make your own guide pins. what to use?

[branandfox]

so instead of spending 80 bucks on a set of guide pins for the tranny, what did everyone use to fashion there own set?
Doing a full spline lube.

[TimTyler]

I use an inexpensive HF dolly and some wooden wedges to dial the height in properly.

The dolly can support the weight the whole time. No guide pins necessary.

[wmax351]

so instead of spending 80 bucks on a set of guide pins for the tranny, what did everyone use to fashion there own set?
Doing a full spline lube.

Just be really careful. The guide pins work well, but when I put mine in, I just slid it out, supporting it with my knees and hands. Then screwed in a couple choice screws to hold it while I installed the others. Then tightened it down, tapping gently with a soft face mallet to assist and align it.

[Scott_]

I bought some 50mm long metric cap screws and cut off the hex head to use for guide pins.
If you can find it, some metric all thread would work too.

[Grim]

Just bought some 8mm all thread at Ace hardware. About 4 in long. Worked good. I also used a movers dolly cribbed up with some wood scraps. Made it easy.

Rode to work today (first ride out of my hood)I was having down shift problems before the lube. 4th was really bad of you decelerated before pulling in the clutch.  Shifts like butter now.

[Mongrel]

Just to make sure, the thread size on the pins is 8mm diameter? The Clymer manual doesn't seem to mention any statistics for the guide pins at all.

[kioolt]

FYI  - Anytime you need to know the thread diameter and pitch for a bolt on your BMW bike you can find it on RealOEM's website.  Along with the part number are the bolt dimensions.

[552255]

Take a transmission bolt and match with longer ones...M8? bolts I think.  I simply slid the tranny back, without removing and dabbed molygrease on the spline with a long painters' brush (flashlight needed to see in there).  I think it can be done without rear wheel removal even...(not sure tho').  A dolly underneath tranny would help--its very heavy...you don't want to tweak the clutch pushrod (what the pins should prevent)  Move rearward carefully.  I found this much easier than full tranny removal...your just wanting get grease on that spline.  You can rotate with wheel to fully "paint" it--thick.  Input spline lube is a long haul for sure...good winter project.  Best Luck!

[Mongrel]

FYI  - Anytime you need to know the thread diameter and pitch for a bolt on your BMW bike you can find it on RealOEM's website.  Along with the part number are the bolt dimensions.

Very nice, thanks.

[TimTyler]

...to fully "paint" it--thick.  ...

I don't use too much goop on the clutch spline for fear that it will spin off and foul the friction disk.

[Motorhobo]

I used 75 mm bolts and cut the heads off and cut slots in the ends in case I needed to turn them in with a screwdriver -- but they actually turned in pretty easily by hand. IMHO main thing for bolt length is to make sure the pilot bolts are long enough to allow you to get something in there to slide the clutch pushrod into the transmission so it clears the bell housing when you pull the tranny off. In my meager experience, if you don't get in there and slide the pushrod back into the transmission, the pushrod will extend outwards from the transmission beyond the length of your pilot bolts. In that case, you could bend the pushrod when the transmission clears the pilot bolts and drops downwards. I think 75 mm or thereabouts was enough for me to get my fingers in there to slide the pushrod back.

Maybe this is obvious -- but it wasn't to me the first time, and when I pulled the tranny away from the pilot bolts, it dropped downwards and the pushrod took the weight of the transmission and I'm lucky it didn't bend.

Van

[pallum]

Or if you've got a friend to hold the rear wheel steady you can pull the transmission, swingarm, final drive, and rear wheel as a single unit. Support the frame with a sawhorse under the tail section, wrap a ratchet strap around the transmission to hold on to and pull it back and out. Set the transmission on the ground, lube it up, and reinstall in about 20 minutes. Takes some fiddling but if you don't turn the transmission input shaft when it's out it'll go right back in.

[Motorhobo]

I want to try that on my other k75 -- so exhaust comes off, footpegs unscrewed and hanging there?
What about rear brake caliper and ABS modulators which are attached to a bracket affixed to the battery tray?

[pallum]

You'll have to remove anything attached to the transmission that would cause clearance issues. I can't say much for your brake situation since I've got the drum brake model, but I removed both footpeg brackets (maybe not necessary, but I had them off anyways and it's only 3 bolts a piece), exhaust, battery, brain, seat, starter, mud flap, and probably a few other odds and ends to get it done. You'll also want a piece of wood ~12inches long to prop the rear wheel up so you don't need your friend to sit there holding the thing from rolling over the whole time.

[TimTyler]

> Or if you've got a friend to hold the rear wheel steady you can pull the transmission, swingarm, final drive,
> and rear wheel as a single unit. Support the frame with a sawhorse under the tail section, wrap a ratchet strap
> around the transmission to hold on to and pull it back and out. Set the transmission on the ground, lube it up,
> and reinstall in about 20 minutes. Takes some fiddling but if you don't turn the transmission input shaft when it's out it'll go right back in.

Has anybody actually done this?

I don't think you can get to the clutch anyway besides the recommended procedure of dismantling the rear end. Maybe if you had a totally naked cafe style bike, but....

There's just too much stuff in the way, plus you need to support most of the bike from the rear while you're doing it.

Removing all the pieces is not hard or complicated, and it gives you a chance to inspect, wipe stuff down, lube the rear drive splines, check for loose bolts, etc.

[pallum]

Has anybody actually done this?

Three or four times now.

It's a good shortcut if you know the shape everything is in. If it's a new bike or has been a few years a complete disassembly is always the way to go.

[rbm]

Same here.  Did it when I had to do some work on the bell housing.  Removed the frame with the front wheel and moved it to the side of the garage like a wheelbarrow.  Then removed the complete rear end from the engine block as a unit.  It's nearly impossible to reassemble as a complete unit so still needed to separate the final drive, drive shaft and transmission from each other.

[TimTyler]

I'm surprised. That's cool, guys.