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Anyone know the size of the Engine Oil drain plug sealing washer (2000 R1100S)?

Though I have done loads of oil changes on bikes and cars without ever changing the sealing washer suddenly I have the urge to do it properly next time and would like to be prepared rather than scury down to the local bike shop after I have dropped the oil.

Plus the Gearbox and rear bevel drive sizes too if anyone knows?

Ta

The search button is your friend

http://www.boxertrix.com/phpBB2/viewtop ... ump+washer

Ta......never seem to find the stuff I want on a search......even though it appears to be been there for the taking. Thanks again.

Im a terrible enabler

All ally washers:

Engine Sump 16x20

Final Drive 14x18

Transmission doesnt have washer on drain plug, but curiously does on fill plug 18x22

Beware the ally washer: Last year I rode on salty roads a few times and early in the spring, well January to be honest, I noticed a drip from the sump plug. So gave it a nip with teh spanner and thought that will sort it out. But no the drip persisted until the next oil change. The reason - the salt had corroded the soft ally washer enough to let oil get past it. There was precious little of the washer left where it had been facing the front of the engine. Never had that happen before.

The Teutonic Tangerine wrote:Beware the ally washer: Last year I rode on salty roads a few times and early in the spring, well January to be honest, I noticed a drip from the sump plug. So gave it a nip with teh spanner and thought that will sort it out. But no the drip persisted until the next oil change. The reason - the salt had corroded the soft ally washer enough to let oil get past it. There was precious little of the washer left where it had been facing the front of the engine. Never had that happen before.

Blimey. That is extreme.

Chinese metal? Makes you wonder. I wonder if a stainless plug would cure it, if maybe it is a dissimilar metal thang going on?

The washer in question is often referred to as a 'Crush Washer' and as the name suggests the washer is crushed to create a seal between the sump & Drain plug. Sump plug washers are usually made of Aluminium or Copper (soft metals).
Why people choose to re-use a sump plug washer is beyond me, it's possibly the cheapest replacement item you can buy for a BMW.

Rob.

big rob wrote:Why people choose to re-use a sump plug washer is beyond me, it's possibly the cheapest replacement item you can buy for a BMW.

Because the washer is perfectly ok to use several times.
And, even if you buy a new washer, you can never find it when it is time to change the oil, so you use the old one. Typically, you’ll find the new washer when you empty the washing machine the week after.
You put it somewhere, for the next oil change. But when it’s time to change oil again, you forgot where you put it, so you use the old one again.

'BUY A NEW WASHER' At least ten oil changes on the one it came with!! It has not occurred to me to get it replaced.

Tapio wrote:

big rob wrote:Why people choose to re-use a sump plug washer is beyond me, it's possibly the cheapest replacement item you can buy for a BMW.

Because the washer is perfectly ok to use several times.
And, even if you buy a new washer, you can never find it when it is time to change the oil, so you use the old one. Typically, you’ll find the new washer when you empty the washing machine the week after.
You put it somewhere, for the next oil change. But when it’s time to change oil again, you forgot where you put it, so you use the old one again.

I confess I'm guilty of re using them in the past. Until I once fell foul of something which had not occurred to me. The thread of the sump plug in question ( cx500) was not relieved at the shoulder, but the thread just stopped short of the shoulder, leaving a "plain" portion of diameter equal to the OD of the thread. I realized this after quite a few re uses of the ally washer (I used to change the oil very regularly). The washer eventually "crushed" enough to allow the unthreaded portion of the plug to split the sump case.

I was lucky that the local breaker had a good sump case in stock. Lesson learned. These days I always check the type of plug involved and replace the washer every time if I possibly can, although, as tapio has also said, I'm not always that organized!

How difficult is it to plan ahead and purchase 10 x crush washers, I keep them in a jar on the shelf next to the 2 x oil filters that I keep on hand, you know that you will keep your bike for a given time period, you know that you will have to service it! Gentlemen, planning is everything!

Steve

Corvus wrote:[The washer eventually "crushed" enough to allow the unthreaded portion of the plug to split the sump case.

I was lucky that the local breaker had a good sump case in stock. Lesson learned. These days I always check the type of plug involved and replace the washer every time if I possibly can, although, as tapio has also said, I'm not always that organized!

You could of used an additional crush washer as a temporary "bodge"

Steve

Boxered wrote:

Corvus wrote:[The washer eventually "crushed" enough to allow the unthreaded portion of the plug to split the sump case.

I was lucky that the local breaker had a good sump case in stock. Lesson learned. These days I always check the type of plug involved and replace the washer every time if I possibly can, although, as tapio has also said, I'm not always that organized!

You could of used an additional crush washer as a temporary "bodge"

Steve

True enough. But the point is that I hadn't spotted the problem creeping up on me. It was only when the casing cracked that I actually stopped and looked at the detail design of the plug. I was only 19 years old.

I can't recall seeing another plug the same since, as it happens.

Some potentially expensive catastrophes hang on the integrity of those little circles of aluminium. Pesky little things. Hee Hee.

Tapio wrote:if you buy a new washer, you can never find it when it is time to change the oil, so you use the old one.

I always get one of these washers with the oil filter when I buy OE.
Don't know if this is a BMW thing, or just something my dealer does but there's always one in the box.

I never expected my post to generate such interesting banter. After some searching (16x20 doesn't appear to be a common size) I found a pack of 50 from GWR Fasteners on EBay for the princely sum of £2.90 delivered. I'll be dead by the time they run out, if I don't loose them first.