What on earth?!?!

[Filmcamera]

Hello everyone,


It has been ages since I posted on here. I admit the brick has not been getting out much since I got my Tiger 900.  Having said that I do run the engine through a coup[le of heat cycles every couple of weeks and have ridden her at least every three months.


The last time I did i noticed it was intermittently runnin gon three cylinders so today I decided to check out what was going on.


Imagine my horror when I found this!





Anyone have any idea what is going on?

[frankenduck]

Is some sort of critter making a home there?

[Filmcamera]

There doesn't seem to be, if I had to guess I would say it was some sort of corrosion.

[Laitch]

Insect excreta on the surfaces could damage paint, but it's more likely that windblown pollen collected in there then broke down into corrosive constituents in the humid air. Whichever it is, scrubbing it off thoroughly then waxing the surfaces could reduce future incidents.

Welcome back!

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Welcome back!  Are you close to the ocean?  Does the bike spend any time parked outside? 

My guess is salt air that gets into places where rain can't wash it away.  As Laitch mentioned a good scrub with some vinegar and a Scotchbrite pad will get rid of a lot of the oxidation followed by a bit of wax or a light spray with a rust converter.

[Filmcamera]

I am not near the ocean but the bike is outside all the time, under cover but still outside, in very wet and humid conditions. 


OK, I will give it a good clean and scrub tomorrow and keep an eye on it.


Meanwhile, the big question, how hard is an engine rebuild? Cylinder #4 burns vast amounts of oil and clearly needs new rings, meaning the whole the whole engine probably does.


 Should I even think about doing it myself?

[Laitch]

Cylinder #4 burns vast amounts of oil and clearly needs new rings, meaning the whole the whole engine probably does.
Should I even think about doing it myself?

What are the warmed-engine compression test values for each cylinder? You can't assume which will pistons need rings until more data is obtained. Is there heavy blue smoke emitted from the tailpipe? The bad news is you've already thought about doing it yourself.
 
Replacing rings on a Brick's piston will be tedious but the engine can stay in the frame, which is a big plus.

[daveson]

Wondering a bit if it's parked on a slight incline or the side stand. With only occasional rides (especially if short rides) and humid weather, the oil might be getting sludgy. Hopefully the rings are just stuck.

For a bit of a clean, before an oil change and with the engine warm, I used to put half a litre of diesel in the oil and let the engine Idle for five minutes. Hopefully that might help.

Sometimes an Italian tune up is the go too.

[Past-my-Prime]

Wondering a bit if it's parked on a slight incline or the side stand. With only occasional rides (especially if short rides) and humid weather, the oil might be getting sludgy. Hopefully the rings are just stuck.

For a bit of a clean, before an oil change and with the engine warm, I used to put half a litre of diesel in the oil and let the engine Idle for five minutes. Hopefully that might help.

Sometimes an Italian tune up is the go too.

I would be terrified to put 500 ml of flammable diesel into my oil but that’s probably my paranoia coming out.

[daveson]

Engine oil is also flammable, I think of diesel as like a thin oil. I first got the idea from a neighbour in the past who used to do this with his car. Last time I saw him he clocked up about 700,000 km with its original engine. I then started doing it with my car at the time and also clocked up well over 700,000 km.

[Chaos]

Is that a freeze plug between plugs 1 and 2?  Looks leaky whatever it is.

[Filmcamera]

I am not sure what that is but it does look like the source of the issue to me as well, is it something I can remove and replace or how should I deal with the problem?

[Laitch]

Is that a freeze plug between plugs 1 and 2?  Looks leaky whatever it is.

I think you're onto something there, Chaos. Some research has shown that a precipitant gel can form when different types of coolant are mixed. Filmcamera's goo look a lot like the attached examples of coolant failure.

Cleaning the area thoroughly should show if the plugs are leaking. Following with a coolant flush would be my strategy. Before the system is filled with fresh coolant, the plugs could be replaced. The freeze plugs could be leaking from the effects of corrosion.

[Filmcamera]

I cleaned up the area a bit and it certainly seems that plus is the source of the issue.

[Filmcamera]

I cleaned up the mess and left everything as it was for a couple if days.


I went to check today and there is clearly coolant leaking out of the head from the freeze plug.


So is it fixable? Can I try and have it welded or something or do I need to but a new (used) head?


I would appreciate any suggestions

[Chaos]

Should be fixable. Google removing freeze plugs, the trick might be finding a new one the right size.

[Laitch]

You'll pry and pull out the damaged freeze plug, clean and smooth the opening with a piece of emery cloth, wipe the perimeter of the new plug with sealant like Three Bond or Permatex, then insert it using a socket that either fits the interior closely or fits onto the raised edge of the plug. All plugs should be replaced because the others are likely to be weak and start leaking after this one has been repaired. It's your call. Measure its diameter and you'll be all set to order some.

I'd soak along its outer edge with Liquid Wrench or some other penetrant and do the job the following day. Sometimes tapping on the bottom of the plug with a bolt's head will pivot the plug on its axis and it can be jostled out with pliers. Some folks pierce it with a screwdriver or other prying tool and lever it out. What you avoid is driving it into the head, for obvious reasons. I haven't needed to freeze a plug attempting to lessen its diameter a hair prior to installation but that has been done successfully by others.

[Filmcamera]

Great, thanks.


I ordered a set of plugs from Max BMW and found a how to vid on YouTube.


I will update this thread when I have them and try the fix...


Wish me luck!