Question of another FD failure?

[tobiwan]

Decided it was time to remove the little critters that have been attracted to the lights during my rides to work. Then said why not wash the whole thing.

On the lower right side of the sidebag i noticed a few, what appeared to be some flicks of grease. Upon investigation I found the bottom half of the rear hub covered with grease, that seems to be coming from the drive shaft rubber boot. Am I going to be one of the few FD failures on an 05 thus far???

[messenger13]

I'm no expert, but I don't think your LT is falling victim to a failed FD. I think that boot is leaking (possible tear?) and what you're seeing is just grease from the drive shaft spline. Maybe even a U-joint behind there.

The experts will chime in soon . . . but I'm pretty sure you're safe. Here's to hopin' and prayin'. :)

[CharlieVT]

IMO that's not a classic final drive failure, but is is more that just a little spline grease.
I suggest: loosen the clamp on the boot and pull the boot back. Does a bunch of oil run out?
If yes, you have a seal failure.
Let's go from there.

HTH

[tobiwan]

found bunch of oil in boot. driveable to dealer for repair, trailer or dealer pick up?

[messenger13]

I would ride it to the dealer. Stop every 10 to 20 miles to check for excessive heat. Let it cool for 10 mins, then continue on. But if the dealer will pick it up for free, that's always a consideration. :)

[kevincook]

Toby,

Sorry to hear of your trouble. Is there oil up inside the swing arm, indicating a failed transmission seal? If not, the seal to the final drive has failed.

The final drive doesn't have much fluid so make sure you check the level and then just ride to the dealer.

Good Luck,
Kevin

[gbob]

If it were me I would open up the rubber boot and see how much oil/grease is in there and what it is ? FD lube (GL5,hypoid gearlube has a oil refinery smell,ep grease for ujoints /splines is not any where as strong ) check trans and FD lube levels you can smell them then for comparison . If they are full clean it all up ,also check for wheel play ,grab tire front and back should not be any play felt.If not ride a little check again this should give you some answers .

Hope this might help


Bob G
99Lt 50K miles

"It does not take all kinds of people we just have them " author unknown

[CharlieVT]

found bunch of oil in boot. driveable to dealer for repair, trailer or dealer pick up?

Oil in boot is from final drive or transmission.
Checking final drive is easiest, so check there, if low, add some and drive to dealer.
If final drive oil level is normal then leak is from tranny. If quanity of oil found in boot is not too great, let's say less than a cup or so, then drive to the dealer and don't worry about oil being a little low in the tranny.

If a large quanity of oil came out of the boot, then adding to the tranny might be a good idea before riding it any distance.

Good luck.

[tobiwan]

there is very little oil in the boot. Less then a tablespoon.
Checked FD level and it is not low, and while the fluid in FD has a reddish tint, and the oil from the boot is brownish, both sources have the same strong smell. Seems likely it is FD seal.

Bike just had 36K service. but is there anything else I should have them check while they are in the neighborhood.

[tobiwan]

Got an update from MAX BMW. They confirm that the leak is from the FD. And My extended warranty will cover it. have not opened it up fully yet to discover the reason, but will stay in touch

I asked them if they would drill the weep hole for me while they are in the area with it all apart. Owner said no way. Tried to reach through the phone to convince them but...................

So I will be looking for a tech session in the very near future

[dglenn1]

Got an update from MAX BMW. They confirm that the leak is from the FD. And My extended warranty will cover it. have not opened it up fully yet to discover the reason, but will stay in touch

I asked them if they would drill the weep hole for me while they are in the area with it all apart. Owner said no way. Tried to reach through the phone to convince them but...................

So I will be looking for a tech session in the very near futureHey, glad your still under warranty. It was fortunate washing your bike brought the problem to your attention. Only one of the benefits from this often overlooked maintenance item. Just out of curiosity - How many miles on the bike?
Thanks,

[tobiwan]

Just turned 37K miles. and it will be the extended warranty That is kicking in for the event.

[jzeiler]

I asked them if they would drill the weep hole for me while they are in the area with it all apart. Owner said no way. Tried to reach through the phone to convince them but...................

So I will be looking for a tech session in the very near future

The removal of the final drive is only part of the process. Removal of the swingarm is necessary to drill the weep hole so I don't blame him for not doing it. It would take an additional hour or more (depending on how they charge it) to drill the hole. Tech session is highly recommended to help you get to know the bike better and save a few bucks.

[tobiwan]

Update, MAX called and confirmed seal leak to FD, however they also found Tranny output seal was also leaking. and they will also be fixing that.

The really great news is that my extended warranty is covering everything.
No Co-pay
No deductable.
This one little incident will be close to if not for real, exceeding the cost of the warranty.
So for the next five years to 2013, and miles of smiles life is good

[meese]

If they're removing the swing arm to get to the tranny seal, that would be a good time to drill the slave cylinder weep hole. But if Max doesn't want to do it, then just let the extended warranty cover the repair and be done with it.

Alternately, you could ask them to change the slave cylinder while they're up in the area. That should only be $100 in parts and maybe an extra 1/2 hour in labor. Or just do a local tech session some time later and sort it all out then. :)

[Buckelew]

If they're removing the swing arm to get to the tranny seal, that would be a good time to drill the slave cylinder weep hole. But if Max doesn't want to do it, then just let the extended warranty cover the repair and be done with it.

Alternately, you could ask them to change the slave cylinder while they're up in the area. That should only be $100 in parts and maybe an extra 1/2 hour in labor. Or just do a local tech session some time later and sort it all out then. :)

Of course, I requested those from my closest dealer...and the tech decided that I didn't need the clutch slave cylinder changed - and I was paying for that......grrrrrrrr

[tobiwan]

Update on bike.
the deeper they go the more they are finding. Called MAX this evening and was told they found the drive shaft all "dinged" up and would need to be replaced. Bike has been running smoooooooooth, no grinding or loud noises (I do use ear plugs)

Any thoughts as to what could have gotten in the space that could have done this? Parts from the FD? They said the UV joints were solid and clean.
As much as I like using OPM (other peoples money) to fix my ride, I would much rather be riding her.