Re: I have a spare parts bike. Can I just remove that final drive.

[Ken]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask....but I want to ride, and NOT have a K1100LT broken down and un-moveable in my garage for the rest of the summer.

1)  checked fluid in final drive beginning of spring.  It was fine.
2)  checked fluid in final drive a couple of weeks ago, it was low, but not out.  Filled with 90 weight
3)  rode bike 400 miles came home checked fluid in final drive....it was out and making noises. 
4)  Noise goes away when rear brake is applied.
5)  No gear oil is leaking OUT of the final drive, I am assuming it is in the swing arm?

I have a spare parts bike.  Can I just remove that final drive, and move the one from my parts bike without worrying about the seal that is apparently bad, or would I likely damage that taking it apart?

Is the oil in the swing arm a problem, or just something messy?

thanks
Ken


I can't tell from the pictures in the Repair manual. 

[johnny]

greetings ken...

whats the year of your k1100lt... whats the year and model of your parts bike...

j o

[Ken]

94 bike
97 parts bike

[Scott_]

Sounds like you will have an oily mess in the swing arm, other than that I think the FD will transfer from one to the other.
Make sure you keep track of the u-joint alignment when you pull off the bad one and install the parts one.

One way to try and reduce the mess on the leaker, pull the rubber boot loose and let it drain into a catch pan.

[Grim]

If they are both paralever it's a bolt up job but you need to "phase" the drive shaft.
Make sure the noise is not a brake issue. When ring and pinkos become noisy it's going to be from a acceleration to deceleration or vice versa. The only way I can see the brakes effecting that is if the bearing are so bad the rotor is changing position in he calliper and that would give you some squirmy feeling while riding I would think.
The other thing to verify is the gear ratio is the same. I believe it's stamped on the housing somewhere.

Chris Harris has a good video on YouTube on the swap.

[Ken]

THANKS you guys!!!!

Hopefully I can be in a position to get this changed out the 27th!!!!!  My sanity needs a trip to the mountains!!!

IT does make less noise with the brake applied...but there is no oil......so there is obviously a problem inside the final drive too.  Hopefully the seal will be fine with the change, and apparently some extra attention is needed for the ABS.

The video was AWESOME.  Thank you very much.

[Grim]

The nut is 27mm and 12mm for the hex. I have a pretty good selection of tools and I didn't have either of those.

Not really a bad job. Unfortunately since you will have to separate the splines you have to pull the rest of the swing arm to get it loose so you can mark the shaft. I'd avoid the temptation of using one part of one shaft and one of another. They wear together.