Bethnal Green & Bow Constituency
Rushanara Ali (Labour)
House of Commons
Westminster
SW1A OAA
Didn't get my vote
Rushanara Ali (Labour)
House of Commons
Westminster
SW1A OAA
Didn't get my vote
K 1600 GT / GTL - Check behind the lower V-shaped radiator louvres
- Thread starter Wapping
- Start date
Coming back tomorrow.
New radiator
New ball joint
New front wheel bearings
The latter two not linked to the heat build up, obviously.
Now to work out how to get unseen accumulating crud out from behind the fairing blinds... Without taking the front off each time.
New radiator
New ball joint
New front wheel bearings
The latter two not linked to the heat build up, obviously.
Now to work out how to get unseen accumulating crud out from behind the fairing blinds... Without taking the front off each time.
Cover it up with a large sheet of plastic. Prevention is better than cure
Martink1300gt
Registered user
Radiator clogging is a well known problem on K bikes. I cooked a cylinder head on a K1200GT whilst touring in Austria because of it. I now have a K1300GT and after 20k miles it started to overheat.
I solved it though. Took off the fairings and the front rad cowl, removed the fan so that the red is exposed and you can get to the back of it. Then I used a garden sprayer with Flash and water to spray from the back of the rad, noting where the liquid came through the front, hence where the crud was. Left if for a few minutes, repeated, then hosed out with water from the back. You should have seen the crud that came out!
Once I put it back together, it ran perfectly, no sign of overheating, not even in town traffic in the recent heat wave.
Some BMW dealers will clean the rad on the 16 and 32k services when they have to remove it to do the valve clearances. Worth asking.
Hope it helps.
I solved it though. Took off the fairings and the front rad cowl, removed the fan so that the red is exposed and you can get to the back of it. Then I used a garden sprayer with Flash and water to spray from the back of the rad, noting where the liquid came through the front, hence where the crud was. Left if for a few minutes, repeated, then hosed out with water from the back. You should have seen the crud that came out!
Once I put it back together, it ran perfectly, no sign of overheating, not even in town traffic in the recent heat wave.
Some BMW dealers will clean the rad on the 16 and 32k services when they have to remove it to do the valve clearances. Worth asking.
Hope it helps.
roddy
Registered user
+1 on the above used to clean out the rad on my K12s regularly to prevent this happening, the first time I did , I removed all the lower panels and soaked the area left it for anout 15mins to soften the dirt up then hosed it out, flushing from inside to out.
I'm assuming the K16 rad is filled in the same manner as the K12 (it looks the same) but you need to do it under vacuum, an its a royal pain, just in case you ever plan to remove the rad to give it a good clean.
I'm assuming the K16 rad is filled in the same manner as the K12 (it looks the same) but you need to do it under vacuum, an its a royal pain, just in case you ever plan to remove the rad to give it a good clean.
Thanks for the tips.
Having looked at the bike several times, I can see no realistic alternative but to remove the fairing lowers once every 6000 miles or so and give the radiator a thorough clean-out.
It wouldn't be difficult to distort the head..... Expensive on such a big engine
Having looked at the bike several times, I can see no realistic alternative but to remove the fairing lowers once every 6000 miles or so and give the radiator a thorough clean-out.
It wouldn't be difficult to distort the head..... Expensive on such a big engine
Bendy toy
Registered user
It sounds like the louvres were put on the wrong way up because they look better like that.
Like every other bike on the road it needs a functional farkle fender extender or even a mudflap.
At least the 1600 wont be bouncing over desert rocks or touring the Pennine packhorse roads so no worries about ripping it off the bike.
Like every other bike on the road it needs a functional farkle fender extender or even a mudflap.
At least the 1600 wont be bouncing over desert rocks or touring the Pennine packhorse roads so no worries about ripping it off the bike.
I love this forum ! LOL ....
At least the 1600 wont be bouncing over desert rocks or touring the Pennine packhorse roads so no worries about ripping it off the bike.
If true, that's a quality it will share with the vast majority of bikes on this 'ere adventure bike forum. That won't stop 'em, mind
pdes
Registered user
I've got 30k miles on my k1600 GT and have the dreaded overheating. I am going in for service on Friday so hope the dealer will sort it but out of interest, can this radiator blockage be alleviated by firing the pressure washer at it (not at full pressure of course) from the front?
You can certainly wash the exposed section of the radiator, without removing the fairings / louvres.
The muck that accumulated on mine was directly behind the louvres, near enough impossible to get to.
The louvred part only covers say 20% of the radiator, maybe a bit less, I haven't measured it. But a fifth with reduced cooling (or none) would be enough to cause problems, particularly if the 100% radiator area is only just sufficient to maintain temperature.
Yes, you can use a gentle power wash, just take care as the fins are VERY easy to bend and once bent........
From memory, there is a back plastic, stone guard, too. That may or may no accumulate grot. Mine didn't.
The muck that accumulated on mine was directly behind the louvres, near enough impossible to get to.
The louvred part only covers say 20% of the radiator, maybe a bit less, I haven't measured it. But a fifth with reduced cooling (or none) would be enough to cause problems, particularly if the 100% radiator area is only just sufficient to maintain temperature.
Yes, you can use a gentle power wash, just take care as the fins are VERY easy to bend and once bent........
From memory, there is a back plastic, stone guard, too. That may or may no accumulate grot. Mine didn't.
pdes
Registered user
Thanks for that. Hopefully the dealer will fix it on Friday. If not I'll give this a try. It's probably worth adding a quick squirt through the rad when washing to keep the muck moving!
Martink1300gt
Registered user
This is a photo I took of my radiator before I cleaned it out. You can see that there is a large build up of crud, mainly at the bottom and behind the louvre section.This built up even though I regularly washed out the radiator from the front when cleaning the bike.
Martink1300gt
Registered user
It is also worth noting that the fan only covers the bottom of the radiator so it is that area that is the most influential in creating overheating.
Sorry about the photo being a bit big.
Sorry about the photo being a bit big.
Well, that's six hundred miles knocked off over two days.
Everything seems hunky-dory in the radiator department. I eventually saw seven bars and the fan on for just the last congested half mile before home.
Definitely the only answer is to strip the front off at each 6000 mile service.
Everything seems hunky-dory in the radiator department. I eventually saw seven bars and the fan on for just the last congested half mile before home.
Definitely the only answer is to strip the front off at each 6000 mile service.
2500 miles since the new radiator was fitted.
The crud is starting to accumulate behind the louvres again.
The crud is starting to accumulate behind the louvres again.
Ijustwanttoseethephotos
Registered user
Does that mean another 4 pages of discussion? 
I don't know; though you have sent it on its way.
Deleted account Cooperman
Registered user
Pic of louvres
Do these just clip off then...
and is it easier to just remove the lower fairing to get behind the rad?
My K16 done 9k but the area behind the rad looks pretty clear at the moment.
Don't expect it to stay that way over winter mind.
Do these just clip off then...
and is it easier to just remove the lower fairing to get behind the rad?My K16 done 9k but the area behind the rad looks pretty clear at the moment.
Don't expect it to stay that way over winter mind.
