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Gear oil

 
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CaptainBalrog
Brick Rider


Joined: 14 Jul 2018
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 11:16 am    Post subject: Gear oil Reply with quote

Yo!

So i made a dipstick for my k1100LT gearbox.

Bought a 40p plastic ruler and used a Stanley knife to cut it into an L-shape.

Got the specs from my Clymer manual wot i bought so fairly sure it's right.

Used it to check the level and found its about 5mm above the max. Don't really know how important that is since the only bike I've ever had to put gear oil in before was a ktm exc250!

Thought I'd check on here.

Also thought I might just change the engine and gear oil. Just got the bike so i don't know how long the fluids have been in there.

Transmission fluid looks clear. No sign of foamyness (Don't know if that's a thing that happens on this bike)

Engine oil looks ok too.

Anyway the bmw dealer said to use this stuff in the gearbox:

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-68901-fuchs-titan-race-syn-5-75w-90-fully-synthetic-gear-oil.aspx

I’ve not seen this mentioned in all my readings so far. Not sure the guys there have ever seen a bike this old. They look awfully young!

Is it ok to use this?

Cheers.
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Jim
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Joined: 17 May 2003
Posts: 3840
Location: WHERETHEFUNNEVERENDS

PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 1:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sure is. Any good grade synth is fine in the trans and rear. It will help you find any leaks...

I usually use a Castrol synthetic blend for the engine. My K doesn't like pure synthetic.

K engines are known for hiding oil. You can look at the sight glass one time, it'll be low, look at it later (after riding) and it's back up to the dot. Only fill to the dot when changing or adding.
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Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repairing
1992 K75RTP 46,000
1992 R100R 24,000 - FOR SALE

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."
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Scott_Anderson
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Joined: 05 Sep 2006
Posts: 3117
Location: Central Iowa, USA

PostPosted: Mon Jul 30, 2018 8:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And I would not be surprised if your k was the 1st one they had ever seen......
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Flying Duck
PsyKotic Waterfowl


Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 10082
Location: Bumf***, WA

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jim wrote:
I usually use a Castrol synthetic blend for the engine. My K doesn't like pure synthetic.


What does "doesn't like" mean?
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86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
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Flying Duck
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Joined: 27 Jan 2005
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 7:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Any decent 75-90 or 75-140 gear oil will work.

If you run 75-140 full synth with some Moly additive you will get the best results.
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93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE
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CaptainBalrog
Brick Rider


Joined: 14 Jul 2018
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 9:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

Thanks for the replies.

Sounds like this stuff is ok.

I've never heard of this Moly additive stuff. Is it only for synthetic gear oil or could i just bang some in without knowing what oil is in there? Like i said the existing oil doesn't look like it's been in there long so i'm not desperate to change it just yet.

Also, should the additive be considered part of the overall fill level?

I thought the transmission was a sealed pressurised thing see so that's why i was wondering about it being a little overfilled.

Just did a quick google -- is slick 50 that kind of thing?

Cheers.
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Flying Duck
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is not a sealed system. There is a breather cap on the top of the transmission. Overfilling it is not the end of the world.

Avoid Slick 50 products. They are snake oil.

Moly additive is a friction modifier that will make your transmission shift more smoothly and reduce wear. It can be used with any gear oil, synthetic or not.
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93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE
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Grunter
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 30 Sep 2015
Posts: 367
Location: North East England

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 5:12 pm    Post subject: Gear level Reply with quote

BMW make a tool especially for checking the oil in the gearbox, it also doubles up as a 'C' spanner for adjusting wrench for the rear suspension. They are not very expensive and very easy to use. There is a grove stamped into the handle which indicates the level.

The oil sight glass in the engine case is for the engine only not the gearbox. I have never known any problems with measuring the oil levels in either the motor or gearbox. With the R1100/R1150/ R1200 models - yes it can be difficult to judge, but not the good old 'K' models.

The correct level for the final drive is when the oil level reaches the lower thread of the filler hole - no more no less.

It really is very simple - no tricks at all.

If you use a semi synthetic oil for both the gearbox and final drive there is absolutely no need to add anything else to the oil either Slik 50 or Moly additive. Modern oils are so good they do not need them. They are only sold to increase the profits of the oil companies. Indeed they have the same value as one other post suggested 'snake oil'.
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Flying Duck
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Joined: 27 Jan 2005
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually, really good gear oils (like Royal Purple) contain moly as a friction modifier because it bonds to metal well. This is not snake oil but a fact of chemistry.

It is also known to be a very good friction modifier for sliding metal surfaces under high pressure so you should definitely use Moly on the splines of your K.
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE
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Grunter
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 30 Sep 2015
Posts: 367
Location: North East England

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 3:09 am    Post subject: Moly Reply with quote

This oil Royal Purple (unknown in UK) may contain oil additives blended by the manufacturer, but what the others are talking about is adding it afterwards. So aftermarket moly/slik 50 - is still snake oil.

There were tests conducted by non other than Rolls Royce about 20 years ago to see if these additives could improve the life if bearings in turbine engines, however in fact they made no difference, except it cost more.

Why spend more than is absolutely necessary? My 1st 'K' bike, a K100RS did over 120K miles in 11 years and there was no problems with the bearings, pistons, cams, cam followers at all and all it was fed over those 11 years was 20/50 mineral oil. The gearbox and final drive used BMW recommended 90 in the summer and 80 in the winter. I changed this to 80/90 when it became available.
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N41EF
Flying Brick Rider


Joined: 23 Mar 2014
Posts: 406
Location: Aiken, SC

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 10:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As long as we are weighing in on gear oil, which is almost as exciting as an oil thread.

I like Penzoil Synchromesh, conventional in 80w-90. It's rated GL4 and GL5 and is supposed to have an additive package for manual transmissions with weird metals in them to keep them from having corrosion issues. I change the rear end and transmission every oil change just because it's cheap.

Years ago I used it in a 6 speed Porsche transmission that was having some synchro noise. It quieted it down and made it shift like butter. Since then it went in my Land Rover, Mercedes M320 and a half dozen VWs. I know Synthetics are good for many years and a hundred thousand miles, but there is something about just knowing it's got new stuff in it. With the VW manual transmission I do it every 40k miles as cheap insurance.

For $12 a quart at a LAPS it's just cheap insurance that makes me feel good. I only put 5k miles on the bike a year so it gets any wear or moisture out of the bike.
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Flying Duck
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Joined: 27 Jan 2005
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2018 11:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pistons, cams, etc have nothing to do with gear oil.

If not abused and the grub screw doesn't come loose, K transmissions are very sturdy and can easily last hundreds of thousands of miles using any decent gear oil, dino or synthetic.

However, having owned some 20+ of them over the years I know that running moly additive with 75-140 makes them shift noticeably more smoothly. No snake oil is involved, just the chemistry of how moly bonds to metal and is an effective friction modifier.
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE
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