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Photo by Sean Howman, The Pamir highway in an unseasonably cold late October, Tajikistan

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Sean Howman,
The Pamir highway in an unseasonably
cold late October, Tajikistan



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  • 1 Post By Tony P
  • 1 Post By Threewheelbonnie

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  #1  
Old 18 Jul 2012
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F650gs over heating
Hey, My bike is over heating Ive come to the conclusion its the headgaset seems to be leaking out of the top left, Does anybody know where I can find one for sale online? Ive searched ebay and its ended in frustriation haha.
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  #2  
Old 18 Jul 2012
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It might seem silly but what about a BMW dealer?

They will happily accept telephone orders and mail it, although possibly not to other countries where there are existing Dealer setups. So try those in your own country, wherever that is.

Alternatively if (like many) you are nauseated by dealing with the whole BMW marketing scenario of smoked glass, chromed steel and white marble palaces - even for your spares, try the UK independents like Motorworks, Motobins or James Sherlock who all deal online and mail anywhere in the World. Wherever possible they offer cheaper non-BMW equivalents, but where they cannot they have 'friendly' dealers they go to.

But for the leak you have observed, my first thing to check would have been the water pump shaft seals - notoriously a very weak point.
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  #3  
Old 18 Jul 2012
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yeah I only tore it down about a quater of the way, I had been dealing with a oil leak for months, I thought it was the valve cover seal and replaced it with a new one and it still leaked, my father said it was possibly the head gasket so I took it to the dealership because I was going to be ridding it across canada and got them to look it over and they said the headgasket was fine. Now this happend not to long ago, once I get it to my house Im going to tear it down check the simple things, I know that bmw dealships would ship it to my door but I hate having to pay a extra $100.00 for a $30.00 part. Might be my only option though,just trying to save a few bucks do you know of any other possible things that could cause it to over heat?
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Old 18 Jul 2012
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thanks for hooking me up with those sites!
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  #5  
Old 18 Jul 2012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by F650fungs View Post
do you know of any other possible things that could cause it to over heat?
Are you losing coolant liquid?
If so, check the small weep hole below the front end of the clutch cover for drips (water pump shaft seals).
If not, check the radiator is freeflowing with air outside and coolant liquid inside. At the same time check the thermostat has not burst and is stuck closed.

If that fails ask on BMW F650 Forums you will find a highly informed and helpful bunch of riders there all specific to, errrr, F650s !
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Old 19 Jul 2012
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question
your heating-warning-light went on or did you just feel like it was very hot on the right sight?
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Old 19 Jul 2012
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Water pump.
Fan switch.
Exhaust seals.

If it's the water pump seals the oil will be chocolate brown from coolant getting past the load bearing lip seal. The resulting mess neither cools nor lubricates. You need a seal kit and enough fresh fluids to flush and replace.

The fan switch is mounted on it's side yet uses a gravity return! Jump the wires, set the fan running and see if the problem goes away. Replace the switch if it does.

If the exhaust is leaking at the header it will run hot rather than fully over heat. You need to replace the gaskets but tighten a quarter turn at a time on each bolt so it draws on very squarely. It was years ago when I last did this but IMHO the gasket was too thin. You could try using two or adding sealant.

Do not run this engine when over hot, that will warp the head and give the effects of a blown head gasket but at a much more expensive repair. If a new head gasket won't seal you need to lay the head on a glass plate and see how flat the surface is. The best solution if the head does warp probably involves a gallon of petrol a box of matches and a trip to the nearest place selling bikes without Rotax engines.

Andy
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Old 19 Jul 2012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
If it's the water pump seals the oil will be chocolate brown from coolant getting past the load bearing lip seal. The resulting mess neither cools nor lubricates. You need a seal kit and enough fresh fluids to flush and replace.
The oil and water do not necessarily get to meet when a seal fails.
There are two seals on the pump impeller shaft - one keeping each liquid from reaching the small central area which has the drain/weep hole.

On my 2005 GS the coolant seal has failed three times but fortunately not the oil seal at the other end. Maybe I was lucky or noticed things early.

This seems to be a regular occurrance every 15 to 20 thousand miles despite fitting the entire kit of a new impeller, shaft and seals each time.


In summertime traffic the fan comes on regularly and warms my right knee. This is not necessarily a fault.
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Old 19 Jul 2012
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yeh
The Coolant isnt Changing colors and the oil is black, I think it is The seals you where talking about on the water pump. Im gonna tear it down this weekend and have a good look at it. I really hope its not the head gasket. The bike has served me well. 2 cross canada trips! if it is and the head is warped Ill be sad.
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  #10  
Old 19 Jul 2012
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Originally Posted by johan&ils View Post
your heating-warning-light went on or did you just feel like it was very hot on the right sight?
yeah the warning light went off on one of my evening rides on my way home
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