Boxerworks.com

Hey, I've met so many airhead owners who insist that the kickstart is simply a decorative item and will not start the bike.
Truth is, they work fine if used correctly, even by foot.

R65 Rob wrote:
Doesn't the throwout bearing get it's lubrication from the gear lube? I thought I heard that, once.

Nope. It's separate from the gear lube, and relies on a smear of grease periodically.

Rob, IF your Throwout bearing WAS getting lube from the gearbox...I now have a clue where the oil went!!
Seriously, the TOB could be lubed each time you do the splines. You're already messy, and probably unfastened the clutch cable anyhow....didn't you?
(Good idea to clean it up first. Remember I mentioned replacing that little rubber boot...?)
Don't believe everything you hear. I heard the extreme angle on the "modern" GSs was OK since it was designed by the BMW Engineers...As if!
I said: "they must have been electrical engineers..." which brought a lot of snorts from the rest of the round-table. You know, beer-foam-reverse-up-the-nose sort of laughter.

Well, back before the internet, but after my first TO bearing failure, I began cleaning it ocassionally and relubing it with just the right amount of axle grease.

Then the internet came, and I think I remember someone saying (paraphrased, of course) "grease is OK, but 90wt is better, since it only needs to lube it initially." And I seem to remember something about the gear box lube taking over.
Yeah, it sounds like a load, now, but I've never torn apart a transmission before, so what did I know?

I did find out that it is impossible to put a new felt in that hole.
Please tell me the secret to that. Do you saturate the felt with oil, first?

Rob....just a heads up that you do need rear flange puller to open your transmission. You will also need to heat the rear cover.

Frog wrote:Rob....just a heads up that you do need rear flange puller to open your transmission. You will also need to heat the rear cover.

Yeah. And I am lazy, so don't get too excited about seeing the inside of this thing.

The felt might be a little bit oversize...and yes. Oil it first (90 wt.) .There might be some old felt still in there. You will probably need some picks or "special-tools" to put it in. I make "special-tools" for jobs like this from the steel ribs that come off old windshield wipers. They also make good spatulas for applying the spline lube.
I HATE to ask this, but sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious: Are you really sure your pushrod has the groove for the felt? Not all of them did.
the "new" gearbox might NOT have the groove...or the felt.

Jean wrote:The felt might be a little bit oversize...and yes. Oil it first (90 wt.) .There might be some old felt still in there. You will probably need some picks or "special-tools" to put it in. I make "special-tools" for jobs like this from the steel ribs that come off old windshield wipers. They also make good spatulas for applying the spline lube.
I HATE to ask this, but sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious: Are you really sure your pushrod has the groove for the felt? Not all of them did.
the "new" gearbox might NOT have the groove...or the felt.

Ted Porter told me that it is way easier to install the shaft with the felt ring from the front of the transmission. Next time, I'm going to try it that way.

Chuey

Yes Jean, my original '79 transmission has the felt ring. I wouldn't have tried to replace it, otherwise. Hell, I wouldn't know it existed!

Try smearing grease on the felt to make it stay where you put it before inserting it . I, too, have had better luck inserting it from the front.