Specialized SL Motor | Mahle 1.1 Motor Rebuild

A documented rebuild of my Levo SL Motor. I'm not a professional, I'm just someone who ran out of warranty lol
Bearing Kit: ebikemotorrepa...
Bearing Puller 2.5inch: www.amazon.com...

[@lazurm]

How many miles were ridden on this motor until it needed an overhaul? I have the Specialized Creo SL and my 1.1 motor is starting to fail at 16,850 miles. I'm near New York City and, at this time, don't know who can do the overhaul for me as I don't feel confident enough to do it myself.

[@brodelridesbikes]

Mine only had about 1400 miles. Rode it through mud, creek crossings, river beds and dusty trails. I suggest just doing it. It's really not that difficult, just pay attention to the bearing orientation and you'll be fine. You can also contact ebikemotorrepair to see if they can repair it for you but when I contacted them they said that they can't guarantee that they'll be able to repair it, the worst case scenario is they'll buy your motor for parts so buying a new one won't be as expensive. But I really feel that the overhaul is simple enough to do at home. You don't need a lot of tools plus you don't have nothing to lose if your motor is about to go. Good luck!

[@lazurm]

@@brodelridesbikes Well, what I may have to lose is the cost of the repair kit (around $220) and time. It may be a good idea for me to buy a new motor, given how long I've been able to use it, and then, later, try to rebuild the old one (without the concern about lost time). If I'm successful, I'll have a backup and some experience so that I can swap out later, if I need to, while being more confident about rebuilding the purchased motor.

[@Beniamin1968]

Hi ! Compliments for skills, i wonder where did you get the spares from? Original ? Thanks

[@lazurm]

I ended up going to a Specialized dealer in Queens (Astoria), NY who put a new motor in and the total charge, including labor and tax, was $906. Sadly, I couldn't keep my old motor. I wanted to replace the bearings and learn how to overhaul it but, for that price, Specialized wanted the motor.

[@brodelridesbikes]

@@lazurm That's a bummer but glad to hear you got a new motor for a decent price. At least you'll have a warranty from specialized

[@billybrownz]

Hey man, thanks for sharing, super useful stuff! Could you share a bit more detail about disasembly on the non-drive side. How can I remove the outer metal ring that's covering the bearing from the outside?

[@billybrownz]

I managed to remove the shaft by tapping it. Now I'm stuggling to remove the brass ring that's covering the clutch bearing. I'd really appreciate if you could share how you managed removing it!

[@brodelridesbikes]

Hi @billybrownz, Are you referring to the brass ring on clip 2:16? If so I just pulled it using my fingers. This ring does have a tendency to stick to the shaft and you just have to play with, wiggle it around and make sure you are pulling from both sides evenly. Could you share which part in the video, if it's shown in the video, so I can point you in the right direction?

[@billybrownz]

@@brodelridesbikes Many thanks for your quick response! I tried replying twice already, with a link to emtb forums, but it seems like KZbin doesn't allow it. Yes, that's the ring I was refering to, but for me, this is sitting in a housing (the one your placing back at 14:26) covering the clutch bearing. Was this already apart for you when you opened it?

[@brodelridesbikes]

​​@@billybrownz That housing was actually stuck on the spindle. When i took the cover off at 1:05 you can actually see the clutch bearing housing stuck on the spindle, which is probably why i never had any issues removing mine. The brass ring does sit inside that housing. I actually had to assemble and disassemble my motor 5 times due to various mistakes and each time it came right off. The only issue i had with that housing is during installation. I suggest using more force to remove it. Your clutch bearing might have more rust that mine. Were you able to remove the housing at all from the spindle? Can you DM me on instagram at rodel.coola

[@tecknique171]

@@billybrownz @billybrowz hey I am dealing with the same issue with that housing being stuck. Do you mind sharing how you got yours off??

[@konatoze]

Which way did the sprag clutch bearing fit mine exploded on removal so I’m not really sure

[@brodelridesbikes]

Sorry for the late response. I don't remember exactly but if you spin the spindle, the part where the cranks connect to, clockwise, it should also spin the chainring and if you spin it counter clockwise it should just free spin on its own and the chainring should not spin with it. Make sure to spin it when the front of the motor is facing forward just like when it is installed on the bike to get the right orientation.

[@tecknique171]

Hey I know you only uploaded this video 3 months ago, but has everything been working well since the rebuild? I am just out of warranty and I think my sprung clutch bearing is going bad (stays engaged when back pedaling). any advice?

[@brodelridesbikes]

@@tecknique171 Mine has been very reliable. I haven't had any issues since the rebuild. It does sound like your sprag clutch bearing is stuck to the spindle. If you have time and another bike that you can use in the meantime, I would disassemble the motor and see which bearings you need to replace. Otherwise just buy the whole kit and replace everything you can. But your clutch bearing for sure needs to be replaced.

[@tecknique171]

@@brodelridesbikes Thanks man!