Jump to content
IGNORED

Fork leaking and other problems


Felix

Recommended Posts

Hello everyone,

 

so, it was that time again have a proper service done on the ´04 RT and just had a call from the mechanic.

 

He came up with various problems, which seems to probably cost more to get fixed than what the bike is worth. Unless I roll up the sleeves and start working on it myself. Most seems thankfully straightforward, but a few things will be a bit tricky.

 

The fork is leaking from both rods at the gasket on top. The mechanic estimated this to be an approx. 475 dollar fix (remember this is Sweden, not the US!). It requires special tools. The big repair manual says one should leave this to the specialists.

 

Getting some new gaskets and some oil does not seem to be enough. But does anyone have other DIY experiences that could be useful in this matter? Another fix would be to buy a used fork and replace it entirely.

 

The engine leaks, although not a whole lot, apparently from various places although it is hard to discern from where until it has been cleaned up a bit.

 

ABS has a glitch and is blinking like crazy although it works just fine. At first it stopped blinking when pushing slightly forward on the brake lever (hand at first and when that did not work anymore, the foot lever did the trick) I guess it is just dirt and grime tucking itself thoroughly into the cable somewhere (live down a 2 mile dirt road, so no surprise).

 

Disks and cylinders needs replacing. As does the tires (after just a year, hm, busy year!)

 

Any advice on getting my baby back on the road is much appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

Felix

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Hello everyone,

 

so, it was that time again have a proper service done on the ´04 RT and just had a call from the mechanic.

 

He came up with various problems, which seems to probably cost more to get fixed than what the bike is worth. Unless I roll up the sleeves and start working on it myself. Most seems thankfully straightforward, but a few things will be a bit tricky.

 

The fork is leaking from both rods at the gasket on top. The mechanic estimated this to be an approx. 475 dollar fix (remember this is Sweden, not the US!). It requires special tools. The big repair manual says one should leave this to the specialists.

 

Getting some new gaskets and some oil does not seem to be enough. But does anyone have other DIY experiences that could be useful in this matter? Another fix would be to buy a used fork and replace it entirely.

 

 

 

Fork seals are not so hard to DIY. You'll need one of these...

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/seal-puller-35556.html

 

...and a socket the same size as the seal to seat the new seal in place. I used a little tranny seal conditioner to lube the new seal to help it seat easy.

 

Probably a couple hour job tops. I recommend to google "chris harris bmw fork seal replacement". He has a pretty DIY video.

 

Oh, when you have the upper tube out. Roll it on a flat surface to check that it's not bent. (Thanks dr!!- I still need to check mine this weekend)

 

Indy

Link to comment

OUCH (I think)...and SIGH...

 

Just got a call back from the mechanic. He is 99,9 percent sure the "ABS pump" is shot. No idea what that is (or where) but I hope he can explain and I can find a new one somewhere.

 

Frantically roaming through the SEARCH here for ABS..nothing comes up. The big repair manual mentions nothing in particular about the ABS system.

 

Well, am off to haul it back home and making room for it in the workshop and see what I can do. Am actually getting all excited to do all these repairs myself. Let's see if I am just as excited in a few months!

 

Felix

 

Link to comment

If you carefully insert a piece of thin Mylar (like that used for 35 mm film) between the seal and the shaft, then drip transmission sealant into the gap, you may get a few more years out of the seals. It worked for me two years ago. (Tip from DR)

Link to comment

Not sure of validity of this info but heard from a BMW mechanic that there is an ABS rebuilder ( I think in California ) that has been getting good, reliable results for around $ 400. So keep looking, you may find one.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...