99 1100GS oil sight glass blew out.

[Bender]

I'll give it a shot.

I couldn't even get it get a grip in the hole. No matter how hard I hit it, it'd fall as soon as I took the socket away from it. It was laughing at me. Would it be better to use a sledge hammer with a very controlled swing? Seems some extra mass might help it hit home. My big ball peen just had no effect at all.

[JimVonBaden]

If it is sticking, you might want to slightly debur the edge of the opening. No need for a larger hammer, just measured taps. One other trick is to use electrical tape and tape the old one to the new one to help keep them lined up. Once it is going in, the tape will come off on its own.

Jim

[kbasa]

Yep. Easy taps. Make sure the hole is clean and free of ANY gunk.

[cluster148]

Several years ago my sight plug blew out in the middle og nowhere.Nearby auto parts store suggested a 40mm freeze plug as a long term temp repair.Get the concave plug and it's simple to install.Cost 50 cents!
Drill a hole in it and use a hook to remove.
Freeze plug makes it a bit difficult to check your oil....:-)

[Bender]

Bought two more of them today. The mechanic suggested I slobber some oil around the edges. No sealant.

[Bender]

And that was the winning ticket.

I taped the old one to the new one, used the same socket as last time. A film of oil and the thing damn-near installed itself.

I am wondering now if the first replacement was perhaps too big? It would not go into the hole.

[Bender]

First time I hit the freeway, this one blew out. I had the third one with me and installed it with a tent peg and a tire iron. I took the o-ring of the oil filler cap and limped home.

Where is the crankcase vent for this thing? I'm thinking maybe its pinched or clogged.

[Tosh Togo]

Originally Posted by Bender

First time I hit the freeway, this one blew out. I had the third one with me and installed it with a tent peg and a tire iron. I took the o-ring of the oil filler cap and limped home.

Where is the crankcase vent for this thing? I'm thinking maybe its pinched or clogged.

Someone finally saw beyond the symptoms...

To the OP: you need to find out WHY the cases pressurized enough to force the old sightglass out of its' hole. Simply putting a new one in doesn't cure the underlying cause, and it wlll happen again.

Fwiw, I've got a 30 year-old aircooled bike with well over 100K on it, and the OEM sightglass is still happily in place. I've known of several others like it whose owners neglected the breather system, and the sightglasses always went walkabout soon after.

[Bender]

It's my understanding that the stock plastic sight glass will just get so brittle they eventually just let loose without over-pressurizing the crankcase. That is what I thought happened the first time.

[JimVonBaden]

Originally Posted by Bender

It's my understanding that the stock plastic sight glass will just get so brittle they eventually just let loose without over-pressurizing the crankcase. That is what I thought happened the first time.

It can for sure. If the second one went in that easily it was likely wrong, defective.

How hard was the third one?

As for the crank case vent, top left side of the motor, under the ABS unit forward of the Bowden Box. Sometimes they git pinched, or there is an obstruction in the air cleaner. Also drain your air cleaner to see if there is oil in it.

Jim

[Bender]

Originally Posted by JimVonBaden

It can for sure. If the second one went in that easily it was likely wrong, defective.

How hard was the third one?

As for the crank case vent, top left side of the motor, under the ABS unit forward of the Bowden Box. Sometimes they git pinched, or there is an obstruction in the air cleaner. Also drain your air cleaner to see if there is oil in it.

Jim

The third one went in along side the road. Something I said couldn't be done based on the first one I had.

So how would I know a good one from a bad one?

[sdpc2]

box?

[Bender]

Originally Posted by sdpc2

box?

I believe there a little squeezie nipple on the bottom of the Airbox that will allow you to drain oil and/or water from it.

[JimVonBaden]

Originally Posted by Bender

I believe there a little squeezie nipple on the bottom of the Airbox that will allow you to drain oil and/or water from it.

It is actually a knob on the bottom left side of the airbox towards the rear of the bike at the back of the airbox. It is accessable above the left footpeg. Just turn it about 1/4 turn and it comes off.

Jim

[vintagerider]

Originally Posted by Bender

I believe there a little squeezie nipple on the bottom of the Airbox that will allow you to drain oil and/or water from it.

The oil cover is a twist lock. From side stand side cover the exhaust. The drain cover is on the underside of the air box, to the rear, LS. It it hasn't been off before it may be very tight. It has an o-ring. Install clean and dry. Spray the exhaust with brake cleaner if any oil drained on it. Lift the tab on the oil filler lid on the L rocker cover. Remove the oil fil base part and clean the o-ring, install dry.

Originally Posted by Bender

First time I hit the freeway, (new) one blew out. I had the third one with me and installed it with a tent peg and a tire iron. I took the o-ring of the oil filler cap and limped home.

Where is the crankcase vent for this thing? I'm thinking maybe its pinched or clogged.

Parts price break is 10 quantity for some dealers.

Originally Posted by JimVonBaden

It can for sure. If the second one went in that easily it was likely wrong, defective.

How hard was the third one?

As for the crank case vent, top left side of the motor, under the ABS unit forward of the Bowden Box. Sometimes they git pinched, or there is an obstruction in the air cleaner. Also drain your air cleaner (box) to see if there is oil in it.

Jim

corrected
The crankcase vent hose can be found on the RS just above the telelever pivot. The actual rotary crankcase vent is in the engine. The 1150 can sometimes be blocked by a mis-installed rear main seal but that should not be a problem on the 1100.