1959 R60

[Gossamer]

An oil slinger is a cupped washer (for lack of a better term) that serves as a prehistoric oil filter on /2 engines. There are 2 mounted on the crank, and they take the oil, and via centrifugal force, force the oil into the slingers with the result that the slinger “captures” many of the particulates in the oil. They actually work quite well given the nature of the system. The problem is that you have to take the engin completly apart to clean them. (Take the crank out, use a pick to clean the accumulated debris and reassemble). This is suggested every ~20k miles) In the old days, BMW Service at $5/hour was not a big deal, but nowadays there are few who know how to do it except DIYers.

Any bike that has been sitting, and then is started and run, can cast loose all the debris to lunch the main and rod bearings. The Mains are big roller bearings that are fairly easy to replace, but the rod bearings are not like conventional Babbitt bearings, but roller bearings encapsulated in the big end of the rod. The only way to replace them is to pull the crank apart with very specialized tools, inspect and rebuild the crank and press it back together with proper alignment under thousands of pounds of pressure. (A very big and expensive job...don’t ask me how I know!)

In short, while it is tempting to run the bike, you run a great danger of doing very expensive damage doings so. /2 crank and rod bearings will last 100’s of thousands of miles if properly cared for, but can be lunched in short order with the slingers are not attended to, and if grit get in the rod bearings.

While it is time consuming to do a slinger service, it is not really very hard if you get a good book and an all in one tool to pull the genny, the magneto and the timing gear and case. If you DIY it isn’t expensive except for time. A few tools and a gaskets. Also give you a chance to check the heads, the cam bearings, bores etc.

Hope this helps,

Icarus


Couldn't have had a better explanation.

Ok.so where is the best place.to find a good service manual?

[Gossamer]

Vech discusses the slingers here:

http://www.benchmarkworks.com/articles/tech/oil.html


Thank you good reading for me.

Looks like I have lots to learn about these classics

[312Icarus]

Barrington Service manual, not cheap but is the gold standard. I don’t have one, but wish I did. I should order one myself!

http://www.barringtonmotorworks.com/gal ... =14&gid=97

Icarus

[Gossamer]

Vech discusses the slingers here:

http://www.benchmarkworks.com/articles/tech/oil.html

[miller6997]

I don't recall ever seeing a suggested 20,000-mile service interval for cleaning the slingers. Vech cites a recommendation of 45,000 miles for bikes that have had reasonable service.

[schrader7032]

I would agree with Jon that the service interval was certainly long and not around 20K. If that were the case, then when the bikes were first out, that would mean a major service every couple of years or so.

I seem to recall Duane Ausherman say on occasion that the slingers typically went for many miles, on the order of 80 to 100K. The reason they could was that the non-detergent oil didn't hold the particulates in suspension and they would routinely settle in the bottom of the pan. A routine sump pan cleaning was then necessary. But with the use of detergent oil, the issue became more of a problem.

I think Vech's suggestion is based upon good maintenance and the general thought is that changing the oil on a more frequent basis will help pull out the bad stuff. Probably, the older the engine that has been maintained well will start to have more blow-by, thus generating more particulates in the oil, thus speeding up the need for a slinger service.

[312Icarus]

IIRC Vech suggests that the original service interval was ~50k under “normal” service, but also says that bikes that only run occasionally, are not really “normal” service and are subjected to more crap in the slingers. Bottom line, preventative maintenance is just that. I did mine at 50k and waited too long.

Icarus

[miller6997]

On my present R69S the slingers were cleaned for the first time at 57,000 and everything in the engine was fine. My first R69S went 103,000 miles with no slinger service, and it was still running fine when I sold it. Both of these bikes had known histories of faithful maintenance, 1000-mile oil changes, and relatively gentle use. If I were buying a /2 today that did not have those three advantages, I would definitely not gamble.

And a footnote: Both bikes ran on detergent oil from the beginning--Havoline, then Shell, then more recently Castrol multi-grade. A couple of years ago I switched to Valvoline VR-1 (straight 40w) on Vech's recommendation. I used Amsoil for a short interval but soon tired of the religious rituals required to find and buy it. I still use Amsoil in the trans and final drive because they don't require such frequent changing.

[R68]

...I congratulate you on your new acquisition; an R69 is a really desirable and fairly seldom seen BMW. It might not be the best BMW to use for your first restoration project? I think it's earlier than '59. Maybe it transition 1957, with later air cleaner but earlier headlamp ears? I think the speedo face is black/white, not black/beige? I wonder if that larger plate underneath the others is a "US Forces in Germany plate"...lucky you, but please do your research before you start to take it apart?

[Gossamer]

...I congratulate you on your new acquisition; an R69 is a really desirable and fairly seldom seen BMW. It might not be the best BMW to use for your first restoration project? I think it's earlier than '59. Maybe it transition 1957, with later air cleaner but earlier headlamp ears? I think the speedo face is black/white, not black/beige? I wonder if that larger plate underneath the others is a "US Forces in Germany plate"...lucky you, but please do your research before you start to take it apart?

Well I' hoping to bring her home the weekend of the 22nd. So at that point i can get a much better assessment of what this is, what it needs, get some much better pics etc.

My Uncle who's truly the owner is in his mid 80's and not in the greatest of health. My Dad is who also 83 and actually still in decent health and sharp is the one who's feeding me model and year. However he told me it's small enough that it would probably fit in the trunk of my car on it's side(LOL). While that may true, she'll be coming home in the back of a pickup.

I also think the back black plate is a US Force Germany plate. I'm curious about all those plates and will frame them in a large frame for a wall hanger since the newest plate is 40 years old.

I WILL be doing lots of research and ask lots of questions here.

My biggest fear is doing something to ruin a part that is either very expensive or irreplaceable.

I'm a little against the clock here because I want to get her road worthy before the next person in this generation passes. I'm thinking big smiles and some really cool photo op if I can get them in front of or even get them to do a few laps around the subdivision on it.

However, new tires, relacing the spokes, brakes, oil, battery, final drive oil, wheel bearings and cable operation are the beginning of a restore as well a lot of chrome polish and cleaning to see what's under all that dirt.

I will keep everyone here posted. It's taken me 6 months just to get it moved from one garage to the owners garage. Now I'll need to get the owner to release it to me so that I can restore it for him.

As stated he's not 100% there and has the hoarder behavior. So things change is his mind from time to time but the last few times I spoke with him and pointed out that 40 years it's sat untouched, with his deteriorating health and age he'll never get it this done. But I'll make every effort to bring it back to it's glory and let him ride it or take him for a ride.

It's a piece of motorcycle history, it's a piece of family history. My son turns 16 on the 20th so I hope I can transition it to him and so on and so on.