Torn push rod seal; Replace head gasket and o-rings??
 

I'm putting together an R100 Frankenbeemer. I just got the heads on and everything torqued up a couple of weeks ago and noticed when I was installing the exhaust today that one of the new push rod seals was torn. :becca

Now everything on the right side has to come off to replace that stinkin' seal. My question is, even though the bike hasn't been running, am I going to have to replace the head gasket again? Also this is one of those cylinders that requires a large o-ring around the cylinder and the 2 o-rings around the studs. Am I going to have to replace those as well? I just want to make sure I order everything at once and save on shipping.

torn pushrod seal
 

hi,you will only have to replace the two small o rings and the larger base o ring ,i would of thought the head gasket is fine.i have had the heads off mine and reused the gasket with no ill effects.

Leave the head attached to the barrel with the 12 and 6 o'clock bolts. No need to replace the o-rings, they are still fresh.
Just slide the barrel out with engine at TDC keeping the rings in place. If you used sealant at the base, you have some cleaning to do and careful but awkward re-application. But no big deal.

A lot of riders would take the wrist pins out of the pistons so the pistons will stay in the cylinders and the heads stay on top of the cylinders. It's OK to do that way but be very careful when reinstalling the wrist pin circlips. The circlips have to be prooved or proofed. There's not a lot you can see when performing this operation and everything is still attached to the engine. There is just not a lot of room to stick your head in there.

Even a circlip installed in a place where you can see what is happening is proofed. Once installed, you think it's in place, the circlip is spun in it's bore. Spin it enough so that you can see it is seated. That's it. Prove all circlips.

My friend lost a piston, cylinder, cam shaft, oil pump and lifters. Because a circlip was not fully seated.

Take the valve ro kers off and move the whoe thin up a bit. Tdc or u will spend some time with the ri.g compressor. Master te h at bmw did all pushrod seals that way. 30 minutes. Readjust the valves before reinstaling valve covers.

Where did you get the seals Blaine?

Have you checked for leaks? I put one in a few weeks ago that got a bit squished & a bit is hanging out. I didn't notice it till after I'd ridden it for a few hundred Kms.
Replace if you want- it may bug you that it is there smirking at you :D - but it may not leak at all.

I got mine from motobins.

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barstard :thwak

From Hans at Hucky's BMW Parts.

I wouldn't replace the ORings. As said, they're still fresh.

I've re-used used head gaskets in my bikes many times, only freshening the sealant around the top studs and pushrod tubes. Hasn't been a problem yet. And in your case, it's still new with no heat cycles - but best to leave the head and cylinder together.

I wonder if they are BMW. There are some bad ones floating around from Motobins or Capital Cycle or some place like that.

Or maybe it was from BMW (the bad ones). They are selling crap as if they were Capital cycle lately. I just got a new cadnium plated front axle. WTF? It's going to turn to rust in no time.

Did you put any sealant on the push rod tubes before the seals where put on them ?

Have seen a lot of those seals slide over the ring on the tube and than burst because some sealant was used there.

Just thinking why they would burst.
Of course there could be some bad ones out there.

The tear looks pretty deep from where I could see. You might be right about holding a seal but it won't take long to replace them.

No sealant. Just regular motor oil inside and out as Oak recommends.