K11 Owners Group

mikey11000 · Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 21

Im hoping for some help with this one,Today i was going to change the spark plugs but can only get one of the caps of the plugs.I have tryd wd40 and plenty of it and brute force but still no luck.You can turn them a little but they will not come off.I even put the end of a bungee cord around the back of the cap and rigged up a levering system but it bent the hook on the bungee cord first.Has anyone experienced this problem before?im sure im not alone.

SugarHillCTD · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2012 12:12 pm Post subject:

I have had luck grabbing the flat part with a pair of vice grips and my foot on the valve cover. Pulling HARD. Thought I was going to break something.

Your results may vary. Shocked

_________________
John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

mikey11000 · Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 21

Thanks for the reply,i have had grips on aswell but still no luck,i cant understand what can be holding it on? it cant be the rubber.i rigged up a tie down strap behind the metal part of the cap to the wall and began to tighten the strap.the result was the bike sliding on the center stand!!!how can they be so tight?
_________________
1997 k1100lt se

Number 6 · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2012 5:22 pm Post subject:

Tight grip, pull and rotate at the same time, it will come.
_________________
I am not a number, I am a free man.

94 K1100LT

RAL88 · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:31 pm Post subject:

When I first tried to pull my spark plug wires off the bike slid on it's center stand also and I thought it was going to fall on me. I had to put my foot against the bike when I pulled on the boot. I used a hooked brake spring tool from PEP Boys to hook on the end of the plug. Even after I got them off and siliconed the boots they were hard to take off. I have since replaced them with after market wires and they go on and off real easy.
_________________
Rich

"If it ain't broke, take it apart and make it work better"
*************
'96' K1100LT-SE
'97' R850GS-R

Tim (Midland Section) · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 6:04 pm Post subject:

The first time I did it, I pulled the cap so hard, that when it came free, I pulled the cap off the wire too. Now I do it with levers, so I may pull hard but not very far & under control.
_________________
Regards Tim,

Grey haired riders don't get that way by pure luck
1996 Guzzi Cali3 LAPD
1972 750 Commando
G6HRN
#485

buckles · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:34 pm Post subject:

With great trepidation I just tried to remove my spark plug caps for the first time. Bingo - they came off easily. Who said pessimist doesn't work. Would dialectic grease be a good idea before replacing them. I have ordered new plugs.
I will now have to be careful to put the cables on the correct plugs. I did read somewhere which coil supplies which plugs. I might need to find that info somewhere.
Ian
_________________
Ian, owner of:-
1999 K1100 LT

Jim · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:13 pm Post subject:

There is a special grease made for plug caps - at least here. I'd be surprised if you don't have it there...
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repairing
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

whyoldbill · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:15 pm Post subject:

drikko · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 2:31 am Post subject:

Tie a 20 metre rope around all 4 caps, tie the ropes to a lamp post or tree, take off quickly, the bike will automatically stop when they are all off.
_________________
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

Don Sproule · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 2:54 am Post subject:

+1 on the brake spring pliers. I've used them for years and they work great. It can still be pretty tough to pull the caps off.
Also +1 on the silicone grease. It won't get hot and melt if nothing's arcing.
If you look closely at the plug wires, they are numbered as to which plug/coil they connect. One of the wires (can't remember- #2or #3,perhaps) has to be doubled back to fit.
When I put the caps back on the plugs, I use a pair of pliers on the tab and a rubber mallet to tap the cap so it beds (clips) firmly onto the plug.

drikko · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 2:59 am Post subject:

Hhhmmm, must be a beemer forum, my solution isn't good enough...... Laughing

_________________
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

Inge K. · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 4:36 am Post subject:

...........or the tree was to small.

Inge K.

buckles · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:00 am Post subject:

I now see that the cables do have the cylinder numbers on them and the coils also are marked. The plugs I removed are the NGKs but I have ordered the Bosch XR5DC. Thanks again. Ian
_________________
Ian, owner of:-
1999 K1100 LT

SugarHillCTD · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 7:36 am Post subject:

drikko · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:24 am Post subject:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Laughing

classic

_________________
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

mikey11000 · Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 21

Well i finally managed to remove the caps today after reading your replys it give me the confidence to really go for it.I tryd as hard as i could by hand but no luck so in the end i used a tie down strap around my waist hooked up to a smaller one that was behind the plug cap,using my body weight i pulled back and sure enough the first one came off,then the remaining ones came off just the same.5mins in total.Anyway the bike has 36k on it and the plugs i pulled out were bosh super?did they come new with them fitted ? they looked a bit shot to be honest although they were a nice light brown which is good news.
_________________
1997 k1100lt se

malcolmt · Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 11:10 am Post subject:

mikey11000 · Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 21

Well i put plugs and caps back on now (greased up this time)and dug out the carbtune to balance the throttle bodys,i couldnt believe how easy they were were to do compared to my r1 and st1100. i was suprised to see they were well balanced just no 2 and 3 slightly low.tuned them all to match no 1 and seems to be running very well,even got rid of a little ticking sound from the fuel injection.i remember my st was the same.replaced all the rubber caps as they were cracking .will put the fairing back on sunday and give it a blast.The day was made even better when my streetguard 2 jacket arrived Laughing

_________________
1997 k1100lt se