Bent Oil Plate..Is the bike totaled?

[mdgagnon]

I have a 1998 V XII. While driving the bike into a garage to store it for the winter, I was heart broken to find that I practically tore off the oil filter plate from the engine. Does anyone know if the bike is worth fixing or is it totaled? In this case, I reckon that the engine will have to be replaced.

It was the first time that I was going to use my In-Laws garage. What I did not take into account was that there is about a 45 degree incline as you enter the garage. I clearly thought that I had enough clearance to get the bike into the garage. I thought that the "thud" that I felt/heard was the crash bar hitting the top of the incline. When I got off of the bike I saw that all of the oil had emptied out onto the concrete floor. As you can imagine, I was devastated.

I have attached a picture of the oil filter plate area. Notice that the bolt and plate are still attached to the engine but bent back enough to expose the oil filter. Ouch is right.

Thanks for your time...Mark

[ekap1200]

You are not the first one to do this..... go to the search field and type it in . read all the results. You may have a chance at saving this.

[Nails]

The "bash plate" is the headers, and they don't do a very good job protecting the oil pan. Mine has clearly taken some hits -- I had to repair my headers, too. As Gene says, use Search here. And download the manual from here.

You'll have to remove the exhaust system and then the oil pan, with some oil pipes and an electrical connection. You'll probably find that any damage is limited to parts that unbolt from the case; and these are available from salvage. Look up Carl Leo for parts and advice -- you'll probably want to just talk to him.

This isn't really a big job. Round up all the gaskets and o-rings (there are about a dozen of them). It's a good chance to clean the crud off the pan (note to fellow SeaFoam users: there's still crud); and I bet your oil pan gasket was leaking anyway.

Definitely not totaled.

I hope to fab a real bash plate soon.

--
Neal

[mdgagnon]

Thank you guys for the input. I will search and do more research. Sounds promising. Cheers!

[cjalaska]

I posted that mine was torn off a couple of years ago. Since then I have added about 6,300 miles. The was I told it was done without taking off the exhaust. You can loosen the bolts enough to spread the exhaust tips enough for the pan to come off. I had to replace the part where the oil filter bolt screws into also. Good luck!

[DocSnowFox]

Glad to say it is not totaled.
My story: rented a specialized motorcycle trailer from U-Haul only to find after loading my 1995 Voyager that the floor corrugations (Hi-lo channels) had been ripped upwards with gashes of metal, that severely snagged my oil filter bolt, and bent and broke the internal housing above. It severely broke the upper most internal inside the case, where the filter pressure bolt (hollow bolt) threads into.
I lost 95% of my oil on the haul home, only to see the huge oily mess when I got home.
After much research and consulting, I took it to an incredible custom welding shop in McHenry, IL, that works primarily on emergency services equipment and custom changes/installations.
Longer story short, I drained the bike, they inverted it, suspended it in a cradle and made the cracked housing weld repairs. Simply amazing and a miracle of sorts. I will never use a U-Haul trailer again.
So, it's bad. But it's not over.

I bought my own enclosed trailer, customized it with electric brakes, LEDs outside and in, and have a diamond plate double-width ramp that makes in out easy. And a ratchet system in the floors and walls, that is to die for.

[Van Voyager]

Too late... but if it was me...

I'd take out the drain bolt and the bolt that holds the filter cover on, and take them to a machine shop and have them cut half the bolt head off, round off what's remaining (to make like an oval head screw - leaving only a very low profile non-bolt head), then drill a hole in the end and broach it for a suitable sized hex key.

[cranky]

... not a technical person... but why not just drop a semicircle bead around the front of the
bolt? Just curious.. act like a ramp to take the obstruction over the bolt...

[Nails]

I think that would be tricky not to warp it.

The bigger problem is bashing down there in the first place. My bike took hits on normal speed bumps. I thought about fabbing a bash plate (save the headers, too). But since Progressives and replacing the oil in the shocks, the whole problem vanished.

I'm speculating that this is only a problem in bikes that need suspension work anyway. (Even if that's kinda hard for me to really believe.)

[Van Voyager]

I'm speculating that this is only a problem in bikes that need suspension work anyway. (Even if that's kinda hard for me to really believe.)

I think you're probably right. When I replaced the front springs on my CB900F the bike rode about 2 1/2 inches higher (I also bushed the new springs with a 1 inch spacer). The original springs were completely sacked out.

[DocSnowFox]

Thanks to all the excellent ideas and histories.
I have had the lower end of the engine case magically welded with the Voyager completely drained of all fluids, and literally hung upside down to expose the severe cracked lower engine case.
Indeed it looked fatal.
So afterwards, I've done some miles, and upgrades (mostly electrical) like a Positive and Negative buss bar (each) to better secure accessories and insulating, vs. jamming another ring connector onto a battery post.
So now the bike "lives" and rides great.
Thanks again, all.

PS (my motorcycle shop who prefers Beamers only shook their head at my attempting repairs, especially because I wouldn't convert to a newer BMW).

[Nails]

So, if I got this right, you'd rather ride an XII with a cracked block than a new BMW.
Sounds about right.

[DocSnowFox]

Nails,

Not far off.
LOL.
I love the Kawasaki sound of four pistons workin' it, the subtle yet aggressive acceleration and the payment plan too: Paid in Full.

BMW, is another story.