Riding in the Rockies

[rattler50]

Well, I started out on an LT and came home in a Penske box van with an LT in the rear. Crapped out in Grand Junction. Grinding noise in the rear, got worse real quick. I loaded it up and hauled it home. Now I can tear it down and work on it. If anyone here has rebuilt a FD I'd like to hear about it. Looks like I'm going to be doing that............. :(

[vernvernvern]

Well, I started out on an LT and came home in a Penske box van with an LT in the rear. Crapped out in Grand Junction. Grinding noise in the rear, got worse real quick. I loaded it up and hauled it home. Now I can tear it down and work on it. If anyone here has rebuilt a FD I'd like to hear about it. Looks like I'm going to be doing that............. :(

Sorry I can't help and sorry you've had the FD failure experience. I had mine redone at the dealer. first time under warranty and the second time, no charge as it didn't last much more than a year. Parts are warranted for 2 years. Just a thought for you to ponder.

Of course, in my opinion, you shouldn't have to pay to have it repaired anyway if it's been maintained per BMW requirements.

Just curious, any signs of shinny chips on the FD drain plug at the last FD oil change?

I check mine every 3000 miles since I've had trouble with my FD.
Vern :bmw:

[donn]

What year bike and how many miles......

[CharlieVT]

Well, I started out on an LT and came home in a Penske box van with an LT in the rear. Crapped out in Grand Junction. Grinding noise in the rear, got worse real quick. I loaded it up and hauled it home. Now I can tear it down and work on it. If anyone here has rebuilt a FD I'd like to hear about it. Looks like I'm going to be doing that............. :(

I have a pre-2002 (hole for speedo sensor) in a box ready to ship.
Not sure what year your bike is. Send me a PM if you have a pre-02 bike and want a rebuilt drive.

I am looking for someone to donate a post 02 final drive that I can rebuild and make available but so far no success finding one.

[rattler50]

My bike is an 03 and it has 45,932 miles on it. I changed the gear oil last week and the magnet showed very little on it. I changed the tranny oil as well. The previous owner purchased the bike in Oklahoma City. It had 15,591 miles when I bought it. I put a clutch in it at 19,000. It's been the worst bike I've ever owned for breaking down. I won't own another one after this......... ;)

[rattler50]

I just pulled the plug and drained the FD. It looked like someone had poured a large bottle of glitter into the oil. It came out in lumps. No question now, eh........ :o

[Steve_R]

So you say it looked a lot like this . . . . . .

http://www.bmwlt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=19664&stc=1

[NCrider]

Sorry to hear it from a twice failed. No rhyme or reason- you can check/ change the fluid all you want. When it fails, there doesn't seem to be a warning in many cases.

I'm growing more disenchanted with the LT and the larger displacement BMW's the more I think about it. Bikes in the shop 2.5 weeks now. I've got til Friday to decide if I'm gonna pursue the lemon law and send notification- 1st step.

[rattler50]

I was in Paradox Canyon when I first heard the noise. It sounded like a bad tire. I could hear a rythmethical "womp, womp, womp" and feel a little of it in the footpegs. The next morning it wasn't there. I rode the 67 miles out of the canyon and into Grand Junction. I guess the short ride warmed up the oil and let the shavings move again. I could hear it again when I hit the stop lights in town. Another couple of miles and it was sounding like it was eating itself. I was afraid to go any further. Good thing I was in the front of truck rental.
I'll rebuild it or have it rebuilt and try it again. I find it very frustrating that I can't trust this bike to stand up. It certainly doesn't stand up to what the name would imply. I think not buying a good aftermarket warranty was a big mistake. I would suggest to anyone who wants to buy used. It seems a lot of these are for sale just around the time the original warranty is coming to an end. That may be a wise decision............. :rolleyes:

[vernvernvern]

I was in Paradox Canyon when I first heard the noise. It sounded like a bad tire. I could hear a rythmethical "womp, womp, womp" and feel a little of it in the footpegs. The next morning it wasn't there. I rode the 67 miles out of the canyon and into Grand Junction. I guess the short ride warmed up the oil and let the shavings move again. I could hear it again when I hit the stop lights in town. Another couple of miles and it was sounding like it was eating itself. I was afraid to go any further. Good thing I was in the front of truck rental.
I'll rebuild it or have it rebuilt and try it again. I find it very frustrating that I can't trust this bike to stand up. It certainly doesn't stand up to what the name would imply. I think not buying a good aftermarket warranty was a big mistake. I would suggest to anyone who wants to buy used. It seems a lot of these are for sale just around the time the original warranty is coming to an end. That may be a wise decision............. :rolleyes:

You're mostly right. Guess I'm about due for another rebuild. First failure at 18,900. Secong one at 39,000 and I now have 55,000 on the bike, Guess I better get ready.
I'm nearly 69 years old and was hoping this would be my last bike purchase, Maybe not, eh?

Bought it used with 9 months left on the warranty. The good thing is , it hasn't cost me any money..............just time and agrivation!!!!!!!!

I TOO was really surprised at the 18,900 mile FD failure since it was a BMW! I didn't get what I thought I was buying. The bike was on a HD lot at a GREAT price. Oh well, I had lots of trouble with my HD Road Glide as well. It was the fuel system that did it in! Maybe it's the luck of the draw!

I sure love riding this LT though. Just gotta keep fixing it, I guess. Such is life!

Carry on!
Vern

[rattler50]

Well, I got it torn down. The crown bearing is rolled up like a rag. I called OKC BMW and ordered the parts to fix it. It will be $240 and a week without a bike. I'm a transmission rebuilder so I have a shop and all the tools I'll need to rebuild it there. When it's slow, I often work on my bike in the back.
I may have had a warning on this failure. I thought the FD was a little rough when I changed the oil last week. I'll know when I get it back together if I was right. When I changed the oil last time, I noticed that it didn't seem to have enough oil in it when I drained it. The seal may have been leaking a little. I never saw any new oil but there was some black, greasy build up on the FD. I checked the temp on the final drive when I stopped to inspect it. The temp was the same as the tire.
I'll watch it closer this time. I don't think changing the FD oil every time you change engine oil will help. It's not the oil that's failing, it's the bearing. While a PITA, this may not be as bad as I first thought. Time will tell. I feel better after seeing the parts and knowing it's within my ability to fix it. It's the doing without a bike when it's 84 degrees and sunny outside for the next week. I wish I had a spare bike to ride.............. :D