Following up this product here – R1200/1250 LC intermediate shaft repair kits

The WHY!

With time, everything wears down. Even rocks crumble under rain/river water force and pressure, that is normal. By the way, which one is harder, water or rock? 🙂

As the engine is running, with time, wear starts showing up on the intermediate shaft and the bearings that rotate on it. These rotate half the engine speed, but wear is both visible and audible… My bike’s engine had a loud ticking noise, unnormal, as other engines did not have it, nor the mileage mine had. But the ticking was definitely there, the valves freeplay was properly set… Once taken apart, the bearings were so worn that needles started falling off! Not cool…

Now that you have purchased it, how does it fit inside your engine… ?

Work one side at a time, making sure to rotate the engine by hand and feel any hard spots. There should be none, but better check and make sure before hitting that starter button.

Start by cleaning the engine, wash the bike, then remove any kind of crashbars or cylinder protection, since the valve cover needs to come off. Remove the spark plug cover, the coil and the spark plug itself, then remove the valve cover.

Here I am describing the install on the engine right hand side as you would ride it. The left hand side is the same.

Special tools needed: a kind of bearing puller, I have described below what I am using and a cam locking tool plus the timing chain tensioner assembly, both of which can be purchased HERE.

Relevant tightening torque values:

• chain tensioner to cylinder 32Nm
• camshaft sprocket bolts 65 Nm
• cylinder head cover bolts 10 Nm
• threaded plug for locking at TDC in engine crankcase 30 Nm
• screw for intermediate shaft axle in cylinder head 8 Nm

So, this is what it looks like once the valve cover is off:

Note that you must get the engine to the top dead center (TDC) compression stroke for the side that you are working on; that means that the valve lobes are orientated as above and the valve locking tool can be fitted, and the timing plug on the left hand side has the big hole centered:

Remove the tensioner on that side:

Remove the two bolts holding the camshaft sprockets, that is why you need the valve locking tool

Bolts removed:

Remove the sprockets by pulling them towards the back

Remove the M6 bolt holding the soon to be replaced spindle

Pull the spindle towards the back of the engine

Push the intermediate shaft towards the inside of the engine so that you can remove the timing chain and put it to the side so that the intermediate shaft can be then extracted

Shaft extracted:

This is the bearing puller I am using(inertial kind), but any one that fits inside should do

Attempting to remove the bearings, on each of their side

Voila! Bearing removed

Both sides, there is where the replacements fit in

Press the new bearings(supplied) on both ends. Try not to damage them… use either a press or a screw, washer and nuts, just make sure they go in evenly and not at an angle!

Now it is time to start putting it all back together. Fit the sprocket and intermediate shaft back in the engine and slide the timing chain back on the sprocket

Slide the new spindle in to hold the intermediate shaft into position, put the locking screw back in.

Fit the timing chain tensioner assembly and hand tighten it using your fingers, both the outer brass side and the inner stainless side, that will mean that the chain is now tighten as it would be in normal working conditions, under load:

Fit the sprockets back on the camshafts:

Fit the bolts and tighten them:

Remove the timing chain tensioner assembly and fit the original spring tensioner back, remove the valve locking tool and fit the valve cover.

Now to double check your work, put the bike in 6th gear and rotate the rear wheel(spark plugs removed) in the normal direction as it would run, check for it running smooth, rotate it a couple of times.

Move to the other side, set/rotate the engine to TDC compression stroke and do that side as well!