oil level sight glass popped out

[Greenbeans]

Hello All

 

I’m a long time lurker who humbly requests help with his 2000 1100-RTP. The other day I was running errands around town on my bike. On about the third trip to Lowes I started the bike up and the engines sounds really funny so I immediately turned the engine off. The oil level sight glass had popped out with about two quartz of oil on my driveway. Thank goodness it was my driveway and not somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

 

So I went to the local BMW dealer and ordered a new glass. The new ones come with a retaining ring that fits into a grove that is machined into the block. Mine doesn’t have the groove and I don’t think the bike had the retaining ring installed. If it once did it was lost somewhere at some time.

 

My questions are:

 

Does the 2000 year RT’s use a retaining ring to hold the site glass in? If not does it just sit in there with friction?

 

Is there a trick to installation that will keep the glass in place? A friction fit in an area with lots of oil just doesn’t make sense to me.

 

Is the proper fit of the glass something I should be checking? Should I be tapping it in with the appropriate size socket every now and then?

 

Is there the potential for some mechanical problem to cause an oil overpressure that blew the glass out and what might that be?

 

 

 

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Greenbeans

 

Those sight glass’s popping out happens from time to time on the 1100/1150. No idea on ALL the reason but a big reason is warming the engine up on fast idle with that hot exhaust pipe near the sight glass.

 

That snap ring is used on the 1200 hexhead engines as that engine has a groove cut in the block to accept the snap ring. I doubt you will find enough room in your 1100 block to even have the space for a snap ring.

 

I haven’t had any issues with the new ones popping out once installed correctly and nothing slippery like silicone sealer used to install them.

 

Make sure your crankcase vent system is open and functioning as crankcase pressure can blow them out.

 

[pmurphy]

Hello All

 

I’m a long time lurker who humbly requests help with his 2000 1100-RTP. The other day I was running errands around town on my bike. On about the third trip to Lowes I started the bike up and the engines sounds really funny so I immediately turned the engine off. The oil level sight glass had popped out with about two quartz of oil on my driveway. Thank goodness it was my driveway and not somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

 

So I went to the local BMW dealer and ordered a new glass. The new ones come with a retaining ring that fits into a grove that is machined into the block. Mine doesn’t have the groove and I don’t think the bike had the retaining ring installed. If it once did it was lost somewhere at some time.

 

My questions are:

 

Does the 2000 year RT’s use a retaining ring to hold the site glass in? If not does it just sit in there with friction?

 

Is there a trick to installation that will keep the glass in place? A friction fit in an area with lots of oil just doesn’t make sense to me.

 

Is the proper fit of the glass something I should be checking? Should I be tapping it in with the appropriate size socket every now and then?

 

Is there the potential for some mechanical problem to cause an oil overpressure that blew the glass out and what might that be?

 

 

 

This link http://affordable-beemers.smugmug.com/Business/Service-tips-to-save-time/14245369_T2a2M#1052886044_kq4Pv will take you to a video covering the installation.

 

[Paul Mihalka]

Apparently R1100 oil level windows have a upgrade with a snap ring. Check the engine section with the window:

 

http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=51680&rnd=03252011

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Paul

 

I sure don’t see how. In the 1100 the sight glass machining in the case is so shallow there is just no room for a snap ring.

 

If you look the sight glass upgrade is the same part number as the 1200 hexhead and that uses a snap ring.

 

If you look at the picture in the parts diagram of the 1100 it shows the glass without a follow-up snap ring. If you look at the picture of the 1200 hexhead it shows that same part number sight glass with a follow up snap ring.

 

I guess (if)you can get snap ring in there on the 1100 have at it but I sure don’t see how with a shallow pocket for the sight glass and no room to even machine a snap ring groove.

 

[Polo]

Afternoon Greenbeans

 

 

Make sure your crankcase vent system is open and functioning as crankcase pressure can blow them out.

 

Would you please expand on this? I believe I know what you are talking about, but would like to know exactly what I can do keep the crankcase vent system in shape.

[dirtrider]

 

Evening Polo

 

There is a crankcase vent hose between the top of the engine and the air box. If that hose gets pinched, kinked, or blocked it will allow the crankcase pressure to build enough to blow seals out and blow the sight glass out. There is a much more complex venting system at the crankshaft and rear seal area inside the engine but there really isn’t much you can see or do about that. The vent hose you can check as it is external to the engine.

 

 

[Polo]

Evening Polo

 

There is a crankcase vent hose between the top of the engine and the air box. If that hose gets pinched, kinked, or blocked it will allow the crankcase pressure to build enough to blow seals out and blow the sight glass out. There is a much more complex venting system at the crankshaft and rear seal area inside the engine but there really isn’t much you can see or do about that. The vent hose you can check as it is external to the engine.

 

 

 

Thank you.

[Paul Mihalka]

Afternoon Paul

 

I sure don’t see how. In the 1100 the sight glass machining in the case is so shallow there is just no room for a snap ring.

 

If you look the sight glass upgrade is the same part number as the 1200 hexhead and that uses a snap ring.

 

If you look at the picture in the parts diagram of the 1100 it shows the glass without a follow-up snap ring. If you look at the picture of the 1200 hexhead it shows that same part number sight glass with a follow up snap ring.

 

I guess (if)you can get snap ring in there on the 1100 have at it but I sure don’t see how with a shallow pocket for the sight glass and no room to even machine a snap ring groove.

 

I fully agree with you but I was surprised at the parts fiche of Max BMW. It would be interesting to see one in the hand and try to fit it.

[SKYGZR]

Comes with the snap ring, non-usable on the 1100. Just popped mine out, getting ready to install a new one (the original was weeping), so figure it's time.

 

Best to install "dry"..perhaps with a little spittle to get it started.

[thencamebronson]

A spare oil sight glass is one of those things I carry with me, along with clutch and throttle cables. At about 100K I noticed my sight glass was loose during an oil change, popped the spare in and promptly replaced the spare. At 160K I am still running on the original clutch cable, now I am torn between taking the chance on a failure while seeing how far it will go and replacing it.

 

[AndyS]

Sorry for the 'aside', but wrt thencamebronson's comment about carrying a spare throttle cable, has anyone ever have one break, and if so, didn't you feel the throttle operation becoming heavy for some time before it happened?

In al the years of cycling & motorcyling, the only time I have experienced a cable failure is with clutch and brake cables where the nipple articulates and it passed through its housing.

[SageRider]

Andy,

Early Oilheads (97-99) were notorious for early main throttle cable failure until a cable design change was introduced during the '99 model year.

The cable would wear and break near the Bowden box. The wear was typically not visible to a casual inspection.

I changed the main cable at 30K mile intervals and always carried a spare cable with me. I never needed the spare, but one of our members did at the first Unrally when his cable snapped near the summit of one of the passes in the Rockies. His cable had been inspected prior to starting his Unrally trip...

[AndyS]

Thanks for that input. Duly noted.

[EricJRW]

Very interesting reading. On the '04 R1150RT is the sight-glass also just a pressure fit, or might it have the snap-ring?

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Eric

 

 

No snap ring until the 1200 hexhead engines.

 

 

[EricJRW]

Thank you. I'm going to keep a closer on on this now.

[rob1100r]

Andy,

Early Oilheads (97-99) were notorious for early main throttle cable failure until a cable design change was introduced during the '99 model year.

The cable would wear and break near the Bowden box. The wear was typically not visible to a casual inspection.

I changed the main cable at 30K mile intervals and always carried a spare cable with me. I never needed the spare, but one of our members did at the first Unrally when his cable snapped near the summit of one of the passes in the Rockies. His cable had been inspected prior to starting his Unrally trip...

 

Last summer after a 300 mile ride, right near my house, the throttle cable stuck. Sure enough, it frayed up and stuck right at the box entrance. My bike is a 2000, and it only had 12000 miles at the time.. THANK GOD I was basicaly home!!!! Should I expect this to happen again at 24K I never read of this happening too much....

[Paul Mihalka]

R1100RT throttle cable failing at 12K is a freak incident. On my '99 R1100RT I replaced all three cables at 100K as preventive maintenance, but they were working fine. Sold bike at 175K with no cable problem.

[rob1100r]

R1100RT throttle cable failing at 12K is a freak incident. On my '99 R1100RT I replaced all three cables at 100K as preventive maintenance, but they were working fine. Sold bike at 175K with no cable problem.

 

That is reassuring, especially coming from you. I did not think this was a very common issue..