tranny leaks behind throwout bearing

[Ocelot]

Funny, isn't it? Sometimes, you get lucky when things go wrong.

Friend of mine has a 94 K75S. Difficulty downshifting at a stop. So I lubed his splines. Dry as a bone.

In the process of putting things back together, I noticed some damp on the accordion sock where the clutch lever pushes the hind end of the throwout bearing. Removed the sock and got a sockful of tranny juice. Removed sock, spring, throwout... there's the seal on the inside. Looks like you have to dis-assemble the whole tranny to install a new seal from inside. Had the shifting not gone south, he might never have known he had that leak until he soaked the clutch plates or drained his tranny or worse yet spewed tranny oil in the path of his rear tire.

Question: Am I looking at a project requiring special tools and expertise? Is the shortest path just to tote the tranny to a dealer and ask for a repair?

[Scott_]

Actually there is supposed to be oil in that rubber sock boot. It keeps those little push-rod roller bearings lubricated. That seal you see inside the shaft is what keeps that oil from working it's way up the push-rod to the clutch.
More often than not, if the clutch cable is out of alignment adjustment there will be extra stress placed on the rubber boot will cause it to break/leak.

[Motorhobo]

Hey Ocelot -- I talked to you earlier in the year about buying your K75 for my sidecar rig but you'd just sold it...I ended up getting a 94 up in Scranton PA.

Anyway -- that issue with the clutch pushrod seal sure comes up a lot...is this what you're talking about?

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=5183.msg31947#msg31947

There's another post somewhere about getting the seal out using a drywall anchor but I just took a curved pick and got it out by destroying it, taking care to keep it in one piece, not scar the wall of the bore and not letting any pieces fall into the roller bearings. I don't think it's necessary to remove the transmission to replace that seal but I think it might be easier -- I trashed a couple seals trying to get it in straight and they ain't cheap.

My K-Bike guru and ex-BMW mechanic Mike also put some blue ATV on the accordion boot where it meets the clutch lever and adjustment screw. I've taken to doing that too and have never had a leak there. In comparison, my other K75 has never had that treatment and the entire area is gooey with leaked gear oil.

Van

[Ocelot]

Okay, so, if there's no leaking forward along the rod, then can I just assume TADT, seal up the accordion sock, and go with it?

My close inspection when lubing splines revealed a dry rod forward.

ps hobo -- Yeah, I sold Ocelot to make way for a new project ... then that new project never came to fruition. I was gonna buy this long-parked R100RS and customise it. But the guy who had it was one of these characters every time you talk to him the story changes. Once we got to where the story changed on who had the title, then I bailed. Now I regret I don't have my wunnerful brick.

[Scott_]

Okay, so, if there's no leaking forward along the rod, then can I just assume TADT, seal up the accordion sock, and go with it?

If you say that the rod was dry, then yea, fix the sock, double check the clutch cable length adjustment and go on.....

[johnny]

dry rod... spit works in a pinch...

j o

[Ocelot]

dry rod... spit works in a pinch...

j o

If you treat her right, she won't be so dry, Johnny.

Meanwhile, the rubber boot is en route