Poll about Final Drive (Bevel Gear) Oil Spillage on the rim and tyre

[Petrus]

My wife takes the piss out of me...... t

... and then puts it back in? I get it

 

[emgarciax]

Approximately 12,000 miles, no issues with final drive nor any other component on 2021 R18 Classic.

I'd call that a bit of seepage more than a leakage.
It happened to me once during my first six months, cleaned it up. And never again.

 

[ad78]

I agree .. on the 1200C it only took @-30 ml to make it stop seeping ... it didn't weep when I got her, but I changed all the fluids after a short while and then she did start seeping ... actually so bad there were stripes on the tire. Then I took a syringe and drew 30 ml out and after that, absolutely noting ... then I put 20 000 miles on hat rear end and had 0 problems

-30ml from 190ml? i put 180ml and still spitting

 

[Ulrich]

-30ml from 190ml? i put 180ml and still spitting

In that case I think you may have a bigger ... more mechanical issue ... sorry to hear. Oh and just to remind you that was my R1200C .. not my R18 ... in regards to amounts.

 

[Mac]

I had a few oil marks before the first service and nothing until this weekend and now at 1700 miles. The first pic is 185 miles after a clean and the second is 55 miles after cleaning. Some of the runs at 185 miles had reached the tread on some parts of the tyre. I guess a call to BMW is set for tomorrow. I thought my garage had started to smell of gear oil lately!

 

[Mac]

I had a few oil marks before the first service and nothing until this weekend and now at 1700 miles. The first pic is 185 miles after a clean and the second is 55 miles after cleaning. Some of the runs at 185 miles had reached the tread on some parts of the tyre. I guess a call to BMW is set for tomorrow. I thought my garage had started to smell of gear oil lately! View attachment 21618View attachment 21619

Update the seal was replaced on the 10th July. First run today about 180 miles and yes you guessed it - still leaking.

Has anyone had the rear bevel box replaced and then had it leak again?

 

[snider1970]

Its been over 6 months and they're still trying stuff with washers and seals. I have it back now to do another test run. So far its never made it past 50 miles without leaking. I have a feeling that after this run its going in for the 5th time.

 

[Mac]

Its been over 6 months and they're still trying stuff with washers and seals. I have it back now to do another test run. So far its never made it past 50 miles without leaking. I have a feeling that after this run its going in for the 5th time.

Wow. Why on earth have they not just changed the box out. I would be engaging legal help well before now. It is a safety issue as well. Unless you are being paid to be a tester I would be fuming.

 

[snider1970]

You have to jump through BMW's hoops.

 

[JAMUSAURUS]

Almost certainly grease. Was this event associated with hard riding and high air temperature? It happened to me on two occassions, the first coincided with air temp about 30 deg C. Eventually BMW took a look.

First photo is the back of the bevel drive housing, its clean. If there was an oil leak from the seal you would expect oil/drips on this face (it is static). This face can be inspected without removing the drive plate, just remove the wheel and take out the cush drive rubbers - they have spigots that fit into holes in the drive plate which allows inspection of this face with a torch.

If you wipe the deposits off onto your finger and smell it, if it was transmission oil it would smell sulphurous.

BMW did not want to go further than this as they said there was no oil leak, but I pursuaded them to remove the drive plate which is a significant job to remove and replace.

The second photo shows the inside of the drive plate. With the characteristic streaks only on this inside face. Apparently fitting the drive plate requires lots of heat and grease to fit onto the splined shaft. So when the drive plate eventually goes on it will push the grease to the back, where given the right conditions it will fling off onto your rim, tyre, and you may find it on the back of your number plate. Where it cools and has the consistency of grease again.
View attachment 11839

View attachment 11840

I was having issues like everyone else. The grease from the rear wheel shaft was getting into the drive housing and spraying it everywhere. I've gone in and cleaned it up and I no longer have that issue. I did replace the breather as my fluid seemed to look contaminated everytime I changed the drive fluid, which I do at every oil change., but didn't appear to be leaking

 

[Mac]

I was having issues like everyone else. The grease from the rear wheel shaft was getting into the drive housing and spraying it everywhere. I've gone in and cleaned it up and I no longer have that issue. I did replace the breather as my fluid seemed to look contaminated everytime I changed the drive fluid, which I do at every oil change., but didn't appear to be leaking

Good to know. I had the grease in the first 600 miles. That would go solid like a thick dust when the bike cooled down overnight. From 1700 miles it was an oil as it stayed fluid and slowly spread out from the run marks overnight.

 

[JAMUSAURUS]

Good to know. I had the grease in the first 600 miles. That would go solid like a thick dust when the bike cooled down overnight. From 1700 miles it was an oil as it stayed fluid and slowly spread out from the run marks overnight.

i hear you. I spoke to the techs down at our local BMW dealer here in Barrie, Ontario - his words were there hasn't been a single leaky R18 final drive that they have seen or serviced. So he was surprised to see my pictures when I showed up asking. I'm going to go knock on wood now...

 

[Star-Lord]

I changed the bevel gear fluid this morning on my 2022 Model B; the drained fluid color looked almost as good as the new fluid, and I captured only 200 mL of drained fluid. NOTE: last service, I measured 210 mL before filling.

I'm going to try an experiment on this PM, where I'm only going to fill the bevel gear with 200 mL vs the 210 mL and see if I still experience the wicking fluid issue.

I cleaned the whole area around the bevel gear and rear wheel, to establish a clean baseline.

More to follow... the below image is a side-by-side image.. however, this drained oil is Night vs Day from the first oil change from the factory, or worse - from the 600 mile break-in service that probably didn't happen... I was looking at my video (because I forget things..) and the oil from my (MY) first bevel gear change, looked creamy grey in color...

View attachment 22056

 

[JAMUSAURUS]

I'm only going to fill the bevel gear with 200 mL vs the 210 mL and see if I still experience the wicking fluid issue.

I was literally thinking the same for next fill as a test.

Your fluid looks just like mine. I was advocating changing this fluid every oil change as it’s so little and it takes a lot of abuse.

 

[Ulrich]

I was literally thinking the same for next fill as a test.

Your fluid looks just like mine. I was advocating changing this fluid every oil change as it’s so little and a lot of abuse.

I completely agree!! It is a small thing and really easy to do ... and a piece-of-mind IMO ... and I also agree with StarLord's 200 ml refill ... I am doing the same with no ill results that I can tell ... and zero leaks!

 

[Star-Lord]

I might adopt the annual engine oil/air-filter/bevel gear fluid change schedule; I have a shit ton of the BMW G3 bottles (2 cases worth) that I bought from a forum members last year - it was too good of a deal to pass up.

It's definitely an easy task... I didn't change the transmission fluid today, as I was following the PM schedule that BMW published... Next transmission fluid change is scheduled at 24,000 miles

 

[JAMUSAURUS]

I might adopt the annual engine oil/air-filter/bevel gear fluid change schedule;

Amen! Every spring, the bike gets the works as it's cheap insurance and very easy to do.