Gear Box/Transmission Oil Change

[celticus]

How often are yous guys changing your gear box oil?
What sort of oil are you using?
Are there any special tools required?

Mark

[JimS]

Always changed my gearbox and rearend oil on my R100RS and my K1200LT every 2 years. I currently have a R1200R that I got in September 2008. I did my first gearbox oil change in April 2009 with around 1400 miles. I will likely change it again in the fall of 2011 before I put it up for the winter. I used Pennzoil 80W90 for the gearbox. I don't remember what the manual calls for but I think it reads it should be changed every 12000 miles. I'm sure someone will chime in with correct numbers.

[deilenberger]

How often are yous guys changing your gear box oil?
What sort of oil are you using?
Are there any special tools required?

Mark

- I'm planning on 24,000 mile intervals. I'll be doing the rear drive at the same interval.

- Tranny gets BMW Synthetic Gear Oil - 75W-140. Rear drive gets BMW Synthetic 75W-80.

- Nope. Couple of wrenches (mebbe an allen..?) do get a new crush washer for the drain, and remember to loosen the fill before loosening the drain. Oh - and a skinny funnel just to guide the draining oil.

[celticus]

I have been looking around on different sites for different options as to what oil and have found that lots of folks like
Mobile 1 GL5
Royal Purple
RedLine Shockproof Heavy
Spectro Gear Oil
SynLube Lube-4-Life Gear Oil.
It's good to have some not quite so danged expensive choices.

Mark

[celticus]

Does anyone know where I can find a pictorial walk through of a transmission oil change and a finale drive oil change?

Edit
Sorry but after a little looking around I remembered this veritable cornucopia of information.

I guess you will have to register if you have not already.

http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=44

Mark

[Mollygrubber]

The BMWMOA tech library was the main reason I joined, but I was soon to find out how much MORE there is available for members. Those of you who are on the fence, I think it's a great group to belong to.

Peter

[deilenberger]

The BMWMOA tech library was the main reason I joined, but I was soon to find out how much MORE there is available for members. Those of you who are on the fence, I think it's a great group to belong to.

Peter

Peter - good to hear! I'll have to pass your comments back to the other moderators there..

Don (BMW Forum Moderator, BMW-MOA Ambassador also..)

[celticus]

"Don (BMW Forum Moderator, BMW-MOA Ambassador also..)"




Just watch out for that Green Kryptonite Don.

Mark

[NakedRider]

How often are yous guys changing your gear box oil?
What sort of oil are you using?
Are there any special tools required?

Mark

- I'm planning on 24,000 mile intervals. I'll be doing the rear drive at the same interval.

- Tranny gets BMW Synthetic Gear Oil - 75W-140. Rear drive gets BMW Synthetic 75W-80.

- Nope. Couple of wrenches (mebbe an allen..?) do get a new crush washer for the drain, and remember to loosen the fill before loosening the drain. Oh - and a skinny funnel just to guide the draining oil.

Just a note - the final drive is supposed to be changed every 12,000 miles and the initial 600 miles service. From 09 on the put they drain plug on the bottom which helps but you still need to fill through the sensor.

[deilenberger]

- I'm planning on 24,000 mile intervals. I'll be doing the rear drive at the same interval.

- Tranny gets BMW Synthetic Gear Oil - 75W-140. Rear drive gets BMW Synthetic 75W-80.

- Nope. Couple of wrenches (mebbe an allen..?) do get a new crush washer for the drain, and remember to loosen the fill before loosening the drain. Oh - and a skinny funnel just to guide the draining oil.

Just a note - the final drive is supposed to be changed every 12,000 miles and the initial 600 miles service. From 09 on the put they drain plug on the bottom which helps but you still need to fill through the sensor.

Agreed - but in this case - I think it's a number BMW pulled out of the air. When I got my bike - the oil was "lifetime" after the 600 mile initial change (which was done..) When I did change mine at 24,000 miles (they'd just come out with the change interval then) - I drained the old oil into a brand new tinfoil baking pan, so I could see what it looked like.

The oil looked brand new. NO discoloration. NO contamination. NO sign of thinning. It looked exactly like the oil I was gonna put back in, so.. to me 24,000 miles appears to be a quite-safe change interval. If I had an '09 where they made it lots easier to change I'd prolly follow the 12k recommendation, but since mine is a minor PITA to change - 24,000 seems safe enough *for me* (your mileage most certainly WILL vary and I'm not suggesting you do anything but what BMW tells you to.. I'll be out of warranty before the next change is due, so..)

[mickyt]

Been changing both @ 20000klm = 12500mls intervals, with Redline Shockproof Heavy in the trans. Was using Redline 75/90 in the FD but I actually found the mythical Castrol SAF-XO at a nearby oil depot. They supply the local BM dealer with lubes and it is also labelled suitable for MAN transmissions. For the engine I use Mob 1 15w/50 car oil (mainly because it comes in 5lt containers and my bike uses the extra litre between changes) but interestingly they supply the dealer with a Castrol 10/40 synthetic which goes into all thier serviced bikes. If the Castrol SAF-XO ever becomes unavailable I would have no hesitation going back to the Redline 75/90 though.

Regards Mick.