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Spark plugs are white-ish.

If they are whitish after 300 miles, you are not burning oil. Or at least not so you would notice. At this time, baring any other lost or broken parts...the only thing you have to deal with is the oil LEAK from someplace. If you are sure it was the rear drive, carefully clean the loose rust off the parts, oil them and rebuild. If the springs are pitted I''d replace them if possible...depends on the pits. ANY pit is a stress concentration and the spring could break. Ugly for the engine. Spoils the piston.

Anybody out there got any springs? What fits?? = According to the various catalogs I have, the valve springs for the R-bikes in the years of late 70's early 80's are all the same. only some of the small parts are different: the keepers and retainers. Soooooooo...if "we" can find some valve springs from an oily junked engine...Rob can use them (? yes?)
Rob, by ANY chance do you still have the OLD engine?

Jean wrote:. Soooooooo...if "we" can find some valve springs from an oily junked engine...Rob can use them (? yes?)
Rob, by ANY chance do you still have the OLD engine?

When I had heads rebuilt I learned that new springs were $6.00 each. That was about 6 years ago.

Chuey

F'n-A Rob, Jean asked about your cat. I didn't see where you told her how your cat is. Are you OK?

One more thing. Do you really think you can buy a reliable Vespa for less than a reliable airhead? If so, you are smoking crack! In fact, the airhead you have now just traveled 300 miles. If you want to obsess over it, you can make anything seem unreliable. Listen to what Jean said about the plugs. If the rings were not doing their job within the cylinders, you'd have fouled plugs. It seems that you could have mostly problems with your outlook.

OK, the job situation sucks. Why turn that into a life encompassing "suck"? You could look at the BMW as the shining star right now. Put it back together and ride. And buy a bicycle because riding one will do more to uplift than a spliff. Little poem there.

Chuey

Jean wrote:If they are whitish after 300 miles, you are not burning oil. Or at least not so you would notice. At this time, baring any other lost or broken parts...the only thing you have to deal with is the oil LEAK from someplace. If you are sure it was the rear drive, carefully clean the loose rust off the parts, oil them and rebuild. If the springs are pitted I''d replace them if possible...depends on the pits. ANY pit is a stress concentration and the spring could break. Ugly for the engine. Spoils the piston.

Anybody out there got any springs? What fits?? = According to the various catalogs I have, the valve springs for the R-bikes in the years of late 70's early 80's are all the same. only some of the small parts are different: the keepers and retainers. Soooooooo...if "we" can find some valve springs from an oily junked engine...Rob can use them (? yes?)
Rob, by ANY chance do you still have the OLD engine?

Thanks Jean (and everyone).

I have two (probably) good springs from the wrecked engine.

I would have to check the other head, but I don't think they would be any good since I used that one to hold the boards down on the neighbor's abused bunny cage to help bunny stay out of the weather.
(Here he is at my house after the neighbor passed him over the fence to me...)
Even though I had the head in a plastic bag, it got weathered, and it was so damaged, I didn't worry about it, anyway. That was a real shame, too. Freshly rebuild by Bob Grauer just 2 years earlier (sorry Bob!).

I know my final drive is a leaky mess. I was whining about it on here just 4 months before I destroyed the left jug in the crash. I have what I believe to be all of the right seals and gaskets to freshen it up, but having never opened a final drive before, fear comes easy.
And no, I don't have a barbecue to invite other airheads over to help. Besides, I don't think there are many knowledgeable people in this area. I have a friend, Bob who I met at the old dealer back in the early 80's, and he has never had one apart. We just spoke a couple of weeks ago. He bought my Ed Korn tool collection from me.

I know I had oil leaking from the push rod tube seals, which is how I got this far in the first place.
I have not replaced the oil pressure switch on this engine.

The rust on the valve rocker pivots is not flaking off - it is quite solid. As could be expected, it is only on the top of the pivots, not on the bottom. I might suspect the engine came from a coastal bike, but there is no excess oxide on the engine case.

It would appear the springs are common across the range:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partxref.do?part=11341264176

Keepers are different, but cheap:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partxref.do?part=11341307136

And the upper spring plate, not as cheap, but I probably would only need two:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partxref.do?part=11341280649

Chuey wrote:F'n-A Rob, Jean asked about your cat. I didn't see where you told her how your cat is. Are you OK?

Chuey

The cat is doing fine, and doing her job fine. She slept on my pillow against the top of my head last night. She NEVER sleeps against me, and never up there.

Ambien is my new friend these days.

I never would have thought to examine the springs. Thanks guys. I guess I am lucky.
This is the exhaust on the R-H side. It is the worst of the four from what is easily seen.


click on pic for mega-size

Now I need to find a cheap spring compressor.

But I think I will examine the needle bearings, first. They are way more expensive than springs/caps/retainers.
And I gave away all of my old ones.

I think this engine got to Wash. D.C. via post-Katrina New Orleans.

Feel free to chime in when you think it is time to begin parting out.
Brand new touring bags
Brand new OEM headers (R65)
Very nice tank - inside & out
Lightly used mufflers

etc...

And you are right Chuey - the Vespa was only a fancy.
A bicycle would be much cheaper and hopefully less frustrating, mechanically-speaking.

Are the engine blocks worth anything to a scrap yard? I've got one sitting in the corner yet to be stripped down.

justoneoftheguys wrote: Now I need to find a cheap spring compressor.

You may be able to rent one, especially if you live near a decent sized metro area. If so, it will probably be MUCH better quality than buying a cheap one, and probably cost you less.

This 'ear one wos made in a shearing shed. Ewe could make one too. Got a g-clamp?
Edit. Looks like the photo was made in a shearing shed.

Yes it would Rob (IMHO)

Get hold of Don Beverage. He's got some R65 engines. Maybe he has some jugs ( he's have a tech day on Saturday you know )

Ray