Clutchless and clueless

[Anonymous]

#3457

Today I found the clutch lever travels too far before disengaging the clutch, could not see any leaks at the master or slave cylinders, and no apparent loss of fluid. Could it be air got in? Am looking for a mityvac or similar to bleed the system, does anyone have any other suggestions? Cheers, Doug

[Dave Ross]

#14274

Perhaps it would help if you told us which bike and year and specifications you are talking about.  BMW has used a number of configurations over the years. If it doesn't have ABS, bleeding the brake is pretty easy, no need for any fancy attachments. When was it last serviced?

[Anonymous]

#14275

Hi Kokopelli, it is a 2003 Rockster from Japan with no service history and I'm guessing it will be overdue for a fluid change. Cheers

[Dave Ross]

#14276

Hi Kokopelli, it is a 2003 Rockster from Japan with no service history and I'm guessing it will be overdue for a fluid change. Cheers

Yep, that would be your answer. I change my brake fluid regularly. When I did it a couple of days ago, the rear break reservoir had sludge at the bottom of it. Some water must have made it past the seal. Get yourself a length of clear tube from Mitre 10 and an 8mm spanner. You can then bleed the brakes by yourself. Just be careful when you squeeze the lever. Put a rage around the reservoir, as it will squirt fluid out if you are not careful.

[Dave Morris]

#14277

Put a “rage” around the reservoir, as it will squirt fluid out if you are not careful."rage" is german for rag

[Murray]

#14278

“rage” is german for rag

"brake" must also be German for clutch  😕

[Dave Ross]

#14279

That's right, brake is German for clutch, don't get me into a rag.  Whatever, bleeding the clutch works the same way as bleeding the brake. You may need to get a bleed nipple as there isn't one attached to the clutch line. This line exits near the rear brake reservoir and usually has a foam collar. The take the screw out that closes off the clutch line and replace it with the bleed nipple. Steve and Garry will translate, if a translation is needed.

[Anonymous]

#14280

I think you nailed it, I found some moisture in the cap and then I couldn't help but squeeze the lever and you are right, a miniature of Old Faithful.  I looked for a mityvac as recommended in the clymer manual but they appear to be bleeding expensive. To make one pay for itself one would need to be able to do the brakes as well. I'm visiting Shakeytown next month and thought about booking it in to Jeff Gray BMW for new brake fluid.  Any feedback on that idea is welcome.  Thank you for all the comments, early start in the morning so time to climb into the sipapu.  Cheers!

[Anonymous]

#14281

I had the local brake shop bleed the line as it seemed a good option for a vacuum bleed, but afterwards it was mentioned that they did it manually and had a bit of trouble getting the job done.  There was crud in the reservoir, so it was needing a change, but the lever travel is still excessive, and disengages the clutch just before full travel. I am guessing it is due to air in the line, could it be anything else, like a failed diaphragm spring? Cheers!

[Dave Ross]

#14282

The clutch is a pain to bleed. Ride it for a while and you'll probably find it will improve.

[Anonymous]

#14283

I found a mityvac silverline bleed kit for 70 bucks US, so will report on success or failure in a couple of weeks. I saw one of these on a NZ website for around 450.  I will ride on in the meantime and see if the situation improves. Having become used to the Rockster clutch the R60/6 now feels incredibly stiff in comparison.

[Anonymous]

#14284

The clutch is still a pain, needs to be pumped several times before opening enough to shift. I couldn't get any squeeze bottles to work properly, and the mityvac vacuum bleeder is now only a week or so away. The new Ohlins shocks that were made to measure for the rockster by Robert Taylor arrived yesterday and are quite a revelation, like the wife was 30 years ago. Only two rides but already notice the smoothness, and the headlight beam is noticeably steadier on the road. Those bumps that were like a kick in the bum now feel like a swedish massage, firm but without the violence, and any lurching in the corners has gone. Thanks Robert for a good product and good service. I hope its worth the extra mortgage.

[Dave Ross]

#14285

Sorry to hear about  your ongoing problems with the clutch. Are you sure that your clutch slave cylinder is OK? You can't go wrong with a suspension upgrade, it makes huge difference. It reminded me why I bought my bike all this time ago.

[Anonymous]

#14286

Well the mityvac tool seemed to bleed the system ok but the problem persists. If something is amiss with the master or slave seals I will need new seals, can anyone suggest a local source? I saw a new slave for $100US at beemerboneyard. Is there any way to determine whether it is the master or slave that is causing the problem?  I am pumping the clutch 4-5 times before shifting. and once the pressure is up, holding the lever in seems to maintain the pressure.  Then once the lever is out I need to pump it another 4-5 times to build pressure. I am not 100% certain that the line has been bled properly, as even a small vacuum produced air bubbles coming out with the fluid, and I finished by pressure bleeding and saw no bubbles coming into the master reservoir. Thanks for any thoughts. By the way the mityvac tool is handy, but I have a problem with the cap not sealing effectively so I was limited with the amount of vacuum or pressure available.

[Dave Ross]

#14287

I am not familiar with the R1150R, but the GS has a problem with the plastic hose that's around the clutch fluid line. Water runs down it and gets trapped down the slave end. This causes corrosion. Your clutch line may have a pin hole corrosion. Image stolen from advrider.comMine looked exactly like this. I also had to change the slave cylinder. It's a bit of a mission, but can do it yourself.

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