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[QUOTE=nrpetersen;861356]And the clutch will be smoother to operate too. Good idea! Wish I'd done that.[/QUOTE]
It always is great playing with a superbowl team and that's who you guys are that offer up to help us learn how things work on BMW M/cycles!
Ken -
It's just that a few of us have recently been down this road. Now that you've also done it, I suspect you'll be the first with good advice the next time someone has similar questions. It's all kind of confusing until you get your hands dirty!
[QUOTE=20774;861452]Ken -
It's just that a few of us have recently been down this road. Now that you've also done it, I suspect you'll be the first with good advice the next time someone has similar questions. It's all kind of confusing until you get your hands dirty![/QUOTE]
Thanks, Kurt - of all the forums I've never experienced so much fellowship & enthusiasm about Airheads - awesome! I've met more than several people here who are now friends - our younger son graduated from Marine boot camp last week in San Diego - a friend I met here, who restored an R65, rode to our hotel to meet me for coffee - we'd been corresponding and talking over the phone for several years now - I found myself in San Diego and it was a perfect opportunity for us to meet. Much in common, we Airheads! Wonder how many of you have or had cars like Bugs & VW Vans - I had both and at one time a nice convertible Karmann Ghia! Something about these air cooled designs . . . maybe an old Porsche someday.
[QUOTE=20774;860883]
I've put in two clutches without an alignment tool. I basically eyeball very, very closely that the disk is centered in the opening of the compression ring. If it's off a skosh, when I have the tranny in place on the engine case studs, I found a way to push on the clutch lever so that the pressure plate release a bit allowing the disk to center. I've never found it to be a problem. But once you get the tranny in place and before tightening the tranny bolts, definitely actuate the clutch a few times to fully center the disk.[/QUOTE]
Great thread, thanks for offering such useful information.
I wrestled without the alignment tool last night until my back and arms couldn't take it anymore. I've eyed the disk centered but the tranny splines just won't go in. Turned the splines abit and tried again. It's sooo close but just won't go in. Did this at least 7 times. Maybe the disk is sitting just a little low?
Going to go back and work on it again today.
Last winter I had the engine out when aligning the disk with the transmission. Alot easier!
Cheers
Barrett
[QUOTE=barrettnjones;861676]I've eyed the disk centered but the tranny splines just won't go in.[/QUOTE]
I've reverted to actually measuring the distances of the clutch disk metal flange WRT to the opening in the compression ring. You're right...if you're off by maybe an 1/8", the tranny might not fit in...but you could see that dimension with a tape measure.
Barrett - FYI - If you don't have the clutch disk exactly aligned, you are probably looking at like ~1000 lbs of force to drag the clutch disk across the flywheel face(s) so that the spline and the engine-transmission pilot diameters will line up. Just be sure that after you get it worried and forced together, that you release the clutch & kinda float things as much as possible while tightening the engine-transmission bolts.
Otherwise the axis of the engine crankshaft and the transmission axis will have an alignment discrepancy that will show as a massive rotating (one per engine revolution) side force on the spline ---- forever!
Be careful. I wish there was a more direct way to get that initial alignment of the clutch spline before the engine-transmission connection is fixed. If you have to, I suppose you could pry radially on the hub of the clutch disk enough to slide it a little ways - but which way? I feel for you.
The trick is to not lock down the compression ring before getting the disk centered. With a modest amount of pressure, you can bring the tranny up and trial fit. If it doesn't go or you see an offset, it's not too difficult to lightly knock the plate one direction or the other. Then you can full tighten the clutch pack.
As for the alignment of the tranny and engine axes, I don't think that's a big issue...the tranny rides on the two upper studs...she's not going to move anywhere. [Note, Duane Ausherman talks about actually starting the engine and performing the clutch actuation and tightening the tranny down on /2s...but I think there's more slop in the mounting than on the /5-on machines.] But it is a good idea to hook up the clutch arm and cable and actuate the clutch a couple of times before tightening the transmission mounting bolts. That keeps any forces off the input shaft as you tighten the transmission down.
So - got the clutch installed and the alignment tool worked like a dream (not trying to make you feel bad, Barrett)
I used about a can of brake cleaner to get the grime off the transmission cavity and cleaned the outer case.
Used several toothpicks to remove debris from each of the cavities in the spline and mixed together some moly & grease to coat the male splines.
Inserted the clutch rod through the front of the tranny, as suggested, and soaked the felt ring in gear oil. Added moly grease to the tip that presses against the compression plate and cleaned & greased the thrust bearing, piston & sealing ring.
Actuated the clutch several times (it feels really nice) before tightening up the transmission bolts - still not fully tightened yet.
Here's my question: When I put the bike into gear and depress the clutch operating mechanism (cable isn't connected yet) I can't spin the output flange, other than neutral that connects to the swingarm - I haven't re-installed the swing arm yet.
Wondering if I missed something? It's normal to pull in the clutch and be able to roll forward on a motorcycle in gear or hold the clutch in when stopped.
I'm about 100% that the clutch went in right as well as the clutch operating mechanism as I kept the workshop manual by my side.
What do you think?
[QUOTE=kentuvman;861729]Here's my question: When I put the bike into gear and depress the clutch operating mechanism (cable isn't connected yet) I can't spin the output flange, other than neutral that connects to the swingarm - I haven't re-installed the swing arm yet.[/QUOTE]
I'm not sure I understand. How did you depress the clutch mechanism with the cable? It takes quite a bit of force and movement to really disengage the clutch. If it's not disengaged, the gears will all be meshed and you won't be able to turn the output of the tranny. Why not just hook up the cable and recheck?
[QUOTE=20774;861742]I'm not sure I understand. How did you depress the clutch mechanism with the cable? It takes quite a bit of force and movement to really disengage the clutch. If it's not disengaged, the gears will all be meshed and you won't be able to turn the output of the tranny. Why not just hook up the cable and recheck?[/QUOTE]
I only pressed actuator arm with my hand at back of tranny - I guess it makes sense that clutch handle gives more leverage to the actuator arm - is that right?
I'd be surprised if you could push the rod enough...I think it's pretty stout. Use the cable and you'll now one way or the other.
Hooked up cable - clutch works as it should - thanks so much!!!
Now, check this out for the next step (starting with Kurt's post #3):
[url]http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?39773-No-adjustment-left-in-Clutch-rod&p=499945#post499945[/url]
One thing, not sure why, but once it is all back together, I think you have to run the motor for a few minutes and exercise the clutch a couple of times before making the final adjustment.
Not sure why, but my experience has been that if I do the adjustment without having run the motor and pulled the clutch in and released it a few times, inevitably, the adjustment isn't right after the first ride.
Barron
What have I gotten myself into?
I should've known better after the R65LS restoration. If it weren't for that sexy combo speedo/tach unit and the nail key - that was the draw believe it or not.
Just another labor of love to help stay sane.
So much grease everywhere - beginning to think the bike hadn't been ever cleaned or gone through since leaving the factory in '72. Almost done with my 2nd can of brake cleaner - the stuff works great.
Just took a look underside of cylinders - seeing oil - not a good sign. Bike ran good when I test drove it - probably still does. The PO hadn't ridden her in some time but she started right up. There was a bunch of oil on his garage floor beneath the bike but after I got her home and tightened up the oil pan, the dripping stopped.
I guess more to be revealed as I go down the line - carbs are dirty on outside but it ran so good I'm not going to rebuild right now - thinking about getting a small ultrasonic cleaner from Harbor Freight just to clean them up but if I do that I'll most likely have to disassemble everything.
Will just proceed one small step at a time. She will be nice when it all comes together. Oh these project bikes - love it!:banghead