2016 R1200R coolant leak/thread damage

I recently changed coolant and in the process damaged the threads in the right cylinder where the banjo bolt w/check valve
(p/n:17128523491) screws in, so now it leaks. The banjo bolt itself is good. I’ve tried using thread sealer without success. I’m hoping for a solution that doesn’t require engine removal.

lostandwandering said:

I recently changed coolant and in the process damaged the threads in the right cylinder where the banjo bolt w/check valve
(p/n:17128523491) screws in, so now it leaks. The banjo bolt itself is good. I’ve tried using thread sealer without success. I’m hoping for a solution that doesn’t require engine removal.

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The only thing i know that is going to solve that is tapping the threads to a bigger size.

Trying to seal a pressurized system is not going to work unless you go permanent with epoxy or some other permanent substance/sealer.

Did you try and chase it at all with the right size tap?

I have read of people replacing those anyway as they are of no need to us in trying to do a plain old burp and fill of changing antifreeze. I think it may be for dealer use as they use it to flush and fill on a antifreeze flush? They use a power method to evacuate the system.

AS I say if it was me and a chase did not work I would go to the next size and tap it and screw a short bolt with copper or aluminum washer and call it done. Use plenty of wax on your tap to trap shavings and as you get close clean it and wax it well to trap any shavings going through the hole with the tap. Since your going to loose your antifreeze you can flush with plain water to make sure you got the particle out that may have gotten in.

I wish you luck and let us know how you make out.

“Use plenty of wax on your tap to trap shavings and as you get close clean it and wax it well to trap any shavings going through the hole with the tap“.

I’ve never heard of using wax. I was wondering what type?


I have used heavy sticky grease with frequent tap cleaning- not one pass, to capture as much of the chips and filings as possible.

OM

Thanks LFarling, yes I did clean the threads with the correct size tap which allowed me get the bolt in but apparently not snug enough to seal. Due to the location of the drain I’m thinking of just using a good epoxy and permanently sealing it. I’ll post the results of what ever I end up doing.

OM - also referred to as beeswax. Heavy sticky grease should be just as good.

Pauls1150 said:

OM - also referred to as beeswax. Heavy sticky grease should be just as good.

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Figured it needed a bit of clarification
OM

I've used Timesert inserts to repair this type of thing with great results. The only issue is that you would need to drill out the existing threads and tap new ones, so you would still have to deal with cleaning out the shavings. Since this is the cooling system drain i guess you could flush the system afterward to clean out any debris. The nice thing about timeserts is that it restores the original thread so the original banjo bolt could be used.

lostandwandering said:

Thanks LFarling, yes I did clean the threads with the correct size tap which allowed me get the bolt in but apparently not snug enough to seal. Due to the location of the drain I’m thinking of just using a good epoxy and permanently sealing it. I’ll post the results of what ever I end up doing.

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I am not sure as I never had mine out but does it have a crush washer?

I would be a bit worried if a permanent fix is going to hinder you in being able to flush the system again.

That said I am coming up to 5 years and new antifreeze is on the list. I will be sure to look out for what you have posted and try to learn from your mistake.

As I say it should be easy enough to tap the next size and put a bolt and crush washer in.

The inserts work as I have used both but again it is drilling compared to using a tap with beeswax on it to trap shavings.

My concern is with it being just a cooling jacket that pathway is the lowest spot so not sure how you will get that remaining portion out on the next flush and fill? Maybe this is not a keeper for you? My bike is my "death do us part" bike so when working on it I always am thinking what I need to do to preserve it for the years I have left.

Of course BMW says the antifreeze is lifetime but I am not a believer in that. I think at 5 or 6 years it is time to change it.

I wish you luck and JB Weld or a good heat resistant epoxy should work but cure time is going to be a must. I would clean a oil pail with brake cleaner spotless and dump the antifreeze or whatever comes out when you take that bolt out. Dry and clean it well with brake cleaner or some solvent on a rag and use my finger tip or a q tip on the threads and get it clean. Antifreeze is very slippery and I am sure it would mess with epoxy and I don't think it would cure with antifreeze on any part of it?

Good luck to you and I hope you get it squared away.

Omega Man said:

Figured it needed a bit of clarification
OM

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From working in the trades we always had a stick of bees wax in our drill box.

I should have been more specific I guess.

We would drill steel at times and coating the drill bit in bees wax helped get through it and save our very expensive drill bits. In that case it was cooling and lubricant. In this case it is to catch shavings and it works very well. We used it when tapping hinges in hollow metal doors we had to hang at times. Of course shavings were not an issue but the wax did help in lubing the tap.

Going very slow back and forth with a tap and bees wax you should be able to get and trap most if not all of the shavings before they come off in the hole.

Two separate thoughts but I’ve had tremendous success with time serts in aluminum, carbon fiber, and g-10 in addition tk the usual steel and cast iron. HUGE fan!

Love the bees wax for problem tapping but I’ve also had luck using aluminum cutting “wax” lube 2 for 1 as it aids cutting I think a little more than organic bees wax.

Champion Cutting Tool BruteLube 16 oz Tub Cutting Wax Lubricant: XLUB-WAX-16 https://a.co/d/95HGR8P


Good luck and let us know how you make out

coachz said:

Two separate thoughts but I’ve had tremendous success with time serts in aluminum, carbon fiber, and g-10 in addition tk the usual steel and cast iron. HUGE fan!

Love the bees wax for problem tapping but I’ve also had luck using aluminum cutting “wax” lube 2 for 1 as it aids cutting I think a little more than organic bees wax.

Champion Cutting Tool BruteLube 16 oz Tub Cutting Wax Lubricant: XLUB-WAX-16 https://a.co/d/95HGR8P


Good luck and let us know how you make out

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Time serts or the other type work well enough for sure.

My thing is you have to drill, then tap for the inserts. I would just tap to the next size thread and call it a day.

I like your lubricant choice. I was a Journeyman Glazier which means I served a apprenticeship for 4 years and then I was Union certified to put pieces of glass in the holes. Now this was 40 years ago and we had to buy supplies for our own tool boxes. We carried bees wax as a "cure" all as it was cheap and worked for us in most aluminum store fronts. We did carry a small oil can of cutting oil but we usually went in on it and then shared it as we did not need it except when we had to drill steel headers.

I used the bees wax for my own use as it was cheap and I liked how it did catch shavings when working on my own bikes and such. I have very rarely had to deal with a stripped bolt on a bike. Once on a compression release on a 05 Road Glide I had built up. Same issue with shavings falling on top of the piston as this person is in. I did well enough with bees wax and that is what I knew.

I am sure there are much better lubricants to use but the thickness of the substance and the ability to trap shavings was why I was all in on bees wax. Of course I did not know any better and used what was familiar to me. I assume you are a machinist and I would take your advice over mine any day. When a man works in the trades day in and day out they know what works. I will always trust a trained skill on one subject versus my own limited knowledge on that subject.

Thank you for the link and the information.

LFarling said:

My thing is you have to drill, then tap for the inserts. I would just tap to the next size thread and call it a day.

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Unless I missed something this is for a banjo bolt fitting. So staying to the original thread size and banjo bolt has an advantage.

PGlaves said:

Unless I missed something this is for a banjo bolt fitting. So staying to the original thread size and banjo bolt has an advantage.

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I was thinking same thing, it’s a specialty bolt as well correct? Changing sizes surely complicates issue

PGlaves said:

Unless I missed something this is for a banjo bolt fitting. So staying to the original thread size and banjo bolt has an advantage.

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Nope you did not miss anything. My reply was in reference to using a epoxy or another sealant to seal the bolt permanently. That will for sure make a repair down the road an issue.

My first reply was "did you try and chase it".

The bolt is for use by the dealer and is no value to anything other then sealing a hole.

That is why I suggested re tapping to the next size bolt, as it does not matter to us as long as it is sealed. I pick that over any epoxy.

The inserts work as advertised in the one time I used it. Again that would be my second choice as it involves drilling, and then tapping. Two chances to make shavings instead of one time through with a tap.

Again this is only what I would do, so everyone has their own choices to make. I cant say it is right or wrong, just what I would do.