oil weeps from head gasket

[webmost]

Acela's previous owner switched to synthetic oil. Dunno what kind he used; but shortly afterwards she began to get oil weeps. He replaced her valve cover gaskets. I have tightened her inner front cover, and replaced timing chain sprocket cover O-rings, oil filler plug O-ring, valve cover plug tunnel seals, and so forth, plugging up one weep spot after another, then de-greasing, and looking for the next. I now have everything dry as a bone except for a slight weep around her oil sight glass (I have a replacement part ready to tap in soon), and a slight weep along the top of her right head gasket.

Here's my question: Before yanking the head and replacing Acela's head gasket, might it do me any good to re-torque her heads? Is it possible, for instance, that by making sure her studs are fully threaded in, then re-tightening the things I could get a better squeeze in there? Anyone fought these weeps before?

Or am I wasting my time and might as well yank her jug?

1995 R1100R with 76,000 miles. Runs like a top. Excellent mileage, power, smoothness, and balance.

[Arbee]

I would be getting rid of the synthetic oil first off,
totally unnecessary in a boxer engine unless your on a racetrack.

[SLEDGE]

I woukd vote to go back to Dino oil if thats all thats going on. If its running " like a top ect" I would not tear it down for and oil weep. Ride that thing, just wipe the oil smear off.

[webmost]

Guys, I am obviously no believer in snake (er, I mean synthetic) oil. That's not the issue.
I would just wipe the oil off, if that's all it took.

Thing is, it blows back on my shin. So I arrive anywhere with an oil stink and a stain on my pant leg. Got it down to one leg and a smaller stain. But I'd rather plug it up if there's a handy way. Anyone here ever solved this problem?



BTW - Helping an RT rider last weekend do his valves. He shows me four quarts of snake (er, there I go again) oil he bought at Bob;s, for, sittin down?, get this: $80! Four measly quarts. I pointed at the case of castrol in the garage I got at the auto supply for $33. Now, that's for a case, not four measy bottles. I tell you, many of these anal beemer riders just have way more dollars than sense.

[philbytx]

A disagreement with Arbee's assessment of synthetic oil. Naaahhhh!!! An oil disagreement? Never seen one before
Now....let me get this out of the way...synthetic MAY cause issues on older motors with seals that are worn and/or sludged up. This is due to the detergent action of synthetics usually being better than dino oils.

Without getting into the whole "oil as religion" thing, synthetics are just fine for boxer motors, BMW puts synthetic into their "Authority" bikes straight from the factory. They do get extreme use (idling, stop and go traffic etc), so if you are in a hot climate, and with stop and go traffic, synthetics do rule.

Cannot locate it at the moment (I'm at work), but there is a document showing Oilhead oil temps viz a viz the bars on a BMW RID. We don't have RID's on our R1100R's (ignorance is bliss, maybe? ) but I do have one on my RT. This document demonstrates that if you get up to max bars (top of your RID) you are, basically, cooking your Dino oil.
Synthetics do handle temperature extremes way better than dino oils, they are also better handling heat transference.

I ran BMW dino 20w50 in my RT until it stopped using oil and the motor smoothed out (it was under warranty!). Now these events occurred around 18k, so I then switched over to Mobil1 15w50. I am running 20w50 GTX in my 1100R, which only has just over 7500 miles on it. As soon as that motor stops using oil and smooths out, I will then change to Mobil1 15w50.

I only ever had the RID go up ALMOST to the red bar once, when I was stuck in slow moving traffic on a very hot day. I actually pulled off and let both me and the bike cool down .
When I got home, I did an oil change and found the oil really dark and it smelled burned.

Now, you have to remember when reading the above that I am, somewhat!!, anal about maintenance. For very good reasons.....and too many to bore y'all with here!

[webmost]

some poo for brains just have a lot of time on their hands

________________________________________

I posted the above comment regarding some idiot spammer who stuck an ad for a video game site into this thread. Apparently, an admin removed the spam, but retained my comment on it; leaving some genuine board members to think I was commenting on them. Not so. The above has absolutely nothing to do with anyone's genuine contribution.

I wish these spammers would get a life.

[maduko]

By all means, if you have the time to change your oil 3 times more often, do stop using synthetic. Do the math- it's cheaper.

Torque the heads. It won't hurt to add 10 ft/lbs for that matter.

[andmoon]

My rt. side head gasket was weeping.
Head retorque (I added 5 degrees to the 180 final turn) and she is dry.

[webmost]

Now there's the answer I'm looking for. So did you loosen the nuts, re-oil them, torque to spec, then go 185 degrees from there; or did you just twist another 5 degrees from where it was?

[andmoon]

Now there's the answer I'm looking for. So did you loosen the nuts, re-oil them, torque to spec, then go 185 degrees from there; or did you just twist another 5 degrees from where it was?

Somewhere on advrider is a how to video.

I loosened, oiled (except the one nut that is offset and requires a diff torque spec and no 180 degree turn), torqued and did a 180 plus 5~10 degrees.

If your bike is a bit clacky, do the rocker adjustment too. A valve adjust after a head retorque is a must.

Good luck.

[webmost]

Thanks.

A return to dino oil a month ago seems to have slowed the weep. If it does not disappear, I will retorque.

Heading to advrider now to look for that video.