Greetings all. Here's the story, After starting my k100 from a 20 year sleep, we noticed liquid shooting out from the base of the 1st fuel injector area. I'm not 100% sure if it was gas or not. I have a feeling its a Gas /water mixture leading me to believe its a head gasket. A fairly good amount of flow was leaking out.
I have since pulled the fuel injectors and replaced the O-rings (Top and bottom.) and will be re installing them tomorrow and then re starting her. Also as a note, I did notice some white smoke coming out of the exhaust while we had her running. Not a lot of smoke but I did notice it. I was thinking that this could also be because she hasn't been running since 1989 and it could just be junk built up and burning off.
All this leads me to the question, If it is the head gasket, how hard is it to replace. My buddy told me to just sell her off and purchase something else because of the amount of work and cost in fixing it. Idea's? thoughts? If I sell her I might just let her go for under $1000.

I should note also that it ran for about 10 min before she started leaking. It did start right up. 20 years of siting from the guy who owned it before me and all we had to do was put a fuel pump in and she started up 1st try!

Roejen,
I wouldn't be so quick to write it off. These are remarkably reliable bikes. I had a similar situation with starting my bike as I understood it was more than ten years since it had run previously. I had huge amounts of smoke and some water sprays. I think there was both oil and condensation throughout and particularly in the exhaust. It had been sitting on the side stand for years which I think made it worse. The more I ran it the better it got and all those initial issues disappeared. It just gets better and better.

Yeah, from what I'm reading, Head gaskets aren't known for going out on these Bikes. Fingers crossed. Maybe it was just fuel shooting out from a bad seal on the fuel injector and it didn't have any water in it after all. The white smoke I wasn't real real worried about because I know it has sat for so long. I figured it might have just been junk burning off inside the engine. We'll see tomorrow when I pop the fuel injectors back in and fire her up again.

I have once done a head gasget on a K and I didn't consider it to be a difficult job at all. I would much rather do that than the one on my Ford after all it is a very conventional twin cam engine laying on its side. Just be cleam and meticulous about it and if unsure ask questions.

It is after all better to ask dumb questions than make dumb mistakes.

Tell yur buddy to slowly step away from the Brick and no one will get hurt.



She's gonna smoke after sitting 20 years. If its on the sidestand, much more so. Guess what, rubber perishes after 20 years. She'll take a little bit for her to tell you everything she needs, but that's ok. I don't think I can remember anyone here blowing a head gasket. Replace when rebuilding, yes, but not popping one while running.



Walk away from a bike that starts right up after 20 years? I don't think so. We'll help you put her right.

I'll know more tomorrow and thanks, you have put me at ease and I'll seriously be able to sleep better tonight. Fortunately it wasn't on its side stand the whole time. The bike is in remarkable condition and if the mileage is correct (I do have my doubts) it only has 1100 miles on it. The previous owner was a short scrawny kinda guy and had a hard time keeping the bike up, From what I gather it fell over on him a few times at a stop light or 2 and has some broken turn signal lenses and a cracked fairing but other then that its good. Its the main reason he stopped riding it from what I gather.

Everything's cool. It was a bad a bad O-ring on the fuel injector. Dodged a bullet. Thanks all. I got her all back together and will be bringing her home from the shop on Thursday. Wont be able to ride it till spring but at least its in working order. =)

Good to hear, though I'm not surprised at the outcome. These bikes are ridiculously over engineered.

And Im not complaining about that.

just got my 1991k100 lt going after 10years blew smoke at first now after going for a good ride no smoke or leaks these germans know how to build stuff

I'm not so sure about over engineered, I would say that there are many machines on the road that are under engineered.

What I like so much about the BMWs is that after near 30 years you can still easily buy parts for them.

I have a 32 Year old Z1300 Kawasaki and have a lot of trouble getting parts for it let alone at a fair price.

col wrote:just got my 1991k100 lt going after 10years blew smoke at first now after going for a good ride no smoke or leaks these germans know how to build stuff

Sounds like a sham WOW comercial Anyways.. Yeah I hope she lasts me awhile. Odometer says it has 1100 miles. It's a 85 and was parked in 89 and not ridden since. This is my 1st motorcycle and I'm 37 so hopefully it'll be my only one. Plus when someone sells you a BMW motorcycle for $250.......you buy it regardless if you know how to ride or not!