Oil leak from top engine cover (2013 K1300S)

[Phmode]

Nice snippet of info there, I applaud you for sharing it. Didn't even realise that the chain guide could move 'upwards'.

[HoSS]

Ok i went to talk to the workshop guy at my local dealer, asked him about blocked breathers or cam chain guide, he sadi he'd never seen either problem.
But he did say 'have you changed the rubber bushes on the cover bolts'. apparently they become compressed/hard and dont apply enough force onto the cover.
So i came away with 8 rubber washers, have yet to fit them but it sounds like the cause.

[raesewell]

Good to hear, if you put your location in your profile we will have an idea of who your local dealer is.

[HoSS]

Nope, rubber washers changed and its still spitting oil.
I'm going back to thinking its a blocked breather, but the workshop guy seemed to dismiss that idea...

[chriscanning]

Only one way to find out and that’s to strip the bike and find out.

[armstrongracer]

The big problem with oil leaks is determining where exactly they are coming from. You have to catch them really early. The talc trick can be useful.  Clean the area thoroughly with brake cleaner then fully dry everything. Dust the suspect area with a liberal coating of talcum powder.   Run engine and inspect. Even a small weep should show up as a dark patch against the white.

[TomL]

When I've replaced that cover I've always given the mating face a thin smear of hylomar sealer along with the blobs of sealer in the corners of the semi circulare cut outs.

[HoSS]

I know exactly where its coming from, front right corner, and only when warm. Spitting out, so some pressure.
Yes i did smear Dirko seal on the front face the second time around, still leaks. What i'm down to now is:
- Breather blocked? I cant find the breather circuit diagram on the web to look for possibilities.
- Warped rocker cover?
- The story of this valve guide riding up an pushing the cover (less plausible to me)
I'll have to get it apart for a 5th time.

[raesewell]

You must be getting very quick at removing and refitting the cover 

[Philip]

" I cant find the breather circuit diagram on the web to look for possibilities. "

Remove the petrol tank, avoiding breaking the plastic fuel pipe connection.

There are 2 pipes ( on the right behind the block ) coming from the crankcase near the clutch .
They both go straight up into the air box.

If you remove the air box end of the pipes ( easy ), you can look down them & will soon see if they are full of gunk.

On my old 2010 K1300 they were pretty clear after 50k miles.

But on Matts 2015 K1300 replacement with 35k miles, they were pretty well blocked, & Matt had just had a new cover gasket due to a small leak, & was still leaking slightly at the back.

My old K never did short trips, usually at least 100 miles each trip.
Matt used to use his ( now mine ) to get to work, so it had a lot of shortish ( 20 miles I believe ) trips which cause a lot more condensation in the oil.
Hence a build-up of mayonnaise oil gunge in the breather pipes.

No more leaks from the cover gasket after that.

[Matt]

Plus I had asthma as a child so that didn't help either.

But wow, why didn't BMW check them pipes when doing the needful? Sheesh.

[Phmode]

You should know by now young sir that a service consists of stamping the service book after making sure the ink on your credit card is dry.

Neighbour's TT suddenly began steaming up inside. Then the sound of water sloshing around stated to annoy them.

The dealer diagnosed water 'inside' the soft top and said they needed it for three days.

Turned out to be the drain hoses from the well that the hood disappears into when down. As it was a 'known problem' they didn't charge too much for fixing it...but it was down to the owner to 'keep them clear'! How is that going to work. Nothing in the handbook and the owners can drive but that is as far as their interest in cars goes.

When they got it home the hood was bone dry but the sloshing was still there because that was water under the carpets...

Filler orifice drain hoses, plenum chamber (beneath car windscreen) drain hoses, etc. etc. etc. None of them ever get looked at on a service. At least on a bike you stand a chance of seeing them and sorting it.

[HoSS]

Thanks Philip,
I'll have a look, im also well used to taking the tank off, i had to do that a while ago to fit a power commander, and then again shortly after to replace the idle valve and replace the inlet rubbers which split when i was doing the first job.

[Costas]

In acoardance to the master technjcians book the cap selant gasket os suposed to be changed at the 10 years mark.
And of they don not use the correct procedure with specific glue to the exact points of the head then the leakage would return very soon 

[HoSS]

In acoardance to the master technjcians book the cap selant gasket os suposed to be changed at the 10 years mark.
And of they don not use the correct procedure with specific glue to the exact points of the head then the leakage would return very soon

Yes sealant needs to be used around the corners of the half-round cut outs as per SM, and that was done, but its not leak there rather at the front right corner, where no sealant is required by SM.
I suspect its a blocked breather but havent had the time to get the tank off yet.