Rebuilding Engine on 1999 R1100RT

[tomrinbellingham]

I have an old 1100RT with 100,000 miles on it. It uses about 1/3 quart of oil per 500 miles. The bike is currently in a German warehouse waiting for summer to come when I will go over there and ride it for a few weeks.

I'm thinking about rebuilding the engine and repainting the bike. It all works and doesn't look half bad for an old bike, but while its just sitting there through the next winter maybe....

I could wait until I bring the bike back here in a couple/three years and try doing the mechanical part myself, but I'm not much of a mechanic myself and never worked on any bike. I do have a big garage and lots of ordinary mechanical tools. I'm retired and wouldn't be averse to giving it a try, but there are no BMW mechanics to consult with - or get specialty work done by - within a 100 miles of where I live in the US.

Anyone have an idea of what it would cost to have the engine and transmission rebuilt - in Germany? What about repainting all the Boston Green?

 

[EastKy]

I don't think i would worry about it. Enjoy the bike.

 

[kbasa]

I don't think i would worry about it. Enjoy the bike.

Same here.

 

[osbornk]

I would ride it and not even think of rebuilding. If it ever gets to the point that you need to do something, I would go used engine route.

http://www.beemerboneyard.com/oilheadparts.html

 

[SGTBORING]

99RT Graphite.

Ok dude I might be a bit biased but you bike looks great. You might want to talk to a machanic or do a post asking about using oil. You consumtion does not sound that bad. I am adding a little oil here and there on my bike and it has just about 42 k on it. I would not paint it. A good polish and waxing and you are ready to role

 

[tomrinbellingham]

OK, but...

The picture was taken the day after finishing a ride from California to Daytona Beach, FL and then wash and polish. It does look good unless you get real close and see all the little road blast marks on it. I'm just thinking ahead maybe 2 or 3 years about the paint.

When I bring it back to the states - I live in Washington State, I'll want to make it new again. I love the bike and I like it's looks too. What roughly does a rebuilt engine and transmission cost? I could probably figure out how to install them with a little help from my friends.

Anyone ever have thier bike repainted? How much could that cost?

Thanks for the comments.

 

[Rinty]

RT engine

Tom:

I would leave the engine alone. If you're worried about it, you could have a compression check, or preferably, a leak down check, done on it in Europe. These are really tough engines, and the oil consumption is not at a worrisome level.

Rinty

 

[AntonLargiader]

A '99 isn't old and that oil consumption isn't excessive. 100,000 miles is getting up there but nowhere near the "gotta do something" point.

But since you want to know, a good used motor is probably $500-ish, maybe $600. Labor to swap motors is a lot; probably most of a day. A used tranny (a questionable purchase in any case, IMO) is similar and a rebuild of your existing one is $500 to $1350 depending on what's wrong. Paint is very expensive; I haven't had a full bike painted recently but if you want something good it'll be $1500 or more, possibly twice that.

I would just ride the bike. It looks really nice in the picture. I just LOVE the green ones.

 

[ANDYVH]

Before putting ANY money into an engine rebuild on a BMW with ONLY 100,000 miles I would have a leak-down test performed on it.

A leak-down test performed on each cylinder, by a qualified mechanic, well tell you everything you need to know about the engine condition BEFORE ever taking a wrench to it. Don't be fooled into thinking a compression test will tell you anything about the engine condition, because it tells very little.

With a leak down test a good mechanic can tell:
1) If the intake valves are leaking, and how much they are leaking
2) If the exhaust valves are leaking and how much they are leaking
3) If the rings are allowing excessive blowby, and it can even tell you at what amount of blowby you have for where the piston is in the cylinder.
4) If the cylinder is scored, scratched or burned.

If, for those four conditions the results show minimal leakage, you can probably ride that RT for another 100,000 miles. If the test shows that, say, at about 1/3 stroke down from TDC the left cylinder is showing higher blowby, then it may indicate a ring problem in that cylinder. If the results show good results all around then the problem may just be valve guide seals, which is far easier to replace than to rebuild the engine.

My 94 R1100RS has 115,000+ miles on it, and I don't even notice any oil consumption. Also, if the spark plugs show good color and no oily soot, then its likely the valves and rings are good. Oh, and any mechanic that does not know how to do a leak-down test, or doesn't own a leak-down tester is not much of a mechanic in my book. I'm no mechanic, but I have always done my own work on my bikes. I built my own leak-down tester and have used it to analyze my dirt bikes before I ever took them apart. It did direct me to the problem before I even laid a wrench to the bike. Good luck.

 

[aaaaaa]

I don't know what grade you're running but my '00 uses 15w50 oil. It seems to not burn 20w50 at all.
robert

 

[mrich12000]

She's a driver.

 

[SHAG]

What about repainting all the Boston Green?

Boston Green RT's are rare. I think only 700 were sold. Don't paint it