Help w/ Clutch Replacement in Los Angeles

[Imgnr]

Hi - Anyone in the LA area who wants to make a few bucks $$$ for an honest afternoon's work?  My clutch on the Rockster has started slipping going from a dead stop.  I have to wait a second or two at low rpm for the clutch to catch before I can rev it.

 

I can take all the plastic, rear wheel, starter, exhaust off.  I need someone to help me with the sway arm and the clutch removal.  I'm handy but do not want to tackle a big job like this on my own.  I don't necessarily need a trained mechanic (although if you are, that'll be a bonus) but you MUST have done this before and know your way around Oilheads.

 

While it's out, I'd also like to change the clutch slave cylinder and whatever should be replaced.

 

Once the swing arm is back in, I can button everything up.

 

Thank you in advance,

 

Imgnr

[Selden]

If you are willing to do everything that you list, that is 90% of the work. Replacing the clutch itself is one of the easiest steps.

 

I replaced the clutch on my 1999 RT at ~97,000 miles. Removing the swingarm/transmission can be done single-handed, using a dolly, blocks and straps as necessary to secure the swingarm/transmission firmly on the dolly. Unbolt the transmission and it will roll right back. More importantly, with this approach, the swingarm/transmission assembly should roll back into place with minimal alignment adjustments (I think I used a small bottle jack to adjust the height by perhaps 1/10") — no muscle required.

 

 

Be prepared to re-wrap the main wiring harness, especially since you live in the LA area where ozone is likely to have rotted the rubber covering. If your Rockster came with rubber brake lines and you have never replaced them, now is the time. 

 

 

[Imgnr]

7 hours ago, Selden said:

If you are willing to do everything that you list, that is 90% of the work. Replacing the clutch itself is one of the easiest steps.

 

I replaced the clutch on my 1999 RT at ~97,000 miles. Removing the swingarm/transmission can be done single-handed, using a dolly, blocks and straps as necessary to secure the swingarm/transmission firmly on the dolly. Unbolt the transmission and it will roll right back. More importantly, with this approach, the swingarm/transmission assembly should roll back into place with minimal alignment adjustments (I think I used a small bottle jack to adjust the height by perhaps 1/10") — no muscle required.

 

 

Be prepared to re-wrap the main wiring harness, especially since you live in the LA area where ozone is likely to have rotted the rubber covering. If your Rockster came with rubber brake lines and you have never replaced them, now is the time. 

 

 

Selden - I watched some instructional videos and someone recommended guide pins.  What special tools did you need to get?  Also, did you need to remove the rear subframe on your bike?  Looks like you've also tied the swing arm to the rafter?

 

While I have the rear end apart, what else should I replace?

 

Thank you

 

[Jim Moore]

That sounds a little bit like a spun driveshaft rather than a clutch. You should be able to tell when you get the swingarm off. I wouldn't buy clutch parts beforehand.

[Selden]

18 hours ago, Imgnr said:

Selden - I watched some instructional videos and someone recommended guide pins.  What special tools did you need to get?  Also, did you need to remove the rear subframe on your bike?  Looks like you've also tied the swing arm to the rafter?

 

For alignment pins, someone else here suggested getting some metric bolts (8 x 50 mm, if I remember correctly), sawing off the heads, chamfering the ends, then slotting them for a screwdriver. They worked like a charm when re-attaching the transmission. I still have them, but it wouldn't be worth the cost of postage to send them to you.

 

You are absolutely right: my skyhook was screwed into a beam in the ceiling of the garage. You absolutely must remove, or at least pivot up the subframe. Since only two more bolts were involved, I removed the whole thing, then spray painted it while it was off.

 

What else? It all depends on how much you want to spend!  How many miles are on your Rockster? Past 100,000 you may want to measure thicknesses of all three brake rotors. Original shocks? I replaced all the rotors at ~110,000 miles (easy job; all you need is a a hex wrench and a heat gun to soften the Loctite). If the throttle cables have never been replaced, now is the time, as the job is much easier with the subframe out of the way. 

 

If you haven't done so already, document, document, document by taking photos at every step of disassembly. They will be invaluable when you put things back together. I had only one electrical connector for which I couldn't find a mate. I asked here and DR (of course) explained that it had never been plugged into anything.

 

I am a slow worker, and allocated 6 weeks for clutch replacement (in January in Atlanta, which is not quite the same as January in LA); I finished in less than half that time. Twenty-four hours into the job I was convinced that I had made a horrible mistake, but with the bike in 2 pieces, there was no way to take it to a dealer. Everything worked out.

[Imgnr]

23 hours ago, Selden said:

 

For alignment pins, someone else here suggested getting some metric bolts (8 x 50 mm, if I remember correctly), sawing off the heads, chamfering the ends, then slotting them for a screwdriver. They worked like a charm when re-attaching the transmission. I still have them, but it wouldn't be worth the cost of postage to send them to you.

 

You are absolutely right: my skyhook was screwed into a beam in the ceiling of the garage. You absolutely must remove, or at least pivot up the subframe. Since only two more bolts were involved, I removed the whole thing, then spray painted it while it was off.

 

What else? It all depends on how much you want to spend!  How many miles are on your Rockster? Past 100,000 you may want to measure thicknesses of all three brake rotors. Original shocks? I replaced all the rotors at ~110,000 miles (easy job; all you need is a a hex wrench and a heat gun to soften the Loctite). If the throttle cables have never been replaced, now is the time, as the job is much easier with the subframe out of the way. 

 

If you haven't done so already, document, document, document by taking photos at every step of disassembly. They will be invaluable when you put things back together. I had only one electrical connector for which I couldn't find a mate. I asked here and DR (of course) explained that it had never been plugged into anything.

 

I am a slow worker, and allocated 6 weeks for clutch replacement (in January in Atlanta, which is not quite the same as January in LA); I finished in less than half that time. Twenty-four hours into the job I was convinced that I had made a horrible mistake, but with the bike in 2 pieces, there was no way to take it to a dealer. Everything worked out.

Did you get any help? You were able to accomplish this all by yourself?  I just replaced the subframe a few months ago because the old one was slightly bent by the PO.  Should've just dug into this.

[Imgnr]

On 7/23/2019 at 1:50 PM, Jim Moore said:

That sounds a little bit like a spun driveshaft rather than a clutch. You should be able to tell when you get the swingarm off. I wouldn't buy clutch parts beforehand.

Jim - When I have all that stuff off, shouldn't I just change the clutch too?  I have no idea on the mileage on this bike because the PO ripped out the ABS and the speedo relies on the ABS sensor to register speed and the odometer also runs off of it.

 

The wear on the parts seem to indicate a high mileage bike.  I bought this a few years ago before really knowing much about BMWs.

[Jim Moore]

8 hours ago, Imgnr said:

Jim - When I have all that stuff off, shouldn't I just change the clutch too?  I have no idea on the mileage on this bike because the PO ripped out the ABS and the speedo relies on the ABS sensor to register speed and the odometer also runs off of it.

 

The wear on the parts seem to indicate a high mileage bike.  I bought this a few years ago before really knowing much about BMWs.

I wouldn't. if it's a spun driveshaft you won't even have to take the transmission off. Just replace the driveshaft with a  used one from eBay and button it back up. A clutch disk will go well over 100K miles.

[Imgnr]

Jim - I'll check the shaft first.  This is the first dry clutch bike I've had and I do a lot of city riding; stop and go, splitting lanes, etc. so I'm constantly on the friction zone (which I'm used to doing with my other bikes with wet clutches).  I just recently learned that you can't do that with a dry clutch and you can quickly burn and wear it out.  Duh!!!  But seriously, how do you ride at 5mph without pulling in the clutch a little w/o stalling it???

[Jim Moore]

5 hours ago, Imgnr said:

Jim - I'll check the shaft first.  This is the first dry clutch bike I've had and I do a lot of city riding; stop and go, splitting lanes, etc. so I'm constantly on the friction zone (which I'm used to doing with my other bikes with wet clutches).  I just recently learned that you can't do that with a dry clutch and you can quickly burn and wear it out.  Duh!!!  But seriously, how do you ride at 5mph without pulling in the clutch a little w/o stalling it???

That's simply not true. If you're doing police rodeos on the weekends you may wear your clutch out prematurely. You'll be fine in day-to-day riding. Make sure your freeplay is adjusted correctly and just ride it like every other motorcycle you've ever owned.

[dirtrider]

22 minutes ago, Jim Moore said:

That's simply not true. If you're doing police rodeos on the weekends you may wear your clutch out prematurely. You'll be fine in day-to-day riding. Make sure your freeplay is adjusted correctly and just ride it like every other motorcycle you've ever owned.

 

Morning Jim

 

Imgnr's Rockster has a hydraulic clutch so no free-play adjustment as it is self compensating.   

 

[dirtrider]

18 hours ago, Imgnr said:

 Duh!!!  But seriously, how do you ride at 5mph without pulling in the clutch a little w/o stalling it???

 

Morning Imgnr

 

On the BMW dry clutch you can't ride it like a wet clutch bike for extended low speed clutch slipping (gray zone) operation.

 

On the BMW dry clutch, instead of slipping the clutch by holding it in the slip zone (gray zone) you need to treat the clutch  more like an off/on  switch than a dimmer. That is to kind of modulate the clutch from just past engaged to just before engaged by continually moving the clutch lever in & out slightly across the engagement zone  to control very slow forward speed.

 

By using the clutch this way it not only prevents a lot of clutch slippage & clutch heat but also allows the engine RPM's to remain much lower so that removes even more heat from the clutch modulation.      

 

With a little practice you will get the hang of "short"  "little" clutch engagements/disengagements  to kind of boot the bike along at a speed lower than you can smoothly ride with the clutch fully engaged in 1st gear. (keep engine RPM's low & don't continually slip the clutch but use short in/out engagements).

[Jim Moore]

3 hours ago, dirtrider said:

 

Morning Jim

 

Imgnr's Rockster has a hydraulic clutch so no free-play adjustment as it is self compensating.   

 

Good point. thanks.

[Imgnr]

I was doing some research on what parts I need to buy to replace the clutch when I came across a discussion (I think it was on advrider) about over filled clutch reservoirs causing slippage in clutches.  I had just bled the system and overfilled the reservoir.  In my pea brain, I figured I'd overfill it so there would be reserve in the system if there's a small leak.  I did not know that the engineers had put in a sight glass for a reason.  There has to be space for the fluid to expand otherwise there could be back pressure.

 

I corrected the level (used my kid's old nose suction from when he was a baby).  Took a ride around the neighborhood and it seems to have been fixed.  

 

DO NOT OVERFILL THE CLUTCH RESERVOIR!!!

 

If not, I'll do the clutch job.  Seems pretty straightforward.  

 

 

[dirtrider]

2 minutes ago, Imgnr said:

I was doing some research on what parts I need to buy to replace the clutch when I came across a discussion (I think it was on advrider) about over filled clutch reservoirs causing slippage in clutches.  I had just bled the system and overfilled the reservoir.  In my pea brain, I figured I'd overfill it so there would be reserve in the system if there's a small leak.  I did not know that the engineers had put in a sight glass for a reason.  There has to be space for the fluid to expand otherwise there could be back pressure.

 

I corrected the level (used my kid's old nose suction from when he was a baby).  Took a ride around the neighborhood and it seems to have been fixed.  

 

DO NOT OVERFILL THE CLUTCH RESERVOIR!!!

 

If not, I'll do the clutch job.  Seems pretty straightforward.  

 

 

 

 

Afternoon  Imgnr

 

Correct, never overfill the clutch reservoir on the BMW hydraulic clutch bikes.  As the clutch wears the fluid level in the reservoir INCREASES.