fine metal shavings on the differential drain plug

[SDCR john]

I noticed when I drained the gear oil from my K75 S differential, the drain plug magnet, contained a lot of shavings. This was the very fine shavings, but the quantity is what concerns me. I removed an amount equal to about 2 peas.

The gear oil had about 6000 miles since changed last fall. Should I be concerned about this amount?

[johnny]

greetings...

very fine shavings about 2 peas wurth on the drain plug in 6000 miles means you needs full rebuild immediately... dont turn a wheel... dont even start it... signifficantly concerned...

what gear oil you using in there...

j o

[Chaos]

how many miles on that puppy?

[Laitch]

I removed an amount equal to about 2 peas.

2 ripe snow peas or 2 ripe black-eyed peas?

[SDCR john]

49,000 miles. I bought this in Feb. 2019. The PO had a full service at the BMW dealer at about 43,000 miles last October, that included all fluid changes, diff, trans., etc.

[SDCR john]

Laitch,

  Sorry for lack of clarity when assessing the metal shavings metric. These were the size of two "snow peas".

[Laitch]

If the shift linkage isn't sloppy, if it isn't difficult to shift, if it isn't noisy, if you have used an appropriate lubricant within it and have secured the filler plug, then ride it for another six grand while saving your money for a used replacement in case there is some sort of ancestral curse operating here. johnny asked what you used to refill the case. Please answer.

[johnny]

greetings...

poast up a photo...

and for gawdsakes getts a bigger magnet..

how many snow peas is this...


motobrickshavingsafter6000dealerservicesmiles.jpg (40.04 kB . 600x450 - viewed 1701 times)

j o

[Chaos]

Don't remember ever getting much fuzz on the BMW's rear end plug, but it's normal for the Ural.  I'd listen for whining, check it again after 1,000 miles or so.  Maybe put off any cross continental trips  Just for comparison, here's what my Ural's plugs look like normally, and what the rear end looked like when a bearing went bad.

[SDCR john]

Laitch, Johnny,

Since the previous gear fluid was changed under the last owner, at a BMW shop, I cannot say with any certainty,  exactly what gear oil was used.

Johnny, The picture that you posted looks very similar to what my drain plug looked like yesterday. About the same amount of swarf.

[johnny]

greetings...

its a lemon... dealer bought less than a year ago... id return it for full refund...

j o

[Laitch]

Please post some photos of this moto; this is the first time you've indicated you own an RS. Your courses of action seem limited to

• Disassembly of the transmission for inspection.
• Refilling of the transmission with high quality gear oil then inspection of the drain plug at riding intervals for more metal deposit.
• Purchase of a used transmission as backup.
• Negotiation of a refund from the seller.

Like Chaos recommends, long-distance riding probably shouldn't be undertaken until this condition is sorted.

[SDCR john]

Laitch,

  (A) Its a K75 S, not an RS.

  (B)  The situation involves the Differential, not the Transmission.     

[johnny]

greetings...

s or rs does not matter...

transmission... i thought he said differential... what is the part number of said differential... i gotts to look it up... betts its not oe...

oh my... its worse than i thought... may as well part it out now...

and for gawdsakes send a sample to a chemical engineering metallurgy scientist to determine if that has to disposed of at a hazmat superfundsite...

hold on... lemme take a second look...


secondlookatmetalpsnowpeas.jpg (52.73 kB . 768x522 - viewed 922 times)

you could putta nonmagnetic drane plugg in there and stop your freaking and continue motobricking...

j o

[SDCR john]

Johnny,
  The bike was serviced at a BMW dealer, not purchased there. I bought the bike from an acquaintance, and I don't want a refund.

 

greetings...

its a lemon... dealer bought less than a year ago... id return it for full refund...

j o

[caveman]

Is there any side to side play on rear wheel?

I would open it up and inspect the "big ball bearing" and look for signs of bearing turning in housing or preload shims pealing out from behind the bearing.

FWIW, I had a good bit of shavings come out of my 100rt when I first got it after inspection I've run it 40k and sill going.

Good Luck!

[SDCR john]

Caveman,

  I checked for side by side play, (9 and 3 o'clock). Nothing that I can feel.

I have a local BMW tech taking a look at the FD, as I pulled it off the bike yesterday. I did notice a less than smooth rotation of the final drive , after it was removed. I am awaiting word form the tech when he has time to look at it.

Is there any side to side play on rear wheel?

I would open it up and inspect the "big ball bearing" and look for signs of bearing turning in housing or preload shims pealing out from behind the bearing.

FWIW, I had a good bit of shavings come out of my 100rt when I first got it after inspection I've run it 40k and sill going.

Good Luck!

[Laitch]

After searching for about a year for a nice iteration, I found a very low mileage 1990 Titan Blue K75S.
Changed the filters and fluids, and have put a few hundred miles in just a couple of weeks.

Laitch, (A) Its a K75 S, not an RS. (B)  The situation involves the Differential, not the Transmission.     

Clearly I'm the under-achievement group of your followers and have a lot of catching up to do. In 2017 you seemed to indicate that you purchased a 1990 K75S and changed all its fluids. What happened to that one? We can both agree though that your moto doesn't have a differential unless it's a trike. Did I miss that detail too?

[johnny]

greetings...

hold on... its notta tryke... whats in gawdsakes is going on here... you gotts car tiors on that thing...

1) whats the vin...
2) whats the differential part number...
3) is there a stall kit in that drive trane....
4) where are the photos...

j o

[SDCR john]

Laitch,

So the blue 1990 was sold. This past spring, I bought a 94 yellow K 75 S, so the bike in this thread is a 1994 Yellow K75S.

I was referring to the Final Drive, as a "differential" early on, my mistake.

I don't think I have any "followers", not sure where you are going with that reference.

Clearly I'm the under-achievement group of your followers and have a lot of catching up to do. In 2017 you seemed to indicate that you purchased a 1990 K75S and changed all its fluids. What happened to that one? We can both agree though that your moto doesn't have a differential unless it's a trike. Did I miss that detail too?

[Laitch]

I don't think I have any "followers", not sure where you are going with that reference.

I'm a follower of yours every time you post. I don't need to go anywhere but here for that; however, I'm not yet a disciple. :-) That would take a miracle or two—like changing swarf into sardines.

[billday]

I would be less worried if the swarf didn't look so much like Sideshow Bob.

[daveson]

The oil possibly wasn't changed 6,000 miles ago, even though they charged him for it. Possibly it has never been changed, some people don't bother with FD oil, or even think about it. Hopefully that's the case,  then it doesn't seem so bad.

I would consider taking it back before he looks at it. Since it's low mileage, there is possibly nothing wrong with it.

[Laitch]

Hopefully that's the case,  then it doesn't seem so bad.

It doesm't seem so bad that no oil was put into the final drive, it doesn't seem so bad that John or somebody else was charged for oil that wasn't put into the final drive, it doesn't seem so bad that oil was used for so long it developed the lubricating quality of dishwater, or it doesn't seem so bad that a final drive was operated without lubrication until it started producing metallic hash?

[daveson]

It's had oil in it the whole time.

I doesn't seem so bad if that amount of shavings occurred over 40,000 miles.

If that amount occurred over 6,000 miles,  that's bad.

It's hard for us to believe, because we love our bricks,  but there are people out there who don't even know that the final drive takes oil.

A bloke asked me once if I could get his chainsaw going. I didn't ask the obvious stuff cause he was a DIY type, but eventually I did ask when did you last clean the filter. He said never,  didn't know it had one. Another bloke who ran his Husky chainsaw with less oil to blow it up for a refund. Didn't work so he ran it with no oil, still didn't pack up.  It's hard to believe but some weird shit happens sometimes.