lazy option for engine corrosion?

[timpitt77]

After reading a fair few posts regarding paint stripper, primer, paint, a great deal of time and old newspaper I was wondering if anyone knew how much a replacement engine cover would cost?

My bike workshop is a little sparse when it comes to facilities such as walls, roof etc and can best be described as the path outside my house.

 

[JH]

Not sure about brand new from BMW - (I thought that they came free under warranty).

But I think 'Motoworks' sell them second hand for £50, if I remember correctly, and then you could have it properly re-painted/powder coated etc, before fitting and then sell your old one for someone else to do

Eventually someone would come up with the perfect lasting finish for the cover and post the details here and we could all start worrying about something else.

In fact this could be the start of a cunning plan soon to appear in the 'Vendors' section

 

[RickG]

It's a BMW part, it's going to be expensive. You would also need to buy a bearing and an oil seal or transfer the ones from the old cover. It's bound to cost far more than few cans of stuff and some elbow grease. I sympathise with your lack of workshop (though I used to drive my bikes into the kitchen) but in taking the cover off you are exposing the bikes innards so however you tackle the job of removing and replacing the cover you require a bit of care and cleanliness.

I'd wait until the weather is warmer and drier if you have to work outside. I once misplaced a load of fixing screws as 2" of snow fell halfway through a job...

 

[timpitt77]

Elbow grease it is me thinks. I know what I will be up to come the next sunny bank holiday.

 

[jontym]

about hundred and fortytwo squid,from memory.

 

[timpitt77]

£142 sounds expensive for a corrosion magnet..

 

[RickG]

To be honest I was surprised it was that cheap, for a BuMW part anyhow.

You could buy an old car with 3 months MOT for the same price and run it through the winter....

 

[DrFarkoff]

Just remember it can be a absolute B******D to get the alternator belt on again!

and when you undo the square lower cover you need to undo the bolt and be careful when pulling the cover off as the bearing may pull the balance shaft gear out too!

 

[mark71]

Rick

Not sure where you are in London but if your near Braintree I would be more than happy to take it off for you and put it back on and gives you the option to paint it all up.

I did mine with Halfords brake caliper paint which is a very good colour match.

All the best

Mark

 

[Brendan]

Will someone please explain to me the point in actually repainting this cover. Will not painting it effect the life of the component down to the point of failing during ownership.
Will it reduce dramatically the resale value.

Maybe it's just a looking good exercise. A feck it I'm off for a spin.

 

[Greybeard]

I've got a similar problem with the engine cover (see pics) and I think I'm going to have to do a DIY job on it as a) its out of warranty - although cover was replaced once, and b) my local dealer won't consider a goodwill claim because I had the bike serviced somewhere else for the last couple of years (fair enough I guess).

Anyway, I'm happy enough preparing the casing and painting it - I've got a garage- but less sure of doing it in situ as I have seen done on other posts.

Seems to me that the exhaust balance pipe makes it difficult to get clear access to the cover... any idea of the best procedure to use?

 

[RickG]

Anyway, I'm happy enough preparing the casing and painting it - I've got a garage- but less sure of doing it in situ as I have seen done on other posts.

Seems to me that the exhaust balance pipe makes it difficult to get clear access to the cover... any idea of the best procedure to use?

If the corrosion extends to the screw holes or the edges of the cover it's not going to be easy to shift the rubbish to prepare a good surface for the new paint to stick to. It's a case of what time you save in not taking the cover off may be lost in the amount of time taken fiddling, faffing and knuckle grazing trying to do it in-situ all for it to corrode again from a spot you've missed.

However, taking the cover off and replacing is a bit fiddly. I've got remus headers so no crosspipe to worry about. Having said that the cover does not need to pull away from the engine very far before it can be taken off, but I'm sure it would be an easier task if the headers were out the way altogether..