Coolant drain plug won't budge, and.. lotsa metal shavings on tranny drain plug

[TaosBrick]

While engaged in Brick Massage today, everything was going fine until it was time to drain th' coolant. Drain plug so tight I'm afraid I'l strip the hex socket in it, bend or break the wrench. What to do? A leetle bit of heat with a judiciously applied torch - or, will the coolant drain out if I remove the hot water sensor?

And - this is what I found when I drained the tranny gear oil:



(Stoopid camera phone does not do closeups very well)

The machine has 30,000m on it, and the gear oil was last changed at 9,200. So should I be concerned, or is this a normal amount of filings for that kinda mileage? Overfilled the gearbox just a tad too by putting a whole quart in, hopefully this is not enuf to worry about.

[TaosBrick]

Weeeeell, guess I'm learning Brickanatomy as I go along. The thing next to the cooant drain plug tha I thought was the temp sensor is actually the oil pressure sensor, or so it would appear. So I'm back to being f**ked unless someone has a solution.

[Inge K.]

Remove the coolant hose from the pump.

About metal on the drain plug...you gonna find it there next time too.
Put some of this metal between your fingertips....and you would feel that it`s microscopic particles.
If not....it`s time to get concerned.

Inge K.

[TaosBrick]

Thanks Inge K. - Hmm... more like steel filings than microscopic particles, and there seemed to be a couple of largish flakes in there too. If you look to the left of center of the top of the plug, you can see one of 'em, albeit fuzzily.
  Will some of that molybdenum additive stuff extend the gear life a bit? I have only had this bike for not much over a thousand miles, and all along I've noted that the shifting is kinda clunky with lotsa false neutrals if one does not shift with some degree of authority. I thought that was just part of the "K Mystique", as it were.

[frankenduck]

What IK said on the coolant drain.

A picture of the drain plug in focus would help.

Yes, w/ moly lubes better than without.

[Inge K.]

About gear change, have you tried a little preload on the shift lever before pulling the clutch?
Could also indicate it`s about time to do a clutch spline lube.

Inge K.

[TaosBrick]

Yeah, yeah - well, by now you've prolly figured out that I'm a little outta focus myself :loopy:
Too late to take another pic this go-round, as I've already wiped it clean and stuck it back in.

Glad you agree about the moly, Duck. So what kind should I use? I just filled the thing up with Valvoline Syntech gear oil, so I'm guessing that I should get some little tube of it in a powder form? Never had to use the stuff before and so am unfamiliar with application  :dunno

[TaosBrick]

Clutch splines, clutch and input shaft were replaced and lubed @ 25630k by the dealer(bend-over)ship in PA where this bike originally came from. Currently 31200 on my ride. Original owner was an investment banker in Philly. He kept all the shop receipts meticulously, and there's a stack of 'em. He had all kinds of stuf replaced that I find myself wondering about. When those guys saw him coming, they must've said "cha-ching!" to themselves  :hehehe

[mystic red]

While engaged in Brick Massage today, everything was going fine until it was time to drain th' coolant. Drain plug so tight I'm afraid I'l strip the hex socket in it, bend or break the wrench. What to do? A leetle bit of heat with a judiciously applied torch - or, will the coolant drain out if I remove the hot water sensor?

And - this is what I found when I drained the tranny gear oil:



(Stoopid camera phone does not do closeups very well)

The machine has 30,000m on it, and the gear oil was last changed at 9,200. So should I be concerned, or is this a normal amount of filings for that kinda mileage? Overfilled the gearbox just a tad too by putting a whole quart in, hopefully this is not enuf to worry about.

So you're saying that with all the receipts this guy had the final drive wasn't changed for than 20K? Or am I misunderstanding you?

[frankenduck]

I'd just do the Guard Dog stuff.  Another three oz. of fluid will not make your tranny explode. 

(When I bought my K1100RS it had just been serviced by the "techs" at Ventura BMW.  I rode it up the coast fomr Malibu and stopped at a buddy's place in SF to give it a once-over.  The dumbasses at Ventura had filled the tranny to the brim. :yow)

[frankenduck]

So you're saying that with all the receipts this guy had the final drive wasn't changed for than 20K? Or am I misunderstanding you?

I change mine on 20k intervals.  (Using Mobil 1 gear oil.)

[TaosBrick]

Hey Duck - What's this "WS2" stuf that RAL88 on the Geezer site is talkin' about? He makes some big claims for it.

[frankenduck]

Tungsten sulfide

[DRxBMW]

While engaged in Brick Massage today, everything was going fine until it was time to drain th' coolant. Drain plug so tight I'm afraid I'l strip the hex socket in it, bend or break the wrench. What to do? A leetle bit of heat with a judiciously applied torch - or, will the coolant drain out if I remove the hot water sensor?

And - this is what I found when I drained the tranny gear oil:

he machine has 30,000m on it, and the gear oil was last changed at 9,200. So should I be concerned, or is this a normal amount of filings for that kinda mileage? Overfilled the gearbox just a tad too by putting a whole quart in, hopefully this is not enuf to worry about.

Just remove the bottom hose clamp Taos, really NO need to even use the drain plug, especially in your scenario. It will drain just fine. Do NOT forget to dump the coolant overflow reservoir.

Ya ,hard to tell what the metal matter looks like from your photo. If it just magnetic fuzz OK, chunks of metal are a different story. (shifting forks wear & tear)

[DRxBMW]

Clutch splines, clutch and input shaft were replaced and lubed @ 25630k by the dealer(bend-over)ship in PA where this bike originally came from. Currently 31200 on my ride. Original owner was an investment banker in Philly. He kept all the shop receipts meticulously, and there's a stack of 'em. He had all kinds of stuf replaced that I find myself wondering about. When those guys saw him coming, they must've said "cha-ching!" to themselves  :hehehe

Ha, half that shit probably was NEVER even done except for calculating the labor bill. 

What's the dealers name out of curiosity ?  I KNOW all them of them here in Pa, a few are real shysters. Did the tech sign the Tech II inspection sheet ? Or did the service manager sign off ?

Weird that a clutch would die at 25K, unless it was the dreaded bent bell housing syndrome,which may be hoax made up by BMW for DEFECTIVE Gertrag  transmissions. Philly traffic sucks but I find all the above semi ludicrous.

[Inge K.]

Weird that a clutch would die at 25K,

I was also wondering a bit about that.........on my oldest K it have passed 200K km`s.

Inge K.

[conybeare]

(When I bought my K1100RS it had just been serviced by the "techs" at Ventura BMW.  I rode it up the coast fomr Malibu and stopped at a buddy's place in SF to give it a once-over.  The dumbasses at Ventura had filled the tranny to the brim. :yow)

And it wasn't leaking out of the clutch boot??

[frankenduck]

And it wasn't leaking out of the clutch boot??

Nope.  That's sealed by the spring in the boot pressing the boot onto the nipple on the clutch arm.

[TaosBrick]

Welp, everything's back together, looks ok. No test ride yet, but wondering if the synthetic gear oil will make any difference. Will be ordering some Guard Dog soon, wondering if tinkering with that Tungsten Sulfide stuf wouldn't be a bad idea either.
  Added 2oz. oil to leaky left fork, hopefully that'll get me to Phx. and back. Installed altitude switch, as Phx. is around 2,000' elevation - haven't ventured below 4,000 since getting the bike.
 
  And yo Doc, the dealership near Philly that soaked the original owner is R. K. BMW, in Deptford, NJ.

[billday]

And - this is what I found when I drained the tranny gear oil:

Are you concerned because you found a teepee in your transmission?

[TaosBrick]

Ha Ha - but the mound of metal shavings on the plug was somewhat tipi shaped, or maybe more like a sweat lodge :lol:

[DRxBMW]

And yo Doc, the dealership near Philly that soaked the original owner is R. K. BMW, in Deptford, NJ.

Small world, as I happen to know Rob Kivak personally. He now runs an independent shop in Cherry Hills, NJ. FWIW, excellent wrench. Honest guy, I'll call him on the phone and pick his brain of WHY your whip needed major work at only 25K.

If it were Blackman's BMW I would say RIP OFF !

Entirely possible the banker was anal about service. Hell, you NEVER turn down work.

Employed as a ski shop tech one winter. Some folks got there edges sharpened/base waxed/binding check every day whether it was needed or NOT. Hey, if it makes them warm & fuzzy charge'em. LOL I'm sure you can relate.

Kivak worked up Pearlman's custom K 75, note the oversize rotors.

[frankenduck]

DRx has a point. Some people don't think they're taking care of their vehicles unless they're pissing away tons of money on maintenance and ch1t that doesn't really need to be done.

[TaosBrick]

Yah, I'm hearin' you guys. Personally, I don't have that kinda $ and I LIKE doin' it all myself (mostly). Yeah, it'd be interesting if yer man Kivak would remember my ride. The guy who had all the work done is a Tom Williams.

If you sharpen your ski edges every day, you won't have any left pretty soon. But - those are the kind folks who buy a new pair o planks every year anyway. Me? I get four or more seasons outta my skis. And when they're done they're done :tongue

[TaosBrick]

Looking back, I'm thinking of how I ran th' Beest for about 800mi after I got it, some of 'em hard miles too, with the gear oil being down by about a third to half or more  :yow.

No idea how many miles that state of affairs existed before I took ownership. Wondering if this could be a contributing factor to the amount of metal shavings I found on the drainplug.