Engine Covers

snavetrauts · Post by **snavetrauts** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:32 am

My engine covers are really shite..... not something you can repair easily in a day. Is it easy to find various parts so that one can get them blasted/sprayed etc etc and then reply said shite item.

My particular problem is the engine front cover...not looked after when bike was young.(BMW Press Bike). Covering up with one of these cf type covers is no good as all the bad stuff is the blistering around the bolt heads.

Any Ideas?

cheers

Stuart

theseadog · Post by **theseadog** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:24 am

as those imortal words go

" ah they all do that sir "

Take it off, strip it back ( nitromors or your prefered solution ) and then paint it up with your prefered product, can easily be done in 1 day. I personally used common or garden alloy wheel paint which was an almost perfect match ( 6 coats of ) Strangely enough the black coating on the GS engine seems to be more resiliant, though I'm sure someone will be along in a second to tell me there's bubbles at the merest hont of anything other than sunny weather

Toodle pip

snavetrauts · Post by **snavetrauts** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:31 am

Cheers Paul..... what was the surface like when you stripped off the paint... did you not need to shotbast??

stuart

theseadog · Post by **theseadog** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:37 am

Hi Stuart, no mine looked really bad with lots of bubbling, but once stripped a damned good sanding with a few grades sufficed to give a good surface for the paint to key to. Easy job tbh, biggest faff was getting the panel off/on.

snavetrauts · Post by **snavetrauts** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:43 am

cheers Paul... I will give it a go... I will keep you posted.

My biggest fear though is that the bolts will sheer off.... I have already sheered one exhaust head manifold nut off its stud.... now needs to be drilled and extracted. Its a horrible feeling...and I am suppose to be an engineer??!!

with trepidation

stuart

theseadog · Post by **theseadog** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:51 am

I wouldn't worry to much about that tbh Stuart, the header studs are wellknown for being made of cheese and I suspect there's many of us ( myself included, though it was previsou owners neglect, not mine ) who've had that horrible sinking feeling. . . . . .

I now regularly remove them and give a clean and coat before reinstalling and haven't had a problem since.

Good luck

sandbar · Post by **sandbar** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:52 am

Just a thought.

If you go to the trouble of taking the cover off - how much is a new one?

sandbar

Ade B · Post by **Ade B** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 1:22 pm

re the bolts, sure you've thought of this but give them a good soaking with penetrating oil beforehand as they are soft as shite..

My recent ish attempts at basic bike maintenance were foiled at the first step by the allen head bolts rounding off - attempting to change the poly v belt ended up in a trip to Scriminger to replace all the front bolts with stainless..

I am coming to the rather glum resigned conclusion that as long as it works ok, leave it alone - fighting the elements on a 7 year old bike which is used in all weathers and lives outside is a losing battle...

This will of course change once the sun is out and I get out for a blast - then bike pride will kick back in and I'll be working out what pointless cosmetic job to tackle next... surely can't be too big a job to sort those fork legs and brace....

Good luck.

Ade

Jason M · Post by **Jason M** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 1:50 pm

I went to change the oil at the weekend, didn't get the 8mm allen key in far enough and rounded the fekin thing - and the 8m will not be 'persuaded' into the remainding head however hard I 'persuade' it

I ended up letting the oil out via the 19mm oil line bolt on the front left of the engine

I also mostly have one exhaust header bolt on my left hand cylinder of the GS

It's all fun innit

Jason

snavetrauts · Post by **snavetrauts** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:03 pm

I know you cannot beat the reaction of different metals when they meet... but how much extra would it have cost for BMW to use grease smears at the point of production.

My old triumphs and my current R100RS have been fettled so much that all the bolts come off a dream... because I have used the appropriate goo at re-assembly.

This the first bike I have had where I fear to get thew spanners out.... but I won't let the dealers get a hold of it.

It's only just 4 years old.... f..k me.

regards to you all

stuart

snavetrauts · Post by **snavetrauts** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:14 pm

Sanbar.... I do not bear to think how much a new one would be, but your comments got me thinking.... checked on motorworks.... you can buy an engine f/cover for £28 and a plastic cover for that at £10.... I assume they will fit all??

Cheers

Stuart

theseadog · Post by **theseadog** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:39 pm

Not sure I see the logic there tbh, you're removing the part anyway, it's less than a day to renovate and the materials will costs a damned site less then 28 + vat + p&p . . . . . . . .and......... there's no gaurentee that the replacement will be A) perfect and B) not just touched up, as it were, your honour........

Boxered · Post by **Boxered** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 3:39 pm

You could start an exchange deal, Buy one from motorworks and repaint it properly, swap it over with yours, repaint your original and sell it to another trixter on an exchange basis, repaint etc etc

Steve
( mine's fine so far btw )

Ade B · Post by **Ade B** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 3:48 pm

In view of current climate hysteria, you should definately recycle the existing one and paint it with organic paint

Mine has a 100% natural coating of dirt on at the moment.

Ade.

snavetrauts · Post by **snavetrauts** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:31 pm

I Like to tinker (often to my cost) so I will be doing the DIY thing.

thanks to you all for the info and advice

stuart