A Clutch of Questions

[gspd]

Are you replacing the transmission input shaft?

the bad news:
It will work, but the clutch won't engage/disengage as smoothly as it could,
and it might rattle.
The only consequential penalty for not replacing the shaft is that when it does eventually go,
you'll also need a new clutch disc again. or a complete clutch again.
It depends where the pieces of spline shrapnel get lodged.
The symptom will be a rattling sound in that area, and lack of forward propulsion in all gears.
I wouldn't warranty a clutch running on those splines, nobody would.

now for the good news:
Airheads with good karma sometimes defy logic.

[Airbear]

Actually, there are dealers out there that know the airheads, but who knows how long it will last.

I'm very lucky in that both the closest dealers are very retro savvy, not just with /5 on, but /2 as well. The Reno dealer (Sierra) is a real joy to visit - small, and not too "boutique." The Sacramento dealer (A&S) has a very large web presence and is a big boutique, but they do know the old bikes as well, and stock many parts for them. A&S does feel pretty alien compared to old dealerships, but they've opened up their own Ducati dealership right next door, and that helps make up for it. [/quote]

Fortunate indeed, Major. We did have a dealership (boutique) about 30kms away. I was warned in no uncertain terms that I should never let them do any work on my bike. I looked into their workshop one day and there were two pimpled children in filthy overalls bashing something. The bloke at the counter was ok. He knew how to find parts on the computer, and always used his best sympathetic face when he told me how much a part was going to cost. They went out of business a few years ago.

In a way, not having a local dealer with knowledge has been a boon. Through Boxerworks I met ME109 locally and a bunch of others within a few hundred kms. There are a few airhead owners locally now, amongst them an electronics engineer, a precision welder, a structural steel fitter, an architect and myself, an occasional carpenter and drafter. We meet socially, work on our own bikes and share tools and knowledge.

Aussies are typically very resourceful. We all know how to use fencing wire; its characteristics and limitations are somehow ingrained in our psyches. It's a birthright.

[Jean]

Fencing wire HAS LIMITATIONS????? On an AIRHEAD?????
Surely you jest.
ps. watch out fur them Enjineeeers.

[Airbear]

Fencing wire HAS LIMITATIONS????? On an AIRHEAD?????
Surely you jest.
ps. watch out fur them Enjineeeers.

re the limitations of fencing wire, I rode a horrible little $20 italian 2-stroke scooter for a while 40 years ago. Two of the head bolts had stripped so I wrapped some good ol' number 8 fencing wire over and around the head. I had to stop every 50kms or so, get out the vise-grips and give it a tweak to keep the compression up. It actually broke one night with my girlfriend on the back. It was embarrassing. We hitched home and left it there.

ps: Please don't tell ZM that I rode a scooter.
pps: I haven't found any shortcomings so far with the fencing wire repairs on Brunhilde. Perhaps you are right.
ppps: O yes. I am very wary of engineers, particularly when I found out that most, when listing their hobbies, put 'Engineering' at the top of the list.

[gspd]

Fencing wire HAS LIMITATIONS????? On an AIRHEAD?????
Surely you jest.

LIMITATIONS! There are no limitations.
BMW's are probably the only motorcycles that came with (fence) wire-cutters in their OE tool kit.

[Major Softie]

BMW's are probably the only motorcycles that came with (fence) wire-cutters in their OE tool kit.

Well, that's only because they have the most complete tool kit in the motorcycling world.

[Jean]

"they have the most complete tool kit ..."
Usta have....
Missing a hammer, too.
I took care of that.

[Airbear]

Brief update -
Clutch is in, gearbox is in, final drive is back on after some difficulties.

Mr Clymer led me astray (again!) re outer seal in the FD cover:
"d. Using BMW special tools (Part No. 33 1 850 and No. 00 5 500), carefully tap the new oil seal into the case (Figure 120) Be sure to tap the oil seal in squarely and tap it in until it bottoms out in the cover. "

This puts the seal halfway up the splines of course. I stopped reading and started thinking at this stage and things improved. Instead of 'BMW special tools (Part No. 33 1 850 and No. 00 5 500)' I used the plastic lid off a Vegemite jar and my woodworking vise to press the seal in. I pulled the FD back apart, and a bit of searching through the recycle collection turned up a peanut butter jar lid that was the absolutely perfect tool to press the seal back out (without damage) to the proper position. Saved me two days waiting for a new seal, but the error cost me a precious hour (freezing this bit, heating the other bit and so on.)

Here's an idea. For the benefit of amateur airhead mechanicking personkind, we at Boxerworks could put together a compendium of errors we find in the various manuals. I have used highlighters and scribbles in mine as I discover them. I might start a thread on this when there is time. What think y'all?

Gotta bolt the new wheel side spline cup to the hub now - cutting the bolts and grinding the nuts to fit. Also gotta make up a new earth cable and find a new earthing position on the engine. The fekkin' hole for the vented bolt in the new gearbox was stripped. I'm working to a tight deadline - myself and a mate (also afflicted with a 74 R90/6) are heading off for a couple of weeks adventuring in the mud and snow in two days time and there is a shitload of stuff to do first. It is cold, wet and blustery on my front porch and an hour till daylight. Bugger. And yikes, the forecast is for snow down to 800 metres. I'm down to dust and dregs of tobacco. At least the coffee is working its magic.

Thanks for reading - I needed to vent. Poor ol' Airbear, eh?

[Major Softie]

Thank goodness you live in Australia. It would have much more difficult to get the job done here. Do you have any idea how hard Vegemite is to find in the U.S.?

[Airbear]

Thank goodness you live in Australia. It would have much more difficult to get the job done here. Do you have any idea how hard Vegemite is to find in the U.S.?

Major, I'll save the lids, label them with a fictional BMW Special Tool part number and mail on request.
It's the least I can do to repay the wisdom and entertainment I gain from this forum. Grin.