Forum bmwbike.com

On my 1958 R60 (vin R60618879) that I'm restoring there was a circlip and two spacers (a 1 mm and a 2 mm) just forward (toward the generator) from the timing gear. I can't find them in the parts catalog but would like to purchase them, as the originals are damaged. The inside diameter of the circlip is about 23 mm. The inside diameter of the two spacers is about 25 mm and the outside diameter is about 38 mm. Again, thickness of the spacers is 1 mm and 2 mm.

Someone told me that BMW stopped even using these at some point in the early 60s, choosing instead just to press on the timing gear, and that I could just leave the spacers and circlip off without any ill effect.

Any advice here? I'd gladly purchase them if they're available somewhere.

Mark, do you have them? Should I leave them off?

Thanks in advance,
Philip Jones

Philip,

If BMW had those on there was a reason so put some back on (used or otherwise). The ones that do not have them have a different timing gear in that it is more recessed and makes the bearing inner face impossible to pry and get off. So what you end up doing is removing the bearing and the gear at same time. I opened up 2 engines (R69S and a R50) that had no circlip or spacer. Since I had been told there was a circlip between the bearing and the gear, I tried to pry out the bearing before with no luck. I finally decided to try to pull both of them together to find out that this was the method to use on these particular bikes....I can now recgnize either configuration by how much the bearing is recessed in the gear. If you cannot get easily behind the bearing to pry it out, then there is no circlip/spacer holding back the gear.

Philip, Although I generally agree with Pierre, there is no way any of those timing gears can slip forward. You must use a proper puller to remove the gear, which is always VERY tight!

When re-assembling it is important to thoroughly heat the gear before fitting, and to locate the gear fully home by use of a proper puller.

I have seen gears with and without circlips, just circlips and with not even a circlip groove. However, although logic might whisper that fitting a gear with no washers or clip will make no difference, I would replace them nonetheless for peace of mind if they were there originally.

Because the washers only take up the gap between gear and clip, their exact fit is not vitally important.