikes we really should't have any major surprises when cracking.

In the case of buying a used bike or rough handling, I would strongly advise taking the transmission completely out and giving the splines a good looking over. Or, if like me, where I have put a lot of miles on the bike, I pulled the transmission out for two major overhaul jobs.

I don't remember the red grease era, I do remember the grease they used in the steering head bearings would solidify and did have to pull things apart to address that before my 50K mark. St.