K26 Clutch Throw Out Bearing Location

Just because I'm an overly curious nerd, where is the clutch throw out bearing located? I don't see it anywhere on the clutch-side of the actuator rod. I'm not having any symptoms or anything like that, I've just been watching videos (out of curiosity and boredom mainly) and I don't see how the rod engages with, or any bearing on, the pressure plate. As it can't just be rubbing on the plate while the clutch is disengaged, I presume the bearing is inside the slave cylinder? Can anyone help me settle this conundrum before I go out and tear the parts out of by bike to see for myself?

Just because I'm an overly curious nerd, where is the clutch throw out bearing located? I don't see it anywhere on the clutch-side of the actuator rod. I'm not having any symptoms or anything like that, I've just been watching videos (out of curiosity and boredom mainly) and I don't see how the rod engages with, or any bearing on, the pressure plate. As it can't just be rubbing on the plate while the clutch is disengaged, I presume the bearing is inside the slave cylinder? Can anyone help me settle this conundrum before I go out and tear the parts out of by bike to see for myself?

 

Morning Pappy35

Your 2013 BMW 1200RT boxer doesn't have an actual throw-out bearing or clutch pressure plate with fingers for a throw-out bearing to ride against.

Your BMW clutch has an external slave cylinder that has a small hydraulic piston with a bearing inside it to operate the clutch.

When you pull the clutch lever in, that hydraulically activates the slave cylinder piston mounted on the outside rear of the transmission. When the piston in the slave cylinder moves THAT pushes on the pushrod that runs into the clutch area through the center of the transmission input shaft.

The pushrod THEN pushes on the center of a large dish shaped spring displacing the center of that spring.

When the center of that large dish shaped spring gets depressed THAT takes the spring pressure off of the clutch pressure plate & allows the clutch disk to spin freely.

Or put another way-- In it's static state that large dish shaped spring keeps force on the pressure plate holding the clutch disk solidly in contact with both the pressure plate & clutch housing cover. When the push rod is moved to force that dish shaped spring away from the pressure plate THAT takes the clamping force off of the pressure plate & clutch disk.

Got it. I've watched Chris Harris' videos so I'm familiar with all the working bits of the clutch assembly, I just never saw any reference to where the throw-out bearing (or its equivalent) for the pushrod was located.

So when the clutch is engaged (engine driving the rear wheel), the pushrod is, or should be, static inside the transmission input shaft. When disengaged, the pushrod lands on the spring plate and then spins with the pressure plate and the thrust (or throw-out) bearing inside the clutch slave cylinder allows it to rotate freely with plate. Thanks for clearing that up.

Got it. I've watched Chris Harris' videos so I'm familiar with all the working bits of the clutch assembly, I just never saw any reference to where the throw-out bearing (or its equivalent) for the pushrod was located.

 

So when the clutch is engaged (engine driving the rear wheel), the pushrod is, or should be, static inside the transmission input shaft. When disengaged, the pushrod lands on the spring plate and then spins with the pressure plate and the thrust (or throw-out) bearing inside the clutch slave cylinder allows it to rotate freely with plate. Thanks for clearing that up.

Afternoon Pappy35

Sort of, the pushrod is not actually pushing on the spring but it is ALWAYS in contact with the spring center & in contact with the bearing in the slave cylinder.

Got it. Thanks your explanations. Makes perfect sense.