BMW Luxury Touring Community banner
Cancel

HELP! Tranny & Throttle Response Questions

2127 Views 13 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  jzeiler, 
BlauBeeMr
I've been experiencing a "grinding" affect when shifting to 4th and 5th gears - significantly more than 1-3 (which don't grind at all). It doesn't happen all the time, but more so than not. I've ridden other LTs and they appear to shift like butter. I did my 24K service in April and didn't notice a significant build up of metal shavings on my drain plug magnet. This kind of leaves me wondering if it is the gear or the internal shifting lever inside the tranny (see 1st pic below) or the gears themselves (other pics). I don't have all the tools/gear to to a tranny rebuild that the Clymer's manual call for to do the job properly. I might consider just pulling the tranny and taking it to the dealer for the work, but that'll still cost an arm&leg and I won't have learned anything! Can anyone out there provide the forum with their best guess for what my trouble is in 4th and 5th gear shifts?

Another mechanical item that I've noticed since I've owned the bike is at when I corner at slow speeds with the throttle at full stop, my engine seems to "bog" down or appear like it has too much fuel in the cylinders for a short moment and then it responds like it's supposed to and goes. Would this be my fuel injectors, bad cylinder, or a bad bucket?

I've lived with these unique issues for quite awhile, but they've been a noticable bother even after 35K! I'm planning to take a 6K ride up through/around Nova Scotia from Texas this summer and can do most of the work myself, but wonder where I should limit myself on diving in!

Shifting Lever (#4 below costs $203.08):


or gears:

or ($1194)



Any Ideas?
Thanks for y'all's advice and input!
Kenny
See less See more
3
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
seahabit
Have you tried different settings on the clutch handle adjusting wheel? It's located where the clutch handle meets the fluid reservoir. It's numbered 1 thru 4
Reply
Save
Like
Axle
the settings on the lever do nothing to change the clutch operation as such. they are for people with short fingers :D me
Reply
Save
Like
1
If you have a gring on shift, can you feel it on you toe. If so it would be the shift fork and the respecting gear. These parts are heat treated and hardened, They will feel rough if the wear is starting to gall the mating surfaces. You will feel it on you toe when shifting before metal is actually removed. IE warning sign. If this is the case change you gear oil to a different brand or add something like STP oil treatment. Your gear oil may not be doing it's job.
Reply
Save
Like
1
Dumbass me
I have all the tools to work on the tranny if needed. Go figure.
Reply
Save
Like
R
Be sure it's not the loose nut behind the wheel. I coulda SWORN I had shifting issues as I'd select 3rd, and couldn't select 4th, or 2nd and couldn't select 3rd and it must be something deadly internal and expensive.

Turns out I wasn't letting the shift peg fully return to 'zero', which wasn't letting it select the next gear on the next shift. Since I started paying attention to it, the transmission's been flawless.
Reply
Save
Like
saddleman
Rocketsled said:
Be sure it's not the loose nut behind the wheel. I coulda SWORN I had shifting issues as I'd select 3rd, and couldn't select 4th, or 2nd and couldn't select 3rd and it must be something deadly internal and expensive.

Turns out I wasn't letting the shift peg fully return to 'zero', which wasn't letting it select the next gear on the next shift. Since I started paying attention to it, the transmission's been flawless.
Click to expand...
I had a pair of boots that was hard to get the peg fully unloaded before the next shift. A minor linkage adjustment was all I had to do.
Reply
Save
Like
jzeiler
The 4th and 5th gear change occurs on the assembly you pictured that does not break down (in the picture). It is must be replaced as a complete unit and the only thing you can change on it is the bearings. The shift fork is cast aluminum and it rides on a steel shaft . One end is a pin with a steel sleeve that rides in a groove on the shift drum. Not sure just what is happening in there to cause your symptoms. Most common failure on these is the input shaft front bearing. (at least that is what the last two I worked were). The rest of it is pretty robust.

Thought I would add a few pics from the one on my bench now. First one shows the Intermediate Shaft. Then the dogs that "grind"/engage 4th gear followed by the dogs for 5th gear. Then I show the shift fork for this shaft and how it is moved by the shift drum.

Attachments

See less See more
6
Reply
Save
Like
jzeiler
I should also add that this gear box has over 120,000 miles on it and the dogs all look really good with no rounding of the corners.
Reply
Save
Like
BlauBeeMr
John - thanks for the pictures and reply! Looks like you dove in pretty deep and your pictures certainly show more than Clymers and the manual. In which picture is the input shaft bearing?

Mike and Dave - to the best of my knowledge, I do offload the gear shift peg before changing, but now I'll be more keenly aware of what I'm doing! Thank you! Sometimes, I seem to hit the "sweet spot" in my gear changes and don't notice a thing....your notes might be exactly what I need to pay attention to before pulling Belle apart!

Don - if only you didn't live 1,257 miles away, I'd be on the doorstep of your shop tomorrow! :wave Perhaps a trip out West :cboy: might be in order next year and I'll be like that ferrel cat on your front porch when you go out to get your morning paper just waiting on ya! :thumb:

Again, thank you guys......you're what makes this forum ROCK!! :yeah:
Sincerely,
Kenny
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
Mugszy
Not sure if you are intending to rebuild or replace the trany but I do have one sitting from an 07 LT with roughly 4K miles if you are interested.

Mugz
Reply
Save
Like
jzeiler
Mugszy said:
Not sure if you are intending to rebuild or replace the trany but I do have one sitting from an 07 LT with roughly 4K miles if you are interested.

Mugz
Click to expand...
I am just waiting on parts to put his one back together for a guy up in Michigan. This is his second tranny. The first one spit the balls aft and into the input shaft (destroyed it). This one had 115K on it when he installed it and this one spit the balls forward and the only other damage was a little deformed aluminum around the bearing outer shell seat.

Still have that one do you? I would have though you had gotten rid of it by now. With only 4K on it it must be pristene on the inside.
Reply
Save
Like
Mugszy
jzeiler said:
I am just waiting on parts to put his one back together for a guy up in Michigan. This is his second tranny. The first one spit the balls aft and into the input shaft (destroyed it). This one had 115K on it when he installed it and this one spit the balls forward and the only other damage was a little deformed aluminum around the bearing outer shell seat.

Still have that one do you? I would have though you had gotten rid of it by now. With only 4K on it it must be pristene on the inside.
Click to expand...

Hey John, Yeah it still sits on the bench as I have not been too interested in moving it but the longer it sits the more I wonder why someone else should not want to make better use of it.

Would you say the one on your bench just let go due to old age?

Best...

Mugz
Reply
Save
Like
jzeiler
It looks that way. I have no history on the unit but the only two I have rebuilt to date both had some form of front bearing failure. This one was the worst and he said it just started squeeling. I'll get some pics of the (well whats left of it anyway) bearing.

Here is what is left. There are two balls with flat sides and on the bearing seat in the cover you can see how the balls formed the metal.

Attachments

See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 14 of 14 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
BMW Luxury Touring Community
A forum community dedicated to BMW Luxury Touring motorcycle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, reviews, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
K1200LT RT Series (Post 2013) Bike Talk K1600GT/GTL K1200/1300GT (The Next Generation)
Top