I put this page together to illustrate the various special tools I use on my rebuild/restore projects. I organize the tools using the parts number system main categories. That said, I’m an amature hobbyist, not a professional BMW airhead mechanic, so this list may be missing some important tools for various kinds of work.

Many of the BMW airhead tools I have were made and sold by Cycle Works. That said, over the years they have reduced the number of tools they provide, so some of the tools I show below are no longer available from Cycle Works.

00-General

This category is for special tools you can use for a variety of purposes. Of course you should have a set of metric sockets and wrenches, flat blade and Philips screwdrivers.

Air Compressor

I use a 10 gallon air compressor with a maximum pressure of 120 psi.

Parts Washer

My parts washer uses non-petroleum, water-based solvent so it’s a bit more environmentally friendly.

Shop Press

I have a Harbor Freight 20 ton shop press. I use this when disassembling the shafts in the transmission.

Bearing Separator

I got this kit from Harbor Freight. I use it to remove bearings and gears from shafts, typically on the transmission.

Measuring

Measurements are important in doing mechanical work.

Bore Gauge

These can be used to measure the diameter of the cylinders or any other interior diameter of a hole. I show how to do this here:

• 11 BMW 1973 R75/5 Measure Cylinders and Install Pistons & New Rings
• 11 BMW 1983 R80ST Cylinder Measurements & Honing

Depth Gauge

I use this when shimming a transmission and when measuring the depth of the oil filter canister so I can shim it properly to get the O-ring to seal correctly.

Dial Gauge

This is part of the bore gauge. It also is used on a gooseneck clamp to measure runout of brake rotors and other rotating parts.

Feeler Gauge

These are used for measuring gaps, such as ring gaps.

Micrometers

I use these to measure thickness of shims, pistons and other parts. I have a set of three that go from 0-1 inch, 1-2 inch and 2-3 inch and another that goes from 3-4 inch.

Vernier Calipers

These can be used to measure thickness of round shafts and the depth of lands from a surface such as the depth of the oil filter canister. I have a 6 inch and 8 inch caliper.

Seal Pullers

These are used to pull seals. I have a general purpose seal puller and a special one to pull seals on a shaft without removing the shaft. This is handy for removing the front crankshaft seal.

Special Wrenches

Impact Wrench-Air

I have a 800 Ft-Lb air impact wrench which can be adjusted to three different maximum torques. It comes in hand for removing fork tube nuts.

Impact Wrench-Battery

I have a 20 volt electric battery impact wrench. It comes in handy to remove the alternator rotor bolt and the Allen bolts that fasten the fork slider to the fork damper.

Impact Wrench-Hammer

This is handy to use for loosening stubborn screws such as the Phillips head screws used to secure the early oil pump cover.

Torque Wrenches

I have three torque wrenches that cover different ranges of torque. The lowest is an INCH-Lb wrench, the middle goes from 10 to 75 Ft-Lbs and the bigger one goes up to 200 Ft-Lb.

Metric Allen Wrench Sockets

I like to use Allen wrench sockets in my socket wrench as BMW used a lot of Allen bolt fasteners.

Snap Ring Pliers

These remove snap rings.

MAP & Propane Gas Torch

I use these torches to heat parts such as the transmission case when I am removing the shafts. I also use them to heat the engine block when removing, installing a crankshaft.

11-Engine

I use these tools are to remove, install and test engine components.

Compression Tester

I use this to check compression in the cylinders.

Leak Down Tester

I use this to test rings, valves and valve guides for leaks.

Oil Pressure Tester

I use this to test the oil pressure when the engine is running.

Connecting Rod Bolt Wrench

This removes the bolts that secure the connecting rod to the crankshaft. The NAPA part number is 2305.

Here is a link showing how I use this tool.

• 11 BMW 1977 R100RS Remove Pistons, Connecting Rods & Inspect

Flywheel Immobilizer & Puller

You can use a screwdriver to immobilize the flywheel by putting it between the teeth on the ring gear and butting it up against the edge of the engine bell housing.

There is also a tool from Cycle Works that you can use to immobilize the flywheel and to pull it.

Here is a link showing how I use this tool.

• 11 BMW 1973 R75/5 Remove & Install Flywheel, Replace Rear Main Seal, Oil Pump Cover & Cover O-Ring

Push Rod Tube Installation Tool

This tool helps drive the push rod tools into and out of the cylinder. I got this from Euro MotoElectrics. There are two sizes of push rod tubes, 18 mm and 16 mm so use the tool that fits your push rod tubes.

Here is a link showing how I use this tool.

• 11 BMW 1983 R100RS Install Push Rod Tubes & Head Studs

Timing Chain Cover Removal Tool

I use this tool from Cycle Works to remove the front timing cover.

You can read about how I use it here.

• 11 BMW 1977 R100RS Replace Timing Chain, Crankshaft Timing Gear & Nose Bearing

Camshaft And Crankshaft Front Main Seal Tool

I like to use a special seal puller, Lisle 58430 shaft seal puller. It’s available at some auto parts stores, but I got mine from Amazon.

You can read about how I replace the front crankshaft seal here:

• 11 BMW 1973 R75/5 Replace Front Crankshaft Seal

You can read about how I replace the camshaft seal here:

• 11 BMW 1973 R75/5 Replace Cam Shaft Seal

Crankshaft Rear Main Seal Tool

I use this tool from Cycle Works to remove and install the rear main seal.

You can read about how I do this work here.

• 11 BMW 1975 R75/6 Replace Crankshaft Rear Oil Seal, Oil Pump Cover & O-ring

Crankshaft Guide Ring Removal Tool

The later model airhead engines replaced the earlier heavy flywheel with a lighter weight one. These have a guide ring that rubs against the rear main seal. The guide ring can get a deep groove in it and need to be replaced. This Cycle Works tool can be used to remove a guide ring.

Here is a link showing how I use this tool.

• 11 BMW 1983 R100RS Remove Flywheel & Rear Main Seal

Crankshaft Timing Gear & Nose Bearing Removal Tool

I use the Cycle Works tool to remove the crankshaft timing gear and the nose bearing.

You can read about how I do this work here.

• 11 BMW 1983 R100RS Remove Timing Chain, Crankshaft Nose Bearing & Sprocket
• 11 BMW 1983 R100RS Install Crankshaft Sprocket, Nose Bearing, Timing Chain, Front Main Seal, Inner Timing Cover

Crankshaft Main Bearing Carrier Removal Tool

Removing the crankshaft and/or replacing the front and rear crankshaft main bearings is precision work. This is not a task I would recommend a first timer to attempt without the assistance of an expert airhead mechanic.

Here is the Cycle Works tools for removing the crankshaft main bearing carrier.

Here is how I removed the crankshaft. I had an expert airhead mechanic replace the rear main bearing.

• 11 BMW 1983 R100RS Remove Camshaft and Crankshaft
• 11 BMW 1983 R100RS Install Crankshaft, Adjust End Float, Install Camshaft

12-Engine Electrics

These tools are used with the engine electrics including the alternator charging system and ignition timing system.

Timing Light

I use this to set the engine timing. It clamps onto a spark plug wire.

Alternator Rotor Removal Bolt

I use a special bolt to remove the alternator rotor from the crankshaft. I got this one from Euro MotoElectrics.

You can see how I use it here.

• 12 BMW 1983 R100RS Remove Diode Board, Alternator & Electronic Ignition Sensor

13-Fuel Preparation

No special tools required.

16-Fuel Supply

No special tools required.

18-Exhaust System

Exhaust Header Nut Wrench

I use this special wrench to remove and install the exhaust header nut. I got this one from BMW. However, Euro MotoElectrics also supplies a version of this tool.

Here is how I use it to remove and install the exhaust header nuts.

• 18 BMW 1983 R100RS Remove Exhaust System
• 18 BMW 1983 R100RS Install Exhaust System

21-Clutch

Clutch Plate Centering Tool

I got this tool from Euro Motoelectrics. There are two of these tools, one for 1970-1980 and the other for 1981 on.

Here is how I do this work.

• 21 BMW 1983 R80ST Install Clutch

23-Transmission

Special tools are needed to disassembly/assemble the transmission. Rebuilding a transmission is precision work. You should have completed a lot of other detailed work on an airhead motor before attempting to rebuild a transmission.

You can read about how I use these tools here.

• 23 BMW 1983 R100RS Disassemble Transmission
• 23 BMW 1983 R100RS Assemble Transmission

Output Flange Removal Tool

I got this from Cycle Works.

Gear Shaft Shimming Plate

I got this from Cycle Works.

Transmission  Disassembly & Assembly Tools

A friend of mine made these for me. Here are the drawings with specifications I provided him so he could make the tools. I had access to a set of BMW transmission tools I borrowed from an airhead mechanic so I could take the measurements.

And here are pictures of the actual tools he made for me.

31-Front Suspension

Fork Tube Cap Nut Tool

I use a 36 mm socket that I ground down so the face of the socket is flat and does no have the tapered end. The nut is very thin and you need full contact on the face of the nut so you don’t round it off.

Steering Stem Preload Nut Tool

This tool is included in the motorcycle tool kit.

Steering Head Bearings Puller/Installer

I got these tools from Cycle Works.

Here is how I do this work.

• 31 BMW 1983 R100RS Replace Steering Head Bearings

Damper Rod Spring Compressor

There are “piston rings” on the earlier fork damper rods. I use this special tool to compress them when I install the damper rod inside the fork tube. This is a BMW tool.

Here is how I do this work.

• 31 BMW 1973 R75/5 Rebuild Front Forks

32-Steering

No special tools required.

33-Rear Axle & Suspension

Swing Arm Pivot Bolt Lock Nut Socket

The swing arm is suspended by a pivot bolt. The bolt is torqued and a lock nut tightened. There is little room for the socket, so I use a cut-down 27 mm socket. You can get this from Cycle Works.

Swing Arm Bearing Puller

I got this tool from Cycle Works. You can also use it to pull the wheel bearings.

You can see how I do this here.

• 33 BMW 1973 R75/5 Remove & Install New Swing Arm Bearings

Drive Shaft Removal/Installation Tools

The pre-1979 drive shafts did not use a spring to cushion the drive shaft from rotational  shock loads. So there are two drive shaft removal tools: one for no-spring and one for spring drive shafts. I got both tools from Cycle Works.

Here is how I do this work on both types of drive shaft.

• 33 BMW 1977 R100RS Remove Drive Shaft & Swing Arm Bearings
• 33 BMW 1977 R100RS Install Drive Shaft & Swing Arm Bearings
• 33 BMW 1983 R100RS Remove Drive Shaft
• 33 BMW 1983 R100RS Install Drive Shaft

Rear Drive Disassembly Tools

There are a number of special tools needed to disassemble/assemble the rear drive. This is precision work. Consequently, this work is likely best performed by a BMW mechanic. Here is a description of the tools and procedure a professional BMW airhead mechanic used to disassemble, rebuild and assemble a rear drive.

• 33 BMW 1983 R80ST Rebuild Rear Drive

34-Brakes

Vacuum Brake Bleeder

This is a handy tool to get most of the air out of a disk brake system from Air Zapper.

36-Wheels

Wheel Bearing Puller

I got this from Cycle Works. It is the same tool used to pull the swing arm bearings.

You can see how I do this here.

• 36 BMW 1977 R100RS Wheel Bearings-Replace & Adjust Preload

Wheel Bearing Preload Tool

I use a spring scale with string and a couple different length tubes to set the wheel bearing pre-load.

You can see how I do this here.

• 36 BMW 1977 R100RS Wheel Bearings-Replace & Adjust Preload

Spoke Wrench & Spoke Torque Wrench

I use this when I lace a wheel. The first picture is a non-torque spoke wrench I got from Boxer 2 Valve and the second is the spoke torque wrench I got from Warp 9 Racing.

Here is how I use these to lace and true the wheels.

• 36 BMW 1983 R80ST Refinish, Lace & True Wheels

Wheel Balancing Stand

I use a Marc Parnes wheel balancer kit and place it on a pair of jack stands to balance my wheels.

46-Frame, Fairing, Cases

No special tools required.

51-Vehicle Trim

No special tools required.

52-Seat

No special tools required.

61-Electrical System

Soldering Irons

I have a small pencil soldering iron for small parts and a large soldering gun for bigger connections.

Wire Stripper & Connector Crimper

You can get these at any auto parts store. They have stripper holes sized for different wire diameters and crimper blocks for different wire sizes.

Volt/Ohm Meter

You can get these on-line or at Radio Shack. This is a Fluke meter a friend gave me, but I have a couple others from Radio Shack.

62-Instruments Dash

No special tools required.

63-Lighting

No special tools required.