OIL SIGHT GLASS LEAKING

[b12bandit]

Apologies if this has been mentioned here before.

My 2002 R1150R - 30k miles - is leaking oil from the sight glass. Nothing too serious at the moment but it's definitely getting worse.

Is it an easy fix or is it crankcase split job?

CHEERS

PETE
SHEFFORD
BEDS
UK

[bikermeow]

Relatively easy job. Just get another sight glass and remove the old one. You need to break the old sight glass.

Good luck.

Cheers

[b12bandit]

Thanks. I'll give it a go.

[Boxer]

It's "pressed" in like an oil seal. I think the hardest part is removing the old one. Sometimes if they begin leaking like yours, the next thing to happens is for it to just blow out one day, leaving a messy spill. It's best to go through the process of "pulling" the old one out and using a round tool of some kind, which is the same size as the new sight glass, to press the new one back in.

[boxermania]

The easiest way to go about the replacement is to drill a small hole in the middle of the window (made of plastic), screw in a metal screw. With a set of visegrips yank the window out. Clean the mounting surface of the window, find a socket slightly smaller than the diameter of the new window. Place a short extension on the socket and the open end on the window, tap in with a rubber dead blow hammer.....Voila!!!!

Do remember to drain some oil, before removing the window, top up afterwards.

[Sunbeemer]

I remember reading in this forum someone in France replacing their's a while ago using black RTV Silicone to seal it; anyone have any thoughts about whether that is a good idea or even necessary?

[boxermania]

Sunbeemer

No sealant is really needed, cleaning of the recess and the new gasket is all that is needed. There is hardly any pressure behind the window to speak of. (cranckcase pressure, just a few inches of water)

[b12bandit]

CHEERS

[b12bandit]

Replaced it this afternoon.

Nightmare. The old one would not budge. We drilled, hammered, levered and cursed. I'm sure we damaged the actual crankcase itself when we eventually got the damned thing out.

Putting the new one in - "a couple of taps with a hammer and voila! Job done" - I DON'T THINK SO

The SOAB refused to go in straight. The exhaust gets in the way of trying to drift it in using a 30mm socket.

Despite smearing with sealant/gasket compound, it leaked worse than the old one.

We eventually mixed up some 'chemical metal' paste and smeared that all round the rim. That appeared to do the trick but I doubt if it'll hold for very long.

The trade-in value of my bike is now in freefall;

Bodged repair to oil sight glass. Electrical problems due to BMW's obsession with zip/cable ties. Poor finish on the front forks, crankcases, swingarm and assorted clamps, brackets and fittings AND it's now started p*ssing petrol all over the right side of the engine due to problems with the fuel line connections.

'Legendary' BMW reliability? I DON'T THINK SO. I'm going back to Japanese before my Beemer decays into a worthless pile of scrap before my very eyes.

[CycleRob]

"Nightmare. The old one would not budge. We drilled, hammered, levered and cursed. I'm sure we damaged the actual crankcase itself when we eventually got the damned thing out.
Putting the new one in - "a couple of taps with a hammer and voila! Job done" - I DON'T THINK SO
The SOAB refused to go in straight. The exhaust gets in the way of trying to drift it in using a 30mm socket.
Despite smearing with sealant/gasket compound, it leaked worse than the old one.
We eventually mixed up some 'chemical metal' paste and smeared that all round the rim. That appeared to do the trick but I doubt if it'll hold for very long. The trade-in value of my bike is now in freefall"





That was a sad, almost painful read. Working on bikes requires more than having a collection of tools and learning how to do it from a couple of correctly written instructions. Using the correct tools, and heat or solvents/chemicals are also tools, is 2nd to knowing how to use tools in general. I'd bet that a BMW tech or other such experienced mechanic would be able to remove and install that frozen sight glass window with no drama or damage. Even if he/she did not have the correct tools, there would not be a damaged, leaky crankcase sealing surface.

Again . . . "The trade-in value of my bike is now in freefall"

That's why most riders should leave the job to those who know what they are doing and/or successfully make a living at it. After doing cars on the side and bikes as a career, I'd say the difference between motorcycle and auto mechanics is the extra patience needed to work on the tightly integrated compactness of bikes. Dumping BMW for a Honda will only slightly improve the different but likely still dismal results. Be careful about who you let work on your bike. That's as polite and diplomatic as I can be.

.

[b12bandit]

Rob,

Good point, well made. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and, knowing what I know now, it would have been best to let my local BMW dealer do the job. You'd think at my age (50), having had bikes for 40 years, that I'd know better!

However, the points about the general finish and reliability of this bike still hold true. I'm very disappointed with it, and have written to BMW to tell them so.

I'm reaching 'decision time' with this bike. It's 8 years old and has just notched up 30k miles. As mentioned, it's trade-in value is in freefall. So, do I keep it and work through the faults as they appear, accepting that it's never going to be worth anything?

Or do I get rid now. Minimise the financial hit, and move on to something else?

[Boxer]

Sounds like over in the other thread about QDs you have found a mechanical friend to do these jobs. Good move! What was the final outcome concerning this sight glass leaking after replacing?

[b12bandit]

The sight glass is still in place but the 'chemical metal' paste repair is already weeping oil but only very slightly.

Options;

1) Leave it be and just wipe the sight glass every day.

2) Smear some more chemical metal or sealant paste on (difficult to get it to stick to an oily surface)

3) Buy ANOTHER new sight glass and get my friend Stewart (the police bike mechanic) to fix it

4) Take it to a BMW dealer and give him my credit card.

I'm going with Option 1 for the time being.

By the way, I called my local BMW and asked for a price on a full-monty, do-everything service for the 1150R.......

£613 or $881 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy Sh*t.

[gregor]

While on my knees checking the bike, thought I'd check access to the sight glass.
No problem if the above advice is followed; a socket plus a short extension clears the exhaust if I wanted to drift a new lens in.

[Ol' Jeffers]

The sight glass is still in place but the 'chemical metal' paste repair is already weeping oil but only very slightly.

Options;

1) Leave it be and just wipe the sight glass every day.

2) Smear some more chemical metal or sealant paste on (difficult to get it to stick to an oily surface)

3) Buy ANOTHER new sight glass and get my friend Stewart (the police bike mechanic) to fix it

4) Take it to a BMW dealer and give him my credit card.

I'm going with Option 1 for the time being.

By the way, I called my local BMW and asked for a price on a full-monty, do-everything service for the 1150R.......

£613 or $881 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy Sh*t.

As the sight glass is made from a plastic, I would be a little careful with chemical based stuff...plastics can change their physical properties
when in contact with different chemicals. I'd let Stuart do the job, I think.

[Sunbeemer]

I am sorry you had such a problem replacing the sight glass, but don't let it get you down. I think you could get these problems fixed and still have a good ride for years to come. IMHO, it is worth it.

Here's a tip for anybody replacing rubber seals (esp. o-rings) in an aluminum casting:
Aluminum is very soft and can be easily scratched by most tools. A single scratch deep enough to catch a finger nail across the face of a seal land can cause a leak. Be very careful around seal faces and use plastic to work around them whenever possible. I use the pointy ends of zip-ties to remove o-rings, much preferred over digging around in the groove with a screwdriver. If you must dig, don't damage the sealing surface. Sometimes small scratches can be buffed out with a ScotchBrite pad or fine emory cloth (600 grit) and polished with a bit of crocus cloth. The bore land should be even with no divits (low spots) so the seal is compressed evenly. Sometimes a larger o-ring can be used after resurfacing the bore. Also, the seal and the casting's sealing surfaces must be surgically clean (isopropyl alcohol works well) before reassembly, and a small amount of silicone grease will help get the seal to, ah, seal. Take your time, and if you get frustrated, take a break, get a cold drink, and come back to it later.

Hope you get your problems worked out.

[b12bandit]

Rich,

Wise words indeed but I fear too late in my case. I'm sure we damaged the casting/crankcase when getting the old glass out.

Looks like I'm going to have to buy another sight glass and enlist professional help.

Meanwhile, I wipe down and top up after every ride. I just hope it doesn't let go suddenly and cover the rear tyre in oil.

[fazer1k]

By the way, I called my local BMW and asked for a price on a full-monty, do-everything service for the 1150R.......

£613 or $881 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy Sh*t.

Wow ! Who was the local dealer ?

I need a similar 'do-everything' service, have asked North Oxford BMW to quote but no response so far, perhaps I'll invest in a Haynes/Clymer manual instead and DIY !

Anyone on here used Motoscot for servicing, an independent based near Luton ?

[b12bandit]

Wollaston Northampton.

Smashing place but I think they're more interested in cars than bikes. The showroom is very posh. Real 'American Express' type place! A bit out of my league I'm afraid.

[Sunbeemer]

There are several types of metallized epoxies that can be applied to clean aluminum and then tooled to reform the sealing surface. One such product I've recently used on marine jets is called Bel Zona, and is avaialble in varying hardnesses, up to and including one that is so hard it can barely be drilled. It might be just the stuff to fix your damaged sight glass bore.