2000 r1100rt sat for three years..

[scottnew]

Hello to all.. I'm new to this so please excuse my lack of knowledge.. Simply put, I have taken over a project that sat for three years. One year outside and two inside.. My first challenge was getting the cam chain guide bolt back into place. The owner before me thought he was removing the oil plug.. With it now in place I have pulled the plugs, drained the fuel and changed the oil. I was able to turn it over several times with ease via no spark plugs.. Does anyone have any input on what I should do next before trying to start it with the plugs in for the first time.. Oh, and I've already gone through the air intake, cleaned it up and made sure no critters were vacationing within it.. Any and all input is greatly appreciated..

[philbytx]

Before getting it started, I would check for a good spark and also spray at the injectors

 

If it starts, great. But if it doesn't or even if it does, do a search on HES, as you may (or will!) experience this issue given the age and storage conditions.

 

 

[Huzband]

Three years isn't too bad. Once it starts, but before you ride it, change the tranny & FD fluids as well. Give the tires a hard look also, checking for signs of dry rot.

[scottnew]

I will check that for sure.. Having never pulled injectors on it, is it my best bet to pull them and set in a container with the hoses stall attached? I would guess I could then turn the key on and the fuel pump should begin to force petrol through them.. Thanks a million for the input.. I'm so excited to see this thing, hopefully run that I can hardly stand it.. All I need is some sign of life and I'll be head over heels to get it on the road.. ;-)

[scottnew]

It seems to be in good shape all things considering.. Tires hold air and have tread but I plan on changing them out.. Show some cracks, i.e. dry-rot.. Bike shows just under forty thousand miles.. Has not been on the ground.. However, I see that the insulation around a lot of the wiring is losing its insulation do to dry rot.. On the other hand the wires that have become exposed are nice and bright and appear in good shape.. Fingers and toes are crossed ..

[Galactic Greyhound]

Plugs out. Squirt releasing oil down the plug holes. Leave overnight. Squirt engine oil down plug holes.

 

Turn over by hand to see if everything is free and no stuck valves striking piston

 

Turn it over on starter with the spark plugs out, the plugs should be re-connected to the HT leads and well grounded (I use large alligator clips on 2 lengths of wire) to avoid issues with the Ignition Coil breaking down.

 

Check that the Oil Light goes out when you turn it over with the plugs out before any firing up.

 

If you have a compression tester, check the cylinder pressures with the plugs out and the throttle fully open - should be within 10% of each other. This should show up any stuck valves/piston rings.

 

There is a fuel filter inside the tank that will be getting near time-expired even if it was changed before lay-up. If injectors spray OK consider changing this filter at earliest opportunity.

[jviss]

I have to disagree with my learned colleagues here. No need to start debugging things that might be wrong before you really know. And, I don't even know what "releasing oil" is. Holy Cow.

 

Change the oil. New, fully charged battery. New fuel, meaning get rid of all the old fuel, and put in some fresh 91 or better octane gas. Crank it without starting to get the oil pressure up; either with the plugs out, or just the wires unplugged.

 

Start it. Let it warm up to two bars on the temp gauge only, no hotter, or you can melt the plastic.

 

Sure, you can change the tranny and final fluid, but probably not necessary; no products of combustion (i.e., acid) in there.

 

Change the brake fluid; flush it all out from the top, i.e., reservoir, for the front; same for rear.

 

Read the oilhead maintenance manual:

 

Oilhead Maintenance Manual

 

Everything tight. Good tires and brakes. Try it out slow, especially brakes.

 

jv

[scottnew]

WOW! Thanks everyone for sharing your know how.. Have a new battery, new plugs, changed oil, spun motor over by hand, everything is free, thank the BMW god for that, old fuel is out with fresh in.. Gonna check injectors after work today.. I don't have a compression checker, yet.. Nevertheless, I can see that my tool box has already started to grow and its only the beginning. Will let everyone know what happens this evening after checking injectors and possibly giving it a first try on starting with plugs hooked up.. If it starts I'll be posting details and moving forward to the many other issues i.e. brakes, fluid and tires ect. Thanks again :-)

[Huzband]

 

Sure, you can change the tranny and final fluid, but probably not necessary; no products of combustion (i.e., acid) in there.

 

 

jv

 

I have taken over a project that sat for three years. One year outside and two inside..

 

This is why he needs to change those fluids. Condensation & all that.

[scottnew]

I'd say that its probably in my best interest to change out all of the fluids before hitting the road.. For now, since its in my garage, and what a pain it was to push in there on my own up a slight hill, slowly through the door that it fit through by a sixteenth after removing the mirrors and whatnot, that'll I'll maintain on the other fluids until It actually cranks.. How 'bout that for a run on sentence, ha ha.. Have a good feeling I'll be in the network for replacing caliper seals soon thereafter..

[philbytx]

I would also add some Fuel System cleaner, such as Techron, to your first tank

 

If you have all the tupperware off, check the injectors...easy peasy, just a clip and hex bolt. However, if you have it all back together, and you feel bold, just try to fire 'er up (after you have run the motor using the starter a few times, to get the oil circulated) and see what transpires. I would still add Techron for the first couple of tankfuls .

[4wheeldog]

Before getting it started, I would check for a good spark and also spray at the injectors

 

If it starts, great. But if it doesn't or even if it does, do a search on HES, as you may (or will!) experience this issue given the age and storage conditions.

 

 

Best way to check for spark and spray (IMHO) is to try to start the bike. If it doesn't start, checking these items makes sense. If it does......You have already verified that they work.

 

Fresh gas, fresh oil, fresh battery, and verify the tires are less than 6 years old (They have dates of manufacture, which you will have to google for the specifics from the tire manufacturer) and ride.

[tallman]

How to tell tire age sorry if this is old hat for you but many don't know.

 

I'd do the brakes since it has been at least 3 years and possibly much longer.

Same with FD.

Not much money or time to establish a known baseline for maintenance.

Good luck.

 

[4wheeldog]

Thanks for that......I have never failed to wear out a tire in a year or so.......But I may buy something with questionable tires one day.

[scottnew]

ITS ALIVE!!! Got home and ran through some of the check points as mentioned from earlier helpful foks advice.. Actually started on the first try.. Getting a whole bunch of white smoke.. I suppose it has to burn off some gunk after sitting for several years.. That or possible some ethanol water gas from my wonderful local gas station..

Ran it for about thirty seconds three seperate times.. Any thought from a different brain on my next steps? Thanky everyone-- I'm busting at the seams with excitement now {;-)

[scottnew]

Will happily add some Techron first chance i get-- say tomorrow.. I'll do a quick serch on it, but, do you know what major prts places carry it- Advance? Thanks a ton for the advice-- Did i mention its ALIVE?

[jviss]

I would like to re-emphasize checking everything for correct installation and tightness. With a project bike you have no idea what may have been removed, loosened, put back loose, and so on.

[scottnew]

I totally agree.. I can't say for sure yet but I may have a leak at the headers.. Gotta go meet for dinner now but will start my new checklist tonight and tomorrow to go over when I get back home

[4wheeldog]

Wally world has Techron, as does almost any chain store automotive place, like Autozone, Pep Boys, O'Reilly's, etc.

The white smoke is probably just moisture in the exhaust......It should burn off as soon as you ride any distance at all. Good Luck!

[Shiny Side Up]

Sweet - was reading this thread and hoping Fraulein would kick over!!

 

Congrats - I love it when an older maching is brought back to life.

[wheeliepup]

Just out of curiosity, can you hear the fuel pump cycle for approximately 2-3 seconds when you turn on the ignition? If not, you might need to replace your pump (located inside fuel tank). With the new Mazola corn fuel they use nowadays, these pumps tend to gum up. If you can hear it run...then your in bidness!

[Paul De]

Yeah, for sure a good going over for loose nuts and bolt is in order. Based on what you said about the cam chain tensioner bolt being taken out to drain the oil suggests a low skill level by the previous owner.......gotta love the motivation to do-it-yer-self, but jeepers not doing at least a quick review of the owners manual, or service manual shows a lack of interest in the details. Hell, I don't trust some of the "pros" out there.

 

 

Then go out and ride it like you stole it !!!!!!

[outpost22]

You may also wish to flush the brakes. How long was the brake fluid in the bike prior to storage? Anyway, brake fluid doesn't cost much compared to ABS units.

[scottnew]

Good deal thank ya

[scottnew]

Not sure how long its been since a brake fluid change was done.. Its been at least three years.. I figure that once I feel confident in the motor mechanically, I'll then change every fluid it has and figure on tires, alt. belt, and the works.. My motivation to start getting further into it is increasing by the day-- esp. after getting it to run.. Now if I can manage to burn off some of the "sludge" in it and calm the smoking down I'll really kick it into high gear ;-)

[Selden]

If it has sat for 3 years, there is a good chance that the oil seals on the front suspension tubes have dried, and will leak. If you are changing all/most fluids anyway, I would be inclined to drain the fork oil, and replace with a 25/75 mixture of Gunk Transeal and 10 wt fork oil. If the seals leak with the 25/75 mixture, they will need to be replaced. Since the shock absorber does most of the damping with the telelever, fork oil viscosity is relatively unimportant.

[4wheeldog]

Not sure how long its been since a brake fluid change was done.. Its been at least three years.. I figure that once I feel confident in the motor mechanically, I'll then change every fluid it has and figure on tires, alt. belt, and the works.. My motivation to start getting further into it is increasing by the day-- esp. after getting it to run.. Now if I can manage to burn off some of the "sludge" in it and calm the smoking down I'll really kick it into high gear ;-)

 

If the smoke is blue rather than white, and you believe it to be oil, not moisture, first check the air box drain (Quarter turn plug located above and forward of the rear wheel) for oil in the airbox. It could be sticky rings, which most likely will loosen up when you actually ride it, and put a load on the motor. If it still doesn't stop smoking, check side to side compression, to narrow down whether it is rings or valve seals. Good Luck.

[scottnew]

Thanks for the advice guys. The smoke is white, so far, ha ha.. Good call on the air box drain, it honestly never occurred to me to check that.. Will run tonight and post the results.. As for fork seals I'll give that a shot too once the smoke clears, at least a little

[flars]

Big caveat for you: Do not let the bike idle for longer than a minute or two while it is just sitting there. If you have a fan laying around you can extend the safe interval by a few minutes, but there really isn't a reason to even chance an accident. There have been several accounts of people who stepped out of the room 'just for a minute' and got involved in something else (phone call, bathroom break, drinking a beer with a buddy), and stayed away long enough for the oil sight glass to overheat and pop out, allowing the oil to drain out and the bike to overheat.

As to the smoking. Many boxers smoke sometimes on start up due to oil sneaking down into the left cylinder. How frequently it happens depends on a lot of things. Usually it burns off in a few seconds. But in your case it could take a while. Of course, it could be just condensation, but just letting you know about this 'feature'.

Good luck on the resurrection - sounds like everything is going well 'so far'.

[scottnew]

Too funny.. When I went out to start it today the first thing I did was set up a fan blowing on the front.. Still smoking, seems to smoke the most as it heats up,,, hopefullt that's just because its hot enough to burn off whatever sludge lies within.. Only running it for about a minute at a time as suggested, ha ha- can't take the smoke much longer than that anyway Either the charging system is not functioning correctly or my battery "rig" isn't up to par.. The last time i ran it today it seemed to spudder as if it were gonna shur off. Hoping thats due to the battery, which is new, being low from starting and running the bike a few times without have a charge sent back to it.. Will post the newest news tomorrow and crossing my fingers again

[outpost22]

Still smoking, seems to smoke the most as it heats up,,, hopefullt that's just because its hot enough to burn off whatever sludge lies within..

 

When my RT tipped over removing it from my lift, it smoked when started too. It smoked so much that after riding it around the block twice, I had to hide from the EPA police

 

Maybe your bike had a tip over during storage and you have the veritable "air show" display going on.

[scottnew]

Hey thats good thinking.. I had wondered about that early on in this project but kind of wrote it off until re-mentioned.. Think my new plugs could be fouling out now too.. Gonna check those today and give er a turn-over with the new battery.. On a different note it's gonna be in the 70's in SC today so I'm off to work on the spare bike, ZR7S..

[tallman]

Scott,

Since you seem willing to tackle the maintenance I'll say again that before trying to get it "running", replace all the fluids and plugs, do a sync, flush the brakes.

Then you have a known baseline and avoid cahsing extraneous possibilities.

Is the gas fresh?

It really accomplishes nothing and in fact can be harmful to repeatedly start the bike, run it for a short time, shut it down.

The color of the smoke should also give you a clue as to gas/oil

in nature.

Good luck.

[scottnew]

The gas is fresh and I'm with ya on changing the rest of the fluids, will change the rest of them this weekend. The smoke seemed to be less yesterday than that of the previous day/run.. The smoke is white at first, unfortunately after it warms to tow bars it turns blue.. Really hoping its not rings/seals but cannot rule it out yet.. Probable wishful thinking, but hope that it was on its side before I took it over and that is burning that off.. Would've thought that it would've cleared out a little more by now. Think I'll do some short and easy road testing in my neighborhood over the weekend once i change the rest of the fluids.. Gonna throw a meter on it tonight to see if its charging.. Little nervous about the plugs maybe being fouled out this early on-- they were new five minutes of run time ago.. Still hopeful though, I have all the time in the world to work on it even in the worst case scenerio..

[scottnew]

Well today was a rough day at work.. That combined with getting up at three a.m. the last week has taken a toll on me.. Gonna put off bike play for a day and get back to it tomorrow.. Will post results at that point.. Over n' out

[Alfred02]

I think you are going the correct way about it.

Rings and seals can have become a bit stiff or stuck with it sitting so long.

It's way too early to do a synch and valve adjustment etc.

Run the bike for short distances so that it get's properly warm then replace the fluids (except brake fluid).

The only one that I would have done (and you might have) straight away, is replacing the plugs and engine oil.

Ones the bike has 300 ~ 500km on it, you will have a fair idea and then you can replace all the fluids.

I then would replace all the fluids again 500km later (except brake fluid). This then will have flushed out the system properly.

The smoke blowing might simply be sticky rings which could come good.

[Jake]

It's way too early to do a synch and valve adjustment etc.

 

Disagree.

[Alfred02]

It's way too early to do a synch and valve adjustment etc.

 

Disagree.

 

Fair enough

[Jake]

I should expand my thought for the OP. You can be just a bit out of spec with the valves, or come upon another owner's version of what a proper tune up might be finding the brass screws a turn or two apart from each other creating all kinds of performance problems. A decent valve adjust and synch with corresponding close inspection for gunk, junk, and funk will level set the bike, eliminating variables if it still isn't running right. I'd pull the intake tubes and have a look in there as well.

[Selden]

"...close inspection for gunk, junk, and funk" is a nice way to put it. I've never seen any build-up in the intake tubes themselves, but the throttle bodies gunk up fairly easily, and can lead to a 1 turn or more difference in big brass screw settings. With the intake tubes off, you can get into the TB throats, and clean them out thoroughly.

 

Since this is an R1100RT, it will benefit from replacing the short, fat intake tubes with longer, skinnier intake tubes from the R1100GS, so as long as you're tearing things apart, this is a cheap mod that makes a significant performance difference — at ~$35, probably the best bang for the buck mod for this bike.

 

[jviss]

You know, I must say, Selden, that for a guy who's signature is "Don't fix it if it ain't broken," you've been giving a whole bunch of BS advice to a guy who's simply trying to get a neglected 'RT running! Who Christmas sake, some voodoo fork oil mix, and now GS air tubes. Wow, why don't you let the poor guy alone?

 

[Selden]

Oil spurting from a leaky fork seal isn't fun. I bought a used RT in February 2008. Not sure how long it had been sitting, but within 4 weeks, the left fork seal started leaking. I did not replace the seal, but did replace the fork oil with the transeal/oil mix. 30,000 miles later, it's still not leaking.

 

A picture (dyno chart) is worth a thousand words.

[jviss]

I don't recall he said his was leaking.

[Alfred02]

I should expand my thought for the OP. You can be just a bit out of spec with the valves, or come upon another owner's version of what a proper tune up might be finding the brass screws a turn or two apart from each other creating all kinds of performance problems. A decent valve adjust and synch with corresponding close inspection for gunk, junk, and funk will level set the bike, eliminating variables if it still isn't running right. I'd pull the intake tubes and have a look in there as well.

 

I don't disagree with you.

My point was to get the simple basic working first...bike running.

It might not be at it's optimum, i.e low vibes/great pickup and good fuel economy.

In basics I was more concerned as in...brakes work, stops blowing smoke like hell, doesn't stop suddenly, doesn't leak oil/fuel.

Once it's proven that the bike works basically, then I would worry about performance tune up like: Valve adjustment, synching..etc.

For all we know both rubbers on each cylinder might have gone hard and brittle.

You go and pull the valve cover off and this bike could leak like a siff from the cylinder heads.

For that kind of work, you need to have all these parts at hand.

[tallman]

I should expand my thought for the OP. You can be just a bit out of spec with the valves, or come upon another owner's version of what a proper tune up might be finding the brass screws a turn or two apart from each other creating all kinds of performance problems. A decent valve adjust and synch with corresponding close inspection for gunk, junk, and funk will level set the bike, eliminating variables if it still isn't running right. I'd pull the intake tubes and have a look in there as well.

 

I don't disagree with you.

My point was to get the simple basic working first...bike running.

It might not be at it's optimum, i.e low vibes/great pickup and good fuel economy.

In basics I was more concerned as in...brakes work, stops blowing smoke like hell, doesn't stop suddenly, doesn't leak oil/fuel.

Once it's proven that the bike works basically, then I would worry about performance tune up like: Valve adjustment, synching..etc.

For all we know both rubbers on each cylinder might have gone hard and brittle.

You go and pull the valve cover off and this bike could leak like a siff from the cylinder heads.

For that kind of work, you need to have all these parts at hand.

 

And I've seen an almost similar situation, bike sat, new owner, tried to "get it running" w/out doing the drill.

We advocated for the complete baseline maintenance.

"But it cranks and runs!"

"You're just trying to get into my wallet!"

 

Bike ran exactly 6/10th of a mile more...

not saying that has to happen, but I've seen it more than once.

If your going to do it in a little while/couple hundred miles, etc. do it now.

Start from a known baseline.

Eliminate variables and learn how to work on the Boxer.

Order the parts, take your time, rest, repeat, know for certain it is done.

Much, much, more likely to avoid problems and have a positive experience, IMO.

As always, YMMV.

[biometrics]

I have learned from two zero speed tipovers that you will find oil in your airbox that keeps slowly entering your combustion and creating smoke... THICK WHITE SMOKE...

 

So much oil leaked into the cylinder while I tried to right the bike by myself that it caused a hydraulic lock and the engine wouldn't crank. My rememdy when this has happened was as soon as I got the bike back up on the center stand, to immediately pull the spark plugs and crank the engine to expell as much oil as possible.

 

Then clean the plugs with gasoline and a high pressure air hose and reinstall them.

 

Then open the airbox and using paper towels, soak up as much oil as you can get out from under the aircleaner... then when you finally start it, it will still smoke like crazy for a long time.

 

Just keep it running...The last time I jumped on the bike and when for about a 15 mile highway ride at better than 55 MPH and by the time I got back the smoke was gone from the exhaust...

 

During the ride many cages had to change lanes rather than ride behind me... it looked like I was fogging for mosquitoes till it stopped smoking... make sure you check your oil level carefully after that ride! 7000 miles after the last tipover in my driveway, and still no smoke... good luck with yours...

 

-John

[4wheeldog]

A picture (dyno chart) is worth a thousand words.

 

Maybe.......But the intake tubes are not the only things contributing to the difference between the torque curves. Different compression, cam timing etc.

What you get is a difference in the seat of the pants feel, (not that there is anything wrong with that!)

[scottnew]

Oh so happy its finally friday!!!! W/ that said, I can't wait to get home and start back working on the bike.. Gonna check, clean, and go through air box, clean plugs, and give her a shot.. Have considered running some 'Sea-Fog,' anyone ever try that stuff.. I've heard wonderful stories about it.. At the same time I've always been a little paranoid about additives and such.. This stuff is supposed, and I stress "supposed" to be great.. Can run in the fuel or oil.. Gotta ponder if I'm willing to test it or not in my own motor though.. HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE

[tallman]

Sea Foam perhaps?

You can add it to oil, then change shortly after.

Run it through gas.

 

Many use it.

[Bob_Minor]

A picture (dyno chart) is worth a thousand words.

 

Maybe.......But the intake tubes are not the only things contributing to the difference between the torque curves. Different compression, cam timing etc.

What you get is a difference in the seat of the pants feel, (not that there is anything wrong with that!)

 

That chart was derived on a dyno using an R1100RS with stock intake tubes and then with GS tubes. It's been around for years and is a common and dramatic modification to the RT/RS version of the 1100 motor.