Potential oil loss issue

[Packer]

Sorry if this is a Hitler post. I've been refurbishing the paint on my '03 1150GS which after 78,000 miles through 8 winters was looking bad.

I found this:-

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25883184@N06/5807825210/" title="DSCF0201 by PackerK, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5073/5807825210_b13d34d1af_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="DSCF0201"></a>

No not a piece of rag in the oil gallery, I put that there to keep the crap out

Front, top, right side of the crankcases, I think that it's the oil temperature sensor that fits here.

Look at the 4 o'clock position.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25883184@N06/5807826214/" title="DSCF0203 by PackerK, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2299/5807826214_5739751be2_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="DSCF0203"></a>

I though that this was a lug cast into the top of the block but:-

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25883184@N06/5807260867/" title="DSCF0208 by PackerK, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3132/5807260867_a510d4b7b7_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="DSCF0208"></a>

It's just a crush washer that doesn't like salt. If that crack had opened up there could have been a nasty oily mess.

The masked face behind it is the feed to the oil cooler. This helps with the orientation

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25883184@N06/5807867034/" title="DSCF0202 by PackerK, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2006/5807867034_fda670fabd_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="DSCF0202"></a>

 

[Stewart H]

I prefer copper crush washers, they dont do that

 

[DrFarkoff]

Good Pics

A common enough fault on bikes ridden thru crappy weather and road salt Also check ALL your drain plug crush washers they are prone to it too!

I usually paint that top part with a good coat of black waxoyl which stops the salt and water getting together with the alloy

 

[AberdeenAngus]

Really feckin annoying that they scrimp on bits like this.
It is bound to fail - just not in warranty.

What would it cost to put copper washers on ?

Buttons. Feckin buttons.

 

[Naim]

jeez you took the engine out,Just to paint it!!

mucho respect for that

 

[Packer]

jeez you took the engine out,Just to paint it!!

mucho respect for that

Engine, gearbox, swing arm, final drive all needed paint as did the rear frame, front frame braces, oil return pipe from the cooler, footrests, battery/ABS tray (+ I'm removing the Servo ABS at the same time) front fork lowers, lower fork bridge and various other bits.

By the time you add that up it's a complete strip.

On the way through this little adventure I found the above problem plus a similar issue where the oil return attaches to the sump with the big bolt at the bottom left of the engine. That has definitely been covered elsewhere. The clutch pipe was almost rotted through at the slave end, the swing arm bearings at the gearbox end were past their best etc. etc. etc.

If I'd known how much work was needed I'd probably have sold it and looked for another lower mileage summer used only 1150. The thing is mine goes very well for an 1150 and is mechanically very good apart from a slight tendency to jump out of 6th. When that gets worse I've got a spare low mileage gearbox to go in.

 

[Packer]

Really feckin annoying that they scrimp on bits like this.
It is bound to fail - just not in warranty.

What would it cost to put copper washers on ?

Buttons. Feckin buttons.

Is the crush force/deformation profile different. It may not have been only down to money.

Yeh. OK, you're right, I'm being naive Designed to last the period of the warranty and that is why any new BMW will only be on my shopping list if it has a five year 50,000 mile warranty. Or more. The Koreans can do it on cheap cars so why not BMW?

 

[filbe]

1150 gearbox

The thing is mine goes very well for an 1150 and is mechanically very good apart from a slight tendency to jump out of 6th.

Mine does that as well (also an '03 1150 with 50K miles)....is a new gearbox the only solution? I also get a weird (and worrying) intermittent rattling sound when travelling fast (above 60mph). I've never figured out what it is, but it sounds like a thin piece of metal being scraped fast over the cylinder cooling fins. It only happens at speed, but it's loud enough to be heard over wind noise and ear plugs! The cylinder heads have been apart but all seems ok!

 

[Packer]

Mine does that as well (also an '03 1150 with 50K miles)....is a new gearbox the only solution? I also get a weird (and worrying) intermittent rattling sound when travelling fast (above 60mph). I've never figured out what it is, but it sounds like a thin piece of metal being scraped fast over the cylinder cooling fins. It only happens at speed, but it's loud enough to be heard over wind noise and ear plugs! The cylinder heads have been apart but all seems ok!

You could have the gearbox rebuilt or do it yourself if you have the access to any special tools required. Whether it would be cheaper I don't know.

The only noise I can think of that could even possibly match that description is "pinking" a kind of tinkling noise that occurs when the air/fuel charge detonates instead of burning as it should. Could be ignition timing, mixture problem, wrong plugs to name but a few. If it is that and it happens much it can cause damage so needs to be sorted. For that I strongly recommend a trip up to Kingston to visit Steptoe.

 

[beermonster]

Would be really useful if you could keep us posted on how you get on with painting the engine, been thinking about that for some time, as mine is a disgrace

 

[GlynnJ]

Would be really useful if you could keep us posted on how you get on with painting the engine, been thinking about that for some time, as mine is a disgrace

Me too

 

[Aidan1150]

Would be really useful if you could keep us posted on how you get on with painting the engine, been thinking about that for some time, as mine is a disgrace

Me too. My 1150 is the same.

 

[Packer]

Due to an almost miraculous dearth of photographic skills/interest I didn't take any before during or after pictures apart from those which highlight potential mechanical grief. I had taken these previously and it had subsequently got worse

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25883184@N06/4209035806/" title="DSCF0002 by PackerK, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2697/4209035806_2d29593319.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCF0002"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25883184@N06/4209035640/" title="DSCF0001 by PackerK, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2562/4209035640_73dddd4d5d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCF0001"></a>

Basically slabs of paint where falling off the engine and particularly, mainly on the left for some reason, low down on the crankcases. The finned area below the oil sight glass was particularly bad. On the gearbox entire areas had lifted with aluminium oxide spreading extensively under the paint, doubtless enhanced my the metal not being passified before factory painting and all jollied along by heat from the catalyser sat below it..

So, I pulled it all apart, degreased thoroughly (which is a right royal pita with modern milksop degreasers), prepared everything with extensive use of mini flap wheels in a Dremel type tool (bought cheaply from Machine Mart in Glasgow but also online) and then primed all the bare metal with Hammerite Special Metals Primer. I then sprayed everything with Hammerite Smooth Silver bought cheaply on line. The flap wheels came from Europa Industrial Supplies (e-mail [email protected]) at a tiny fraction of the cost of buying the Dremel items from B&Q, but I did buy them by the box.

Items that didn't need much dis-assembly like the rack, sub frame, stands etc. all went off for powder coating silver or black. It's justthe large lumps of mechanical bits that I've given the Hammerite treatment and bits that I forgot to take for coating like the final drive drag link.

I'm still putting it back together because 1) I pulled it apart in December and have forgotten how half of it went so need to logically work out what is what and 2) despite thinking that I had labelled and bagged everything in the most minute and anal detail a significant number of bits seem to have just ended up in a box unmarked.

I'll get it finished eventually but have had this distraction to prepare for the Airhead WeeKend

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25883184@N06/5790944724/" title="DSCF0244 by PackerK, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5221/5790944724_8dcc6d7dc1_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="DSCF0244"></a>

I'll not know how well the paint has taken or how it stands up to the heat until I get it completed and running. It is currently an engine/gearbox and all points forward with most of the wiring now in place. I'm also removing the Servo/ABS which adds to the excitement

If I'd known how much work was involved I'd have sold it and bought another lower mileage bike that hadn't been ravaged by salt. Of course I'd then have run the risk of getting a mechanical lemon that may need as much work but of a different type.

I'll post pictures when it's complete with more detail if anyone is interested.

PS I've also taken the opportunity to fit new top yolk steering bearing (there was water under the plastic plug), new telelever pivot bearings (more water damage) plus the ball joint, new swing arm (to gearbox) bearings, and pretty well all new O rings and crush washers that came to see the light of day during dismantling. I've left the clutch which was working fine and seems to have plenty of material left. It would have been sensible to change it (78,000 miles) but I want to see how far it will get me before failure.

PPS If th ematerials used for the 1150 were as good as the R60 and the wiring was as simple then the bike would be a joy to work on. As it is I've stripped one thread putting the right hand rocker box cover back despite using a correctly set torque wrench. Barstard!