Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Grrrr, oil leak problems in Temuco, Chile with my F650.

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Grrrr, oil leak problems in Temuco, Chile with my F650.

Hey guys, I am in Temuco, Chile (500 miles South of Santiago) and I have just noticed that my bike has a pretty big oil leak that seems to be coming from the gasket that is highest up on the engine (above the F650 text that is on the engine). Both the left and right side engine covers have a lot of oil on them.

Does anyone have a F650 engine gasket kit that is in the area? Or is anyone coming through Santiago and could stop and buy this for me?

I do not really want to drive back to Santiago but I am debating it because of my past oil leak experience where I said I would never drive on without getting the problem fixed first.

Are there any shops that work on BMW´s in Temuco or Puerto Montt?

Thanks,
Geoff

hi Geoff,

If it is a paper gasket it would be possible to make one, just use some paper/card and some gasket seal. It may be a O ring type seal which has broken and they can be cleaned and rejoined with super glue. Failing that you could try some silicone gasket.

Steve

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollydog (Post 178672)

Why not call the BMW shop in Santiago and have them post the gaskets you need. Would take about a month from Germany if the shop does not stock the gasket kit you think you need. But maybe you only need ONE gasket, not the whole kit?

While waiting, I would throughly clean all the oil off the motor. Remove tank and whatever else to gain access. Once clean, determine exactly where the source of the leak is.

Still can't be sure? Run the motor and watch for the leak on the clean motor. This should make it obvious if the leak is not too subtle.

Make certain the crankcase vent hoses or other crankcase vents are not pinched or blocked. May be more than one. This is a common cause of oil leaks.

Next. Check torque values on valve cover or cyl. head or what ever part you think is leaking. Try loosening all the fasteners, removing part, cleaning, then examine gasket for damage, a cut, pinched or misalignment.

Sometimes a good cleaning and careful re-install and re-torque will do the trick. Make sure bolts are tightened in sequence, criss cross pattern. Tighten in three stages, keeping everything even. (IE : 5 ft. lbs. then 10 ft. lbs. then
final torque, 15 ft. lbs. )

As a temp fix, sometimes a good automotive silicone caulk/sealer will stop an oil leak if applied carefully and correctly.

This solution is commonly used on older DR650's that are plagued with leaking cylinder base gaskets. A good caulk around the base stops the leak.

Good luck.

Patrick

BTW, any good auto mech can fix this, make a gasket or any number of other solutions. No BMW dealer needed other than for parts. But gaskets can
be made or improvised usually. Rubber O ring type will be harder but doable. You can buy rubber O ring type gasket off a roll and cut to length. (good truck or auto parts supply) Use a flexible sealer where two ends join. Been there, done that.

Thank you for the good advice Molly. Your approach to solving the problem sounds very methodical and scientific.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveAttwood (Post 178673)

Hey Steve, thanks for the advice. I have a reference to a good shop from the recommendations section and I will ask them if they can make a gasket if needed.

It’s the cylinder head gasket – not a big deal.

Take of the 8 bolts (with rubber bushes) and clean everything. A thin layer of silicone on the gasket will probably help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AliBaba (Post 178691)

It’s the cylinder head gasket – not a big deal.

Take of the 8 bolts (with rubber bushes) and clean everything. A thin layer of silicone on the gasket will probably help.

Thanks Alibaba, I am having a hard time building up the motivation to tackle another one of my F650´s problems. lol

Since you say "Both the left and right side engine covers have a lot of oil on them.", make sure that your gasket leak isn't in fact the oil leaking from the breather hose on top of the engine. Is there oil above the gasket joint?

Speaking from experience - my leaking gasket turned out to be a misfitting jubilee clip on the breather pipe. But the effect was to cover both sides of the engine covers in oil.

baswacky.

Hey guys, thanks for all the help. Yesterday I took a part half the bike so that I could retorque the head bolts and that seems to have done the trick. One of the bolts had come lose and that seems to be what the problem was.

Thanks,
Geoff

Checking for oil leaks

It's a nice feeling when you get a quick solution: keep an eye on it for a while - check for more oil leaking, in case it is slacking off again or the gasket is past its' best (although I have no idea how this happens it did happen to me on a different model of bike!).

Checking for where the oil is coming from:
It can be very difficult to see because the oil spreads very easily and it blows around anyway in the wind blast when you are riding. It was recommended to me to use something like talcum powder once the engine had been cleaned - spread this around anywhere that you think the oil may be originating. I guess you could use handfuls of fine dust if there is no talc available.
Anyway, I was concerned about the talc blowing off the engine in the wind so I wrapped masking tape on the bits of the engine that I suspected - the kind that is using for masking off paintwork - it stains where the oil first appears and it does not come off the engine until you take it off.
This confirmed "my worst fears"! :rolleyes2: