Final Drive Oil Level

[globalrider]

Gone are the days where one would fill the transmission and final drive till the oil dribbled out of the fill hole. So much for progress; just look at cars that no longer have a dipstick. Heaven forbid if a driver got their hands dirty or got dirt under their finger nails.

My R1200 GSA LC takes 180 ml on a refill or 200 ml on a dry rebuild. Getting the correct quantity for a fill was not as easy or as fast as it once was.

So I took a 125 ml NALGENE wash bottle and filled it to the 100 ml line using alcohol that I measured with a glass graduated cylinder and marked it off. (top of the 100 ML label)

Two fills gives me 200 ml maximum and since I let it drip for a long time out of the drain hole, I am not worried that I am not at 180 ml exactly. Besides there is usually 5 ml left in the wash bottle and its not like the final drive will blow up.

 

[105258]

How much rear drive oil

You maybe overthinking this. A fill is 180 mils. Bemerboneyard sells a graduated squeeze bottle that you can fill to 180 mils and squeeze into the rear drive. Done and dusted.

 

[globalrider]

You maybe overthinking this. A fill is 180 mils.

Not really as I know what the specs are. And gear oil is thick, so you can never get it all out of a squeeze bottle. I happen to have squeeze bottles already, so I used them.

 

[stooie]

My preference is to use a 200 ml syringe. This eliminates the guesswork of how much oil is left in a squeeze bottle.

The syringes are inexpensive which is a good thing as the plunger rubber is not compatible with the final drive oil. The syringe must thus be discarded after each use.

 

[BC1100S]

My preference is to use a 200 ml syringe.

Great ideas, all.

 

[globalrider]

My preference is to use a 200 ml syringe. This eliminates the guesswork of how much oil is left in a squeeze bottle.

I could not remember what I used the last time, so I used the wash bottle. I also used alcohol in the glass graduated cylinder so that it all flows out into the wash bottle without leaving a drop for an accurate measurement. Then of course, I let the wash bottle fully dry.

Also good point on what might be left in the wash bottle, although it was about 1/8 of an inch (1/21 x 200), so nothing really. Actually less than 10 ml since the center of the bottle bottom bows inwards. Like I said, this isn't rocket science.

The syringes are inexpensive which is a good thing as the plunger rubber is not compatible with the final drive oil. The syringe must thus be discarded after each use.

And after I did the job, I scanned through all my tool boxes and found some of different capacities.

 

[gregu]

I too use a syringe...gets all in at once. They do make all polyelastomer (plastic) syringes that are not altered in contact with oil/gas. If you only want to buy one.

Allow me to hijack the thread slightly. My 2020 R1250RT calls for 70w-80 G3. My previous 2007 beemer was just fine with Castrol full synthetic 75w-90 G5 and I note the same type of lube being used in the previous thread/photo.

Does anyone know the law on final drive fluid for the 1250's?

 

[gregu]

Adventure Rider website says 75w-90 is perfectly ok in the 1250's as there was no change from 1200's to 1250's. So I'm good to go.

Just to confuse the issue more from AR...
SAE J306, which is the standard for gear lubricants, had been revised in February 2019 and it tightened some of the broad windows of kinematic viscosity. That is why BMW adopted the new limits.

 

[stooie]

I too use a syringe...gets all in at once. They do make all polyelastomer (plastic) syringes that are not altered in contact with oil/gas. If you only want to buy one.

THANKS, Gregu! I've got one ordered. It will pay for itself in under 3 changes.

 

[tsconver]

I use one of these applicator bottles used for hair color in style salons. They are marked on the outside in mL.

https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/i...6SdJzl6bSSs5ZhRyT_joCCtVUH0ClIABoC5RMQAvD_BwE

 

[lee]

I use one of these applicator bottles used for hair color in style salons. They are marked on the outside in mL.

https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/i...6SdJzl6bSSs5ZhRyT_joCCtVUH0ClIABoC5RMQAvD_BwE

That's what I use. It doesn't leave any oil in the bottle like one with a center, straight snout.

 

[globalrider]

I too use a syringe...gets all in at once. They do make all polyelastomer (plastic) syringes that are not altered in contact with oil/gas. If you only want to buy one.

Who makes or where do you get the syringe in post #4 (200 ml) and also one that you suggest that can handle oil and gas.

 

[patm]

I use one of these applicator bottles used for hair color in style salons. They are marked on the outside in mL.

https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/i...6SdJzl6bSSs5ZhRyT_joCCtVUH0ClIABoC5RMQAvD_BwE

 

[stooie]

Who makes or where do you get the syringe in post #4 (200 ml) and also one that you suggest that can handle oil and gas.

Here's the ones that are one use only:

https://www.amazon.com/Syringes-Sci...77&sprefix=200+ml+syringe,aps,153&sr=8-3&th=1

And here's the one that should last "forever":

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HD959NZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[Dann]

I too use a syringe...gets all in at once. They do make all polyelastomer (plastic) syringes that are not altered in contact with oil/gas. If you only want to buy one.

Allow me to hijack the thread slightly. My 2020 R1250RT calls for 70w-80 G3. My previous 2007 beemer was just fine with Castrol full synthetic 75w-90 G5 and I note the same type of lube being used in the previous thread/photo.

Does anyone know the law on final drive fluid for the 1250's?

The dealer in my area doesn't carry that 70w-80 G3 oil. they use this:

 

[globalrider]

Here's the ones that are one use only:

https://www.amazon.com/Syringes-Sci...77&sprefix=200+ml+syringe,aps,153&sr=8-3&th=1

And here's the one that should last "forever":

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HD959NZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Thanks for that. I was able to find both of them on Amazon.ca.

 

[globalrider]

The dealer in my area doesn't carry that 70w-80 G3 oil. they use this:

That is all I have been using. Expensive but you can do at least 5 fluid changes with it.

 

[Dann]

That is all I have been using. Expensive but you can do at least 5 fluid changes with it.

I've been using:2003-2009 Land Rover Range Rover Differential Oil - Rear Differential - Castrol LRN7591 - Syntrax Long Life; Equivalent to: Castrol SAF-XO, for years.
I get it from a Land Rover dealership at a fraction of the price of the BMW branded one.

 

[gregu]

A bit more came to light. I let my final drive drip overnight into a graduated cylinder +/- 2 ml error. I collected 210 ml of OEM fluid from the factory fill. I called BMW of Ventura Co. for some answers. The service rep said:
- 200 ml should go back in (who knows what happened at factory!).
- The 70w-80 was part of the 2019 weight re-vamp.
- Use any of the synthetic 75w-90 gear oils out there (G5).
The syringes on amazon are good. I happen to get these for free so I suck-n-shoot 200 ml relying on memory to count 30 ml!!!
(it says the photo is attached, will see)

 

[riderr1150gsadv]

I have always added a teaspoon of moly paste into the FD oil (180 ml) and so far so good. YMMV