Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles

More on the R100GS/PD saga....

> In article <9901075@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM> ron@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Ron Miller) writes:
> >The Paralever has a dry swingarm and dry driveshaft. 
> 

> From: phil@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Phil Stone)
> Really?  No fluid at all, you mean?  Howzat?

Yes, really. None.

The rear gearcase (ring and pinion gear) gears run in 90wt oil. They are
isolated from the driveshaft by no-kidding-for-real seals. The driveshaft
has two universal joints- "permanently" lubed in grease. The swingarm
and driveshaft housing, that huge aluminum thing, is dry. 
The driveshaft arrangement is more like a car driveshaft than ever.

You can believe me because I've pulled the rear gearcase off the swingarm
twice, once to lube the driveshaft splines, and once to replace the
gearcase pivot bearing. The swingarm is dry as a bone, except for the
spline grease flung off the slip joint between the driveshaft and the
gearcase input shaft.

> 
> 
> >Anybody know where the transmission breather is?
> 
> I just found out this morning.  The transmission breather is through
> the earth strap bolt.  This bolt is supposed to have a hole bored
> down the middle of it, but had been replaced with a solid bolt on my
> bike.  It only got found last week when I got the shop to replace the
> transmission boot.  This is apparently "non-critical" - it will speed
> up.
> 
> Doug Rinckes  drinckes@nzl.abk.nec.co.jp | My companys opinions are like

Ah! Of course. And the speedo insertion boss could be a source of water
contamination to the transmission..... I don't much like the rubber boot design.

Thanks!!

> From: osborn@cs.utexas.edu (John Howard Osborn)
> Eventually, word came from the garage:
> 
> "Water in the final drive."  (Remember that we changed it last week?)
> 
> "Water in the drive shaft housing.  He's trying to figure out why."

Why would they look for water in the driveshaft housing? 

More importantly HOW did they look? (The only correct answer would be to
peel back the rubber boot and look for water draining out......) 

There are two ways I can think of for this to happen on a Paralever bike-

 (1) Water spraying onto the swingarm bearings which runs thru the bearing
     seals and bearings and down into the swingarm or (2) one of the
     rubber boots at either end of the swingarm ( tranny-swingarm or
     swingarm-rear gearcase) is torn and letting water in.

on the other hand.......... water in the swingarm housing shouldn't 
equate to water in the rear gearcase. After all, the gear oil doesn't 
get OUT thru that seal, does it? (Not on mine it doesn't.....)

> 
> (Some time passess...)
> 
> "Well, here's your bike.  We changed the final drive fluid, again,
>  and the driveshaft fluid too.  We also put a call into BMW to
>  find out what they think.  We should hear back from them Tuesday."

If they said that they changed the driveshaft fluid, the HIGH BULLSHIT ALARM
should sound. There is NO DRIVESHAFT FLUID. Ask if they would show you where
the driveshaft fluid goes in and where it is drained from. And how it keeps
from leaking from the lower rubber boot :-) 
If they bullshit into that, then ask them to peel back the lower boot and
see how much oil comes out.......... it's only two skinny hose clamps holding
it in place. 

> 
> I'll let you know what happens next...

Can't wait! :-)))      (Sorry, but it's true.....)

Ron Miller, professional skeptic
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles