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Author Topic: Bean can failed - repair or not?  (Read 1725 times)

Offline Tony Smith

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Bean can failed - repair or not?
« on: June 23, 2019, 08:47:03 PM »
Well

On the even of departure for the annual gathering of the restorer's clubs the bean can failed. In fairness it was not the infamous hall effect, the wires coming out of the bean can had simply flexed once too often and the power supply wire separated.

I pulled it out to fix the wiring and in the process I discovered that the advance/retard pivots were shot and that the upper bush had a lot of movement due to lubrication failure.

As this happened quite literally the evening before departure I was simply out of time and took the GSA instead.

This morning I pulled the bean can out intending to fix it. I would have to remake the pivots and drill the bob weights and fit a brass sleeve in order to return them to stock specifications. The sintered bush is an easy replacement, my local bearing shop lists a suitable candidate for adaption.

I have two dead bean cans but on inspection the advance/retard mechanisms in both are pretty much shot, the buses in both are in good condition.

After a few minutes contemplating a mix-n-match to build a bean can I decided not to bother, and here is the reasoning why:-

There is several hours work to drive out the old pivot pins, make new ones and drive them into the advance/retard plate, and then bore out the bob weights and make a suitable brass sleeve to return them to standard.

I looked at the latest flyer for the Emerald Isle/Red Center/ Alpha 1 ignition system. - Electronic advance and retard, the spindle runs on sealed ball bearings and the hall effect is removable without removing/disassembling the bean can - in fact I am told that a hall effect replacement can be done in 5 minutes.

I contacted the Australian importer and obtained a price. Two minutes later I paid him and am now waiting on the post.

The simple fact is that I have repaired too many bean cans over the years, replacing the hall effect is a bit of a bugger and BMW were out to lunch not incorporating electronic advance and retard from day one (Bosch had/have a near identical ICU with factory programmable auto advance curve.).

When it arrives I post a few photos and provide a report on my impressions.


1978 R100RS| 1981 R100RS (JPS) | 1984 R65 | 1992 KLE500 | 2002 R1150GSA |

Offline ged in oz

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Re: Bean can failed - repair or not?
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2019, 02:26:13 AM »
Bugga. I guess for a 35 year old component it’s done a great job, but materials and technology have both moved on in the meantime... Hall effect sensors and mechanical advance/retard were a quantum leap from points ignition in 1981, but not so much now.

So, the upper bush is at the cap end not the drive end? I noticed when I had mine out last week that the drive end had a load of play in it, but I assumed this was built in to allow proper alignment?

I’m keen to see the new set up when it arrives.

Offline skippyc

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Re: Bean can failed - repair or not?
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2019, 01:58:30 AM »
Tony Is that from John Olive?

Offline Tony Smith

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Re: Bean can failed - repair or not?
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2019, 05:40:41 PM »
Quote
Tony Is that from John Olive?


Yes
1978 R100RS| 1981 R100RS (JPS) | 1984 R65 | 1992 KLE500 | 2002 R1150GSA |

Offline Tony Smith

  • Mt. Olympus Resident
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Re: Bean can failed - repair or not?
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2019, 07:20:16 PM »
Here is a little R65 ignition porn. It will be fitted to my bike later today.

1978 R100RS| 1981 R100RS (JPS) | 1984 R65 | 1992 KLE500 | 2002 R1150GSA |

Offline ged in oz

  • Lives in Foothills of Mt. Olympus
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Re: Bean can failed - repair or not?
« Reply #5 on: June 28, 2019, 09:13:45 PM »
Quote
Here is a little R65 ignition porn. It will be fitted to my bike later today.

Heavy breathing, heavy breathing......

Offline Justin B.

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Re: Bean can failed - repair or not?
« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2019, 11:21:16 PM »
It's downright sexy!  [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]
Justin B.

2004 BMW R1150RT
1981 R100RT - Summer bike, NEKKID!!!

Offline Tony Smith

  • Mt. Olympus Resident
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  • Graduate, Wallace and Gromit School of Engineering
Re: Bean can failed - repair or not?
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2019, 08:18:01 PM »
Quote
It's downright sexy!  [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]
Runs good too. As I think I said elsewhere, i spent five minutes needlessly runnign it up and down the rev range just to watch teh electronic advance/retard do its stuff. I think that in due course I will upgrade the R65/80 and the R100 to the same ignition system as it is much better than the Boyer Bransden fitted to them.
1978 R100RS| 1981 R100RS (JPS) | 1984 R65 | 1992 KLE500 | 2002 R1150GSA |