Potential Clutch issue?

[grwrockster]

RB, I can fully understand - even with your own labour you'll have had to open the wallet a fair bit wider than you'd have hoped for already.

I also empathise with the 'unpowered garage' - I've been building mine slowly as time, funds (and enthusiasm) allow, and it still needs doors (it is in a locked/secure back yard/garden) a window fitting and power, as well as fully rendering, wiring, etc. etc. I can work in there and its way better than no cover, but I'm in no hurry to spend time out there just now either in this weather. At least I can get an extension lead to it though and rig up temp lights etc. though if I have to.

If your garage is too far/remote from your new house to get utility power on, then you could still maybe manage with a generator at some point in the future. Those at least I do know something about (it's what I do for a job!).

Good luck with your repairs!

[riceburner]

Generator might be a good thought - although I've always hated them for the noise they make.

Anyway - Progress Report:

My girlfriend has a saying: "Do a job, make a job", and it seems I'm stuck in that sort of situation.
Got the clutch back together and the gearbox back on (with Optimol on the splines, natch), pushrod and slave cylinder on ok - new pushrod felt seal was a bitch to get in though, I bled up the clutch before continuing and it seems to be acting properly. There's a bit of "friction" which I'll keep an eye on - I have a new master-cylinder piston which may go in before the job is finally finished. Re-assembly was going relatively well - I took my time trying to remember where the hell everything went!
So I get the airbox back in, replace the battery tray, and I try the throttle (just to check)...... its sticking. Damn, and indeed Blast!

Keep trying it and figure that (I think) one of the subsidiary cables is causing the stiction, so I figure I'll dismantle the assembly to check the cables.

Now - I realise that BMWs are manufactured on a line, in a nice clean factory. I realise that they're computer designed (I've worked in similar industries so know the methods). BUT - whichever day it was they designed the throttle cable assembly on must have been after the MOTHER of all nights out at the BeerFest!! That thing is a NIGHTMARE to strip down - you HAVE to dismantle the fast-idle system completely (which means dismantling most of the left side switch gear). I'd also like to give the guy who put the throttle springs/cable assembly INSIDE the throttle bodies a Prussian Firing squad!

So - after about an hour of swearing and cursing I got the whole lot apart and discovered that the right side sub-cable was falling apart. It was holding one by one strand I think. So - all in all I'm quite glad I have found out now, rather than half-way to work!

The cable has lasted a fair while though, so I think I got my money's worth, especially as I've never lubed it in my life. All the rest of the cables I could see were in very good shape (no corrosion or wear seemingly at all).

Motorworks online shop is going to get yet more of my hard-earned before this job is finished!

[riceburner]

Just in case there's anyone still left following this tale... I replaced the right side cable this morning, only to discover that the left side cable is ALSO damaged, and sticking in the Outer sheath!

GAAHHHHH!!!

fix one thing only to discover something else is broken seems to be the underlying theme of this job....

[Buckster]

I guess our bikes are getting old....drat!

[riceburner]

Not only old - the parts seems to be getting inaccurate too....

Ordered up the lower left cable for the throttle and after to usual struggle to fit the blasted system again - I put the bike together (mostly) and fired it up. Seemed to run ok!. Great! That was Saturday...

So on Sunday I started the process of getting the bike tuned up (I'd replaced the manifold seals and the throttle cables so it was obviously going to be well out of balance!).

I realised after a short while though that the left side wasn't returning to fully-closed... odd.

fiddle about with it a bit, why the F***"£($*"£$*&%"*(£$&%*"£$%"£$%*")$&!)*"£$&%£$%! isnt' the thing closing properly?

tank off, battery out, airbox apart, intake off, fast-idle dissassembled, battery case off and cable assembly out again.... Can I see what's wrong with it?? NOTHING....
Back together to see if the main cable is a bit short somehow... nope...

rip out the left lower cable again after realising that despite the fact that the adjuster is screwed all the way into the fitting on the throttle, the cable is not allowing the spindle to rotate closed fully.

Put the new cable next to the old one for comparison....

B*"£)$%&")£&£ F")(*£$&)"£&$)(*&"£ C")($&"£$!!!!!

the new cable has an outer sheath that is 5mm too long.

ok - might not seem like much, but it's enough to take up ALL the available slack in the cable AAARRGGH!!

I thought about it, and decided I'd use the cable anyway, and put it in with the adjuster lock-nut UNDER the fitting, to get the slack into the system that is needed. Absolute c*&^ to tighten up, I need to make up a special, very short 10mm spanner (cut up an old Yamaha one) but I made it work!

Put the rest of the bike together and took it for a test ride.

Good news is that the clutch is fine.
Bike still needs a good balance though - which probably will require a valve adjust as well for proper completeness. Guess what I'm doing next weekend! These 4 weeks without the bike, despite the snowy and cold weather have been hell.


So: going to have a rant at the supplier today (not their fault - but they need to know they've got faulty stock, or someone's dingle up at the manufacturer).

[grwrockster]

RB - Seriously well done in sorting all that lot out! I think I'd have been swearing and pulling my hair out with frustration with the cable hassles you've had. At least you've got to the bottom of it.

I've never really followed the cable path once the disappear from the throttle bodies and the headstock area - got to say that I've never fancied fiddling and shan't until they start going like yours did. As a matter of interest, my Haynes Manual states that the throttle cable should be replaced at 18,000 miles!

I'm thinking that I need to prepare myself for a serious outlay in time and money when my clutch eventually wears - if everything else can last out until that goes, then while it's in bits the one time then it'd be a good time to do the cables, the slave etc. while it's all in bits for a clutch. I'm too lazy to want to do it as a separate job if I can avoid it .

Mine needs (yet another) new rear tyre, is in badly in need of a good clean underneath(road salt and grime everywhere) and I also need to properly clean the pistons on the rear caliper too (I did the fronts and fitted new pads on Saturday, - went for a ride yesterday and the bike was absolutely filthy again when I got back). The exhaust needs to come off for a de-crud, and I still need to sort changing the brake fluid, bleeding all the brakes, changing the gearbox and final drive fluid too.

RB - Have you done anything about the paint on the cylinders? Mine has the paint on the fins flaking off all over the place. I was thinking about getting at them with a wire brush getting some hi-temp engine spray (or even the stuff they re-paint stoves with perhaps?), masking off around the cyls and trying to tidy them up a bit. if you've tried any particular product and found it worked ok, would you be so good as to let me know?

G.

[riceburner]

Paint the cylinders??

I'm too busy riding mate.


In all seriousness -yes the paint on mine is flaking like crazy and coming off - but as far as I'm concerned that's a cosmetic issue, and I have my bike to ride it, not to sell it on in a years time. My last bikes I only sold because I simply wasn't using them, and the mileage on them meant that they weren't a lot anyway. But - once you get down to a certain minimum value, any bike won't really drop any further as long as it's usable and in fine mechanical condition. Given that I can get a bike down to minimum value in around a years time simply by riding my usual mileage I never worry about the cosmetics.

[grwrockster]

RB - I'm kind of with you there really. Although I don't do anything like your kind of mileage (I'm lucky in that I don't need my own transport to & from work), I still do way more than the average UK bike annual mileage - so will also suffer higher depreciation (plus of course the cosmetic wear & tear that goes along with actually riding the thing in all weathers compounding the issue). Good job I don't want to sell my Rockster eh?

I'm sort of hearing a small voice in the back of my head that tells me that I should be more concerned than I am really about the cosmetics, overcome my innate apathy toward it and make some effort to do something about the flaky paint. And as I'm stripping the Zorst system off to clean the grime off it / grease the rear shock mount and so on then it'd be easier to do now if I can be bothered.

I think the average motorcycle mileage in the UK due to the high number of occasional riders who only take their bikes on the odd sunny sunday ride to their local bike gathering is only 3K annually or something! (Sorry for the stereotyping in my brain, but I couldn't help picturing the 'full one-piece leather mega-sportsbike owning enthusiast' going to the nearest biker cafe to drink tea for 3 hours in between visits to the osteopath as I wrote that!).

While I know that BMW's are generally not hit as hard by having miles on them compared to other marques I guess it still applies. I've had friends being told that their Jap bikes were 'high mileage' by dealer sales staff if they had over 3k/year average. Which is nuts.

[riceburner]

RB - I'm kind of with you there really. Although I don't do anything like your kind of mileage (I'm lucky in that I don't need my own transport to & from work), I still do way more than the average UK bike annual mileage - so will also suffer higher depreciation (plus of course the cosmetic wear & tear that goes along with actually riding the thing in all weathers compounding the issue). Good job I don't want to sell my Rockster eh?

I'm sort of hearing a small voice in the back of my head that tells me that I should be more concerned than I am really about the cosmetics, overcome my innate apathy toward it and make some effort to do something about the flaky paint. And as I'm stripping the Zorst system off to clean the grime off it / grease the rear shock mount and so on then it'd be easier to do now if I can be bothered.

I think the average motorcycle mileage in the UK due to the high number of occasional riders who only take their bikes on the odd sunny sunday ride to their local bike gathering is only 3K annually or something! (Sorry for the stereotyping in my brain, but I couldn't help picturing the 'full one-piece leather mega-sportsbike owning enthusiast' going to the nearest biker cafe to drink tea for 3 hours in between visits to the osteopath as I wrote that!).

While I know that BMW's are generally not hit as hard by having miles on them compared to other marques I guess it still applies. I've had friends being told that their Jap bikes were 'high mileage' by dealer sales staff if they had over 3k/year average. Which is nuts.

agree with you in toto. I do feel a little bad occasionally about not keeping the bike cleaner, but quite frankly, I'd have to be out cleaning it every day!

[riceburner]

It never bloody ends does it!!

Got the new cable - exactly 200mm as stated in the book - STILL no damned slack on it!! WTF!

Took a good look at the cable splitter box and realised why: the two lower cables have different "stop-points" for the outer cable relative to the drum they hook into!! The Right side cable has the "stop point" a good 1/4" (maybe more) nearer to the drum than the left side. THAT'S why there's no slack on the left side!!

Can anyone confirm that I'm not going crazy by just checking where the left side throttle cable adjuster is? If the locking nut is tucked up tight against the "cup" in the adjuster fitting then I'm right.

I think the cable inner on the left side throttle cable could do with being 10mm longer than it is. That would give you (me) some slack in the left side throttle adjuster.

ANYWAY - hooked the cable up again (lock nut UNDER the fitting again to give some adjustment movement and to allow the cable to actually go slack).

Figured I may as well do the job properly and started doing the valve check to ensure I could balance the bike properly.


Did the left side - needed to adjust both sets by quite a bit....

Started the right, then was interrupted by the GF with a cup of tea.

While supping I thought..... hang on...... I've just set the gaps on the inlet and exhausts the wrong way around! GAAHHHHH!

oh well - I've started the right side, so I'll finish it.

hmm, something funny about this exhaust locknut..... won't go tight......



AGAsdifyaqsdhiuf[qsdi[fgasdhf¬!!!!!!!




stripped the thread. GAH!!



luckily only on the locking nut - the tappet thread itself is fine. Phew!

It's a very fine thread, so I needed to order it especially, got it this morning so will be diving back in tonight!

[riceburner]

So, (when did I start this??), bikes back together, running fine.

I even managed to put all the cables and TB settings back together in a state of almost perfect balance.


Just need to fix a small loose connection to one of the instrument lights (I bet it's the scotchblock connecting the power outlet relay wire). I probably disturbed it when I tidied up the wiring under the tank.

[sweatmark]

Just need to fix a small loose connection to one of the instrument lights...

DON'T DO IT! Do not touch that wiring!

My girlfriend has a saying: "Do a job, make a job"

But seriously, congrats for pushing through the rough seas of that clutch servo repair.

[riceburner]

Just need to fix a small loose connection to one of the instrument lights...

DON'T DO IT! Do not touch that wiring!

But, but, but...... It's just a teeny tiny wafer thin bit of wiring...

My girlfriend has a saying: "Do a job, make a job"

But seriously, congrats for pushing through the rough seas of that clutch servo repair.

Cheers - I've always been daunted by the seeming complexity of getting into the clutch, but it's actually surprisingly simple.