K11 Owners Group

[robleyd]

I noticed the header tank level was a bit low and on checking closely noticed that the remaining contents were quite brown rather than the nice green I would expect. On dipping a finger into the tank I discovered not water but oil!

Normally, I'd expect this would come from a head gasket failure, but I'm wondering if there is any other fault that might allow engine oil into the cooling system?
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David, owner of:
1996 K1100 LT

[merlin geikie]

The oil pump and the water pump have the same shaft, could be an interconnection has occurred.

I guess the oil was mixed with water to form a light coloured emulsion or foam?

Often this sort of thing happens, as you say, when a head gasket blows or corrosion eats through an oil or water channel in the head gasket area.

Someone more knowledgeable than me will answer your query, but maybe get a manual, stop riding the bike and get ready for pulling things apart.

In any case it may not be too bad nor too long before you're back on the road.

All the best with it mate and this is the primo place to go for info on what to do.

East coast downunder

[Scott_Anderson]

Some have had problems at the oil/water pump area.
Usually the drain/weep hole is plugged up real bad.
That's the 1st thing I would check is to make sure that drainway is cleaned out and clear.
Then if you start leaking oil out from there, then that's a pretty good idicator that you need a pump rebuild.
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Ride safe.



1995 K1100LT 0302044
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
Garmin Zumo 550
Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1997 K1100LT 0302488(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

[robleyd]

Seems I had no possibility of the cooling system corroding.



The left image is what came out of the header tank; the flask is a 3 oz or around 90 ml so there was around 60ml of oil there. The other image is what I took out of the radiator - around 30 ml of oil. Plus a small amount of oil came out the bottom when I drained the cooling system.

I think the problem is solved - stripped the water/oil pump and found a pitted shaft and some seals that looked quite tired, having left a fair amount of their rubber on the shaft. I've replaced the shaft and assorted seals and O-Rings and flushed the remaining oil (hopefully) from the cooling system so with a bit of luck all will be well. Big test tomorrow when I do the 30 km trek to work.
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David, owner of:
1996 K1100 LT

[merlin geikie]

Looks like you've nailed it.

Funny that the mix is not more foamy.

Let us know how you go with it mate

Things cooling off here getting ready for winter

Our sunniest, driest weather is in winter.

All the very best

[robleyd]

[merlin geikie]

Maybe one of those windscreen sun shields comes in bubble wrap lined with reflective foil? Must go down to Autobarn tomorrow and check.

Sounds like a good idea, otherwise a roofing place may have offcuts.

Yep, just south of the Qld border near Byron, we have had so much rain here it's coming out our ears, good for the rainforest though.

There are quite a few posts on the cooling thing including making sure all engine heat airflow exits through the fairing vents, as it is meant to.

Glad you are on top of the coolant thing though.

All the best mate

[beemeerr11]

[robleyd]

[drikko]

Every one else is either gay or in hospital
_________________
K1100RS '97
Laverda RGS 1000 '84
Jim Young Trailer Sailer 5.7M WB

DISCLAIMER:- Anything I say may have been when I was drunk so please don't take it personally.

'Bigamy is having one wife/husband too many. Monogamy is the same.'
Oscar Wilde

[merlin geikie]

<< Only reason I ask is that my thermo fan has come on a lot more lately than I seem to recall for this time of the year, heat granted though! >>

Mate I would gladly share this rain with uze!

But onto the above symptom.

What can happen is that the coolant gets hot and the excess goes into the coolant reservoir as it's meant to.

The motor cools off, creating a vacuum in the header tank.

Tiny microscopic age holes let in air and no coolant returns to the header, just because the tiny holes let in air instead.

The coolant level gradually lowers and so the fan's gotta come on more and more often as there is less coolant to go around.

Simply replacing the bit of hose fixes the prob .

All the best Champs

Saddle up
Ride on [/quote]

[malcolmt]

[Jim]