Can you offer any tips?

[009jim]

hi Folks, I am new to owning a BMW and my bike is a 2012 camhead. I am soon going to do some items from the 12,000 mile service which were not yet done by the previous owner. Since I have had some awesome responses to previous posts, I decided to ask about the following:-

1. Removing / replacing the upper side fairings, tank bag rail, and .lower side fairings. Are there any usefull tips or things to be wary of?

2. Removing / replacing the tappet covers and checking the valve clearances. Are there any usefull tips or things to be wary of?

3. Removing / replacing spark plugs. Are there any usefull tips or things to be wary of?

4. Draining / replacing gearbox oil. Are there any usefull tips or things to be wary of?

I have already purchased what I believe are the necessary special tools, gaskets, and oils.

Many thanks.

Jim

[lkraus]

1. Make several sketches that you can use to indicate which holes get which screws, there are a lot of them .  Don't force anything. If the holes don't line up, reposition the part.

 

2. Wipe the (reusable) gaskets clean before reinstalling. Don't overtighten the valve cover bolts.  Hand tighten until you feel the "step" just above the threads make contact with the head and STOP. The gaskets will then be properly compressed and will provide enough tension to keep the bolts from loosening. It's easy to strip the threads in the head or break the bolt. Further tightening will not make the gaskets seal any tighter.

 

3. The coil wires are rather thin and delicate - remove them carefully before pulling the coils. You'll need a thin wall socket for the spark plugs.  Keep it straight on the plug, tight clearances mean cocking it can make it jam in the head. This may have been more of a hexhead issue, but watch for it just the same.

 

4. Draining the transmission oil can be very messy. A store bought pie comes in heavy foil that can be shaped to funnel the oil into the drain pain. Choose the flavor carefully as you'll need to eat it to get the empty pan.

 

 

[009jim]

38 minutes ago, lkraus said:

It's easy to strip the threads in the head or break the bolt. Further tightening will not make the gaskets seal any tighter.

This is one of my biggest concerns Larry. I worry that someone before me could have stripped them. I have a 0-20Nm torque wrench and was intending to tighten them to the specified 10Nm from the Haynes manual. Do you consider that appropriate, or just "snug" tighten by hand with the T40 key (my T40 has a 4 inch long handle)?

[9Mary7]

You should also crack the gearbox fill plug loose before you drain the trans. Nice to know you can replace the oil you are removing, and it seems to drain more completely.

[jdub53]

Great tips from @lkraus.

 

I've always used a Tq wrench on all of my Boxers' valve cover bolts with no issues, but knowing it's a relatively low Tq setting I'm very careful while creeping up on the wrench's break point and then of course cease rotation immediately once the Tq setting is reached.

 

Also, the spark plug boots will likely be very snug and difficult to extract. Using a dab of dielectric grease on their inside base when reassembling will greatly ease installation onto each plug and removal next time will be much easier.

[lkraus]

7 hours ago, 009jim said:

This is one of my biggest concerns Larry. I worry that someone before me could have stripped them. I have a 0-20Nm torque wrench and was intending to tighten them to the specified 10Nm from the Haynes manual. Do you consider that appropriate, or just "snug" tighten by hand with the T40 key (my T40 has a 4 inch long handle)?

I have a couple 1/4 in drive, in-lb torque wrenches that I have verified as accurate, but for these particular bolts, I put my trust in "feel."  There is a very rapid increase in the effort needed once the step hits the head that is hard to miss, especially using the reduced leverage of a short 1/4" ratchet or screwdriver type handle.  Some heads have been stripped using a torque wrench because the faint click was missed at such a low torque. It's possible that my bolts end up at only 8 or 9 Nm, but I've never had these bolts loosen and I've never had a leak.

 

 As always, YRMV.

[bruce2000ltc]

On my '13RT the screws for the upper and lower side covers on both sides are all the same size/length.  The only exception are two screws that hold the glovebox lid, they are noticeably shorter.

I use a 1/4" cordless ratchet with a bit holder and #25 torx bit for the two front screws on the upper side covers.  It gives you a nice 90 degree wrench to loosen and tighten the screws in a tight space.  On all the rest of the screws I use a cordless screwdriver which really speeds the process up.  I set the torque on the lowest setting when installing the screws so I don't risk cross-threading. 

Hope you enjoy your new bike!

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

The little rubber spark plug starter/extenders come in handy and prevent crossthreading.  I don't know where I got mine.  It's got a screwdriver type handle, a flexible stalk and a socket for the electrode contact on the top of the plug.

[009jim]

12 hours ago, lkraus said:

I have a couple 1/4 in drive, in-lb torque wrenches that I have verified as accurate, but for these particular bolts, I put my trust in "feel."  There is a very rapid increase in the effort needed once the step hits the head that is hard to miss, especially using the reduced leverage of a short 1/4" ratchet or screwdriver type handle.  Some heads have been stripped using a torque wrench because the faint click was missed at such a low torque. It's possible that my bolts end up at only 8 or 9 Nm, but I've never had these bolts loosen and I've never had a leak.

I agree 100% - in most cases I find my hand is much better than the torque wrench on the small bolts.

[009jim]

6 hours ago, Danny caddyshack Noonan said:

The little rubber spark plug starter/extenders come in handy and prevent crossthreading.  I don't know where I got mine.  It's got a screwdriver type handle, a flexible stalk and a socket for the electrode contact on the top of the plug.

Yes, the sparks plugs are so small and look quite fragile. I will be screwing them with fingers until I know they're threaded.