Boxerworks.com

On the 81 on bikes it is easier to fit the clutch pushrod from the clutch end of the gearbox.......is this the same for an earlier /6 5 speed box. New felt seal!

Charles

I'm in the middle of my /7 clutch change. Also did an R69S rebuild a number of years back. IMO, it's far easier to install from the clutch side. I've tried the dental floss technique from the rear and I was unable to do it. I've heard mention of some kind of cone affair...not sure what that is. I can't imagine trying to do that with the tranny installed in the bike...there's so little working room.

I bought a new felt along with all the clutch parts for my /7 job. When I installed the new pushrod and felt from the front, it went in all the way except for the last couple of inches. I had to use a rubber mallet to drive it all the way in. That didn't seem right, but I proceeded. When the tranny was in the bike, the clutch couldn't operate...it was very stiff. I took the tranny out and used the old felt on the new pushrod. That went in quite easily. I ended up using the old felt...I hope it still works well after 100K miles.

I posted my dilemma to the Airheads list and got this response from Tom Cutter:

"BMW has outsourced manufacture of the clutch rod felts for several
years and they just don't fit right. If the original felt fits so loose
that it slips in without resistance, it will eventually allow oil to
pass into the clutch. That is bad. I trim the new ones slightly at the
diagonal cut, removing about 1 mm or so of felt with scissors. Then I
use a home-made tapered sleeve to install the felt from the rear. That
seems to work acceptably."

As I said, I had moved on to using my old felt.

Kurt in S.A.

My experience seems to mirror yours,

I have trimmed the felt greased it and installed from the rear, seems to go in ok ish until get to the last inch or so, then the whole caboodle locks up. I'm not why this should be so and the diameter of the tunnel through the gearbox seems to be the same.

I have tried to install from the rear but can't seem to be able to get the felt in, I will try wrapping it with dental floss to reduce the diameter of the felt and see if a rear install will work.

Charles

Finally got it in, trimmed off a second mm from the felt, wrapped it in dental tape and got it in from the rear.
It feels when I move the clutch rod that the felt remains in one place and that the rod moves up and down to the extent that the felt is shorter than the space in the rod? Haven't a clue if this is right, but putting it all together withthe bearing and the clutch arm, it all feels as if there will be enough free movement to operate the clutch.

Charles