Cylinder base gasket leaking

[Mrb1]

Hi all, wondering if any clever people have any words of wisdom on an oil leak from the cylinder base gasket. There is a drip on one side when the engine is started and a mechanic has looked at it. He believes it to be due to the gasket and it is leaking from a from a nut at the base. I am told that this would take a days work to fix and cost quite alot of money. My question is, whilst fully realising that this would be a tough job- can it be done by myself with the right tools and parts? Ordering a new gasket wouln't be a problem but I guess to get to the base gasket would require dismantling a large portion of the cylinder head/block?

[Graham88]

I'm no expert and I'm sure someone here will correct me if I'm wrong but I thought one of the advantages of the boxer was the relative ease of working on the cylinders, pistons , valves etc. They do stick out the sides after all.

You can do pretty much any job yourself if you have the skills and tools and general knowhow. I wouldn't think twice about that kind of job on mine - a cylinder/head gasket on my CBR on the other hand would probably be a dealer job, because of the PITA factor. A new clutch on the CBR would be an easy job and a ball ache for the RT.

[guest5886]

I don't understand if the oil leak is coming from the cylinder head or base. The former has a gasket but the latter is sealed with engine sealant. BMW uses Japanese ThreeBond sealants which are usually very good but also rabidly expensive for the DIY customer. They can be easily replaced with Yamaha or Toyota engine sealant.

I suggest you get a hold of a genuine BMW manual before even contemplating the job (K2X manuals are rather cheap these days differently from K5X): you will get a very clear idea of what expects you and especially what tools you'll need. From then on it's just a matter of money: if the tools you need to buy plus the time you estimate you'll need don't make sense to you, just leave the matter into the dealer's hand.

[Beagle]

Where can I buy a repair manual for mine. Preferably a paper /book form.

[guest5886]

Where can I buy a repair manual for mine. Preferably a paper /book form.

There isn't a genuine workshop manual in book form for K5X boxers, only the DVD.It's very expensive (about €100+VAT) but you get unlimited license, can install the full manual on hard disk and, most critically, you get lifetime updates for it, same as dealerships.

To be honest it's an expense I am glad I made so I already know what I'll get myself into when replacing the shock absorbers. I've already prepared myself mentally but I suspect there will be a lot of cussing involved just there was on the Hexhead first time around.

I know there's a Haynes manual covering K5X boxers up to 2016 (Euro3) but the last two Haynes manuals (one for a car and one for a bike) I purchased left a lot to be desired, especially when it came to electrics so caveat emptor.

[Beagle]

There isn't a genuine workshop manual in book form for K5X boxers, only the DVD.It's very expensive (about €100+VAT) but you get unlimited license, can install the full manual on hard disk and, most critically, you get lifetime updates for it, same as dealerships.

To be honest it's an expense I am glad I made so I already know what I'll get myself into when replacing the shock absorbers. I've already prepared myself mentally but I suspect there will be a lot of cussing involved just there was on the Hexhead first time around.

I know there's a Haynes manual covering K5X boxers up to 2016 (Euro3) but the last two Haynes manuals (one for a car and one for a bike) I purchased left a lot to be desired, especially when it came to electrics so caveat emptor.

Thanks

[Mrb1]

Thank you both! Graham88- you make a good point about ease of access to the cylinder head. However, I'm pretty sure this will be no easy task due to the nature of the problem. ElPolloDiablo- according to the mechanic who looked at it, the leak is coming from cylinder base gasket so therefore harder to get at. I'll attach a couple of pics if possible, to show. I also take on board what you are saying about the base gasket needing a sealant rather than a gasket itself. Either way, getting to it is going to be tough. I don't have experience of this level of work. Having said all that, the quote for the mechanic to repair it is about £550...taking most of the day to complete.