Levo Gen 2 Another creak tracked down to motor mounts

[RebornRider]

I did all the usual diagnosing stuff:

- Creak happens only when pedaling, probably not wheel related
- Regreased and torqued the cranks to spec, didn't help, probably not the cranks
- Creak happens when I ride no-hands, probably not headset
- Creak happens when I pedal while standing, probably not the saddle or dropper
- Somebody here posted about their motor rubbing, so I ordered a motor bolt kit

Today was my first ride since replacing all the motor mount hardware, and (drum roll please) no more creak.

FWIW, all of the original bolts were tight. and I didn't see any sign of rubbage, so I have no smoking gun to point to. But I don't care! That creak was maddening, and now it's gone.

 

[Grannyjones]

Maddening stuff this creaking while pedalling
I had a similar problem and it turned out to be the motor bolts were too loose and not the 18 NM that is required
After tightening them up the problem had gone
The Levo has done 8000km
I'll remember this post if the creaking ever returns as replacing them would be the next thing I'd have to do

 

[Grannyjones]

I'm getting similar symptoms and wondering if I need to replace all the Motor Mounts, where can I get these ?

The Levo in question is a Turbo Levo Comp 2020

It has done around 11,000km and is 3 years old, so getting to that age when other users have reported that they have had to replace all the motor mount hardware.

The creaking is most notable heard when I start to put the power down, if that helps in diagnosing what it could be

I also ruled out all these below:

- Creak happens only when pedaling, probably not wheel related
- Regreased and torqued the cranks to spec, didn't help, probably not the cranks
- Creak happens when I ride no-hands, probably not headset
- Creak happens when I pedal while standing, probably not the saddle or dropper
- Somebody here posted about their motor rubbing, so I ordered a motor bolt kit

 

[Jersey Skier]

I just went through this on a Levo with a coil shock. After checking every bolt on the bike, the creak was coming from the collar that tightens the coil spring. 1/4 turn and it's all silent. It's always the last place you check.

 

[RebornRider]

Motor bolt kit is Spesh part number S194200012. I got mine from a US web site, but you guys should have some choices.

 

[Nerds On Dirt MTB]

I too have been chasing a creak on my Levo comp, Only happens when pedaling been through all the usual stuff guess I need to get some new mounting hardware.

 

[Grannyjones]

Looks like you can get them here as well Specialized SUB MY19 Levo FSR Motor Bolt/Hardware Kit for Motor Attachment

 

[Grannyjones]

The new mounting hardware has arrived and I'm now wondering, do you have to replace just the bolts or do I have to replace all the mounting hardware as well on the actual motor ? To eliminate the creak while pedalling ? The latter will be an extremely difficult job

 

[RebornRider]

I don't mean this to be snotty! Ask yourself, if you replace only the bolts and the creak is still there when it's all back together, how angry will you be? Better to be thorough!

For me, the hardest part of the whole job was routing the dropper cable around the shadow loop (or whatever they call it). Dropping the motor all the way out and replacing the captive nuts doesn't add all that much more to the job..

Take a few photos of the assembly before pulling stuff apart. I thought I would remember what goes where, but I was mistaken. I had to redo a few steps.

Also, I used grease where the captive nuts attached to the motor housing. I greased every place a metal part touched another metal part as well as where the motor housing gets close to the inside of the frame. I did NOT want to do the job a second time!

 

[Ark]

The new mounting hardware has arrived and I'm now wondering, do you have to replace just the bolts or do I have to replace all the mounting hardware as well on the actual motor ? To eliminate the creak while pedalling ? The latter will be an extremely difficult job

better to do it once than twice

 

[Grannyjones]

I finally took the motor out and reinstalled it, I could not believe how hard this job is. There's so many things you have to do. Took all day. The EMBN video makes it look so easy! It misses so much out! I didn't replace the mount hardware in the end, for one I didn't know how to tap it out, or have the correct bolt size, it would have pushed the job into multiple consecutive days, I want to ride now, not spend even more time doing engineering.
I really thought I'd never get it back together again at times, it really was daunting.
Instead I greased a lot of things on the reinstallation and did a short test ride and as far as I could tell the creak had gone. It was windy though so perhaps I didn't hear it.
However a quick phone call to the bike shop and they said when they replaced the motor (recently) they put new mount hardware in so after that I thought surely it doesn't need replacing anyway.
I originally just assumed they re-used the old original 2020 hardware on the new motor but it turns out its all new apparantly.
Next time I even consider a job that involves dropping a motor it will be done at the bikeshop I think. Takes me hours on end.

That new hardware I ordered can be sent back for a refund. Not going to use it now.

 

[DS.]

My gen 3 was quiet for a year, then two months ago started creaking while peddling so took motor out and greased it all okay now my mates Levo is only a month old and is creaking really bad while peddling told him to take it back to the shop and let them sort it out

 

[salko]

My Gen2 Levo developed severe creaking when pedaling, I tightened all motor bolts except the one on the right lower part of the motor which is inaccessible due to chainstay being in front of the bolt. If I let air out of the shock and compress the rear wheel to the bottom, will this make motor bolt accessible? Or will I have to remove the chainstay?

 

[RebornRider]

The service manual says some frames require chainstay removal, while others don't. My choice was to remove it because it's easy to do and it makes the rest of the job easier. You can clean and inspect the bearings while you're in there.

Like it says, watch for those thin washers! They'll stick to one surface or the other, then fall to the floor when you're not looking.

 

[salko]

Today I removed the shock to be able to lift the rear end to the max travel to access remaining motor bolt and I can confirm, Gen2 Levo frame size L with 32T chainring the lower right motor bolt is then accessible, but just barely ... With 34-38T chainring it might be needed to also remove the chainring to access this bolt ....

 

[#lazy]

Today I removed the shock to be able to lift the rear end to the max travel to access remaining motor bolt and I can confirm, Gen2 Levo frame size L with 32T chainring the lower right motor bolt is then accessible, but just barely ... With 34-38T chainring it might be needed to also remove the chainring to access this bolt ....

View attachment 140950

Chainring looks abit worn !

 

[salko]

Chainring looks abit worn !

This is SRAM X-sync 2 chainring, it suppose to look like this

 

[Grannyjones]

My gen 3 was quiet for a year, then two months ago started creaking while peddling so took motor out and greased it all okay now my mates Levo is only a month old and is creaking really bad while peddling told him to take it back to the shop and let them sort it out

Definetely a job I would rather take back to the bikeshop for than do myself. Motor removal and reinstallation was a suprisingly complicated, tricky, hard, time consuming job the one time I tried it.
How much do the bike shop charge for motor removal, re greasing and motor re installation ?