[Fatto]

I have just been to the garage for a service on my 2000 model k12lt. Found out that my radiator is split too badly for repair. The second rad is also looking very corroded and I have been advised to replace it the same time. The mechanic has quoted £150 for each of the rads, but has also said they took 5 hours to get the rad off in the first place. This seems excessive to me - can anyone advise on this issue? At the moment I feel like I'm being taken for a ride (no pun intended)

 

[wrmoss]

I have just been to the garage for a service on my 2000 model k12lt. Found out that my radiator is split too badly for repair. The second rad is also looking very corroded and I have been advised to replace it the same time. The mechanic has quoted £150 for each of the rads, but has also said they took 5 hours to get the rad off in the first place. This seems excessive to me - can anyone advise on this issue? At the moment I feel like I'm being taken for a ride (no pun intended)

First of all I am sorry to hear about your trouble. I can tell you that removing the radiators is quite involved. Lot's of stuff (tupperware, gas tank, etc.) stands in the way just to begin removal. In my mind 3 to 5 hours seems reasonable. As far as the parts...BMW means "Bring more wallet" You could try to get some on Flea Bay for less...but you risk a chance on quality. Hope this helps.

 

[Fatto]

First of all I am sorry to hear about your trouble. I can tell you that removing the radiators is quite involved. Lot's of stuff (tupperware, gas tank, etc.) stands in the way just to begin removal. In my mind 3 to 5 hours seems reasonable. As far as the parts...BMW means "Bring more wallet" You could try to get some on Flea Bay for less...but you risk a chance on quality. Hope this helps.

Thanks for that. Every time I look at the bike it just doesn't seem right that anything could take that long to do. I am not too concerned about the price of the rads - I was told initially that they would be £300 each, so to get both for that is slightly easier to swallow. Bring more wallett is a good description of it at the moment, as I've spent out best part of £4000 including the sale price (year 2000) with MOT, tax, service and the repairs to the rads - and I've not been able to ride other than to the garage. However, I do see light at the end of the tunnel and I'm looking forward to taking it out along the west coast of Wales, not as long as the west coast of the USA but it's all we have locally. My number plate is K12LTX, if push comes to a shove - I should be able to sell it to help pay the repair bill!!

 

[BecketMa]

If you are ambitious, you can remove all of tupperware so that you don't have to pay someone a silly amount of $$$ for just unscrewing bolts with an electric screw driver.

If you do, make sure you mark each hole through the tupperware for the length of bolt that comes out. There are predominately two lenghts. The longer going through two layers of tupperware or into the rubber O-rings that have a nut embedded in them. The other thing that will make trouble is those nuts mounted on u-clips that hug a tupperware hole or hole on the frame. It's easy to knock them off or push the back part of the clip, that the nut is mounted too, away from what it is holding onto. I do that when I don't have the bolt alligned with the hole and the nut.

As best as I can remember this is the first time I've heard of anyone having to replace a radiator.

On this side of the pond there are many on eBay.

Best from Tucson
Bob, 2000 LT

 

[Fatto]

Still waiting for the rads to be shipped from Germany. Loads of money spent - little joy as of yet.

 

[WillieC]

Still waiting for the rads to be shipped from Germany. Loads of money spent - little joy as of yet.

I feel your pain ! I bought my 2005 LT with 44K on the clock on June 16 2012 and it has been in the shop for repairs for three weeks of the little over one month that I have owned it. I will have close to $3,000.00 invested in repairs and service and I paid $9,200.00 for it. I just have to accept that, that is the cost of owning a used LT with no warranty if you cannot do the work yourself.
I am hoping to get it back next week and not have any more issues fo a while.

hope you are back on the road soon !

 

[bulletbill]

Still waiting for the rads to be shipped from Germany. Loads of money spent - little joy as of yet.

I will have to check but I think I have a used one if that would help?

 

[gunny]

I see where you already have the radiators on order...

If I ever need radiators, I'd take the ones I have to a radiator shop and have these re-cored. Expect to have that cost about half of new.

 

[Cochinosucio]

If you are ambitious, you can remove all of tupperware so that you don't have to pay someone a silly amount of $$$ for just unscrewing bolts with an electric screw driver.

If you do, make sure you mark each hole through the tupperware for the length of bolt that comes out. There are predominately two lenghts. The longer going through two layers of tupperware or into the rubber O-rings that have a nut embedded in them. The other thing that will make trouble is those nuts mounted on u-clips that hug a tupperware hole or hole on the frame. It's easy to knock them off or push the back part of the clip, that the nut is mounted too, away from what it is holding onto. I do that when I don't have the bolt alligned with the hole and the nut.

As best as I can remember this is the first time I've heard of anyone having to replace a radiator.
On this side of the pond there are many on eBay.

Best from Tucson
Bob, 2000 LT

+1

 

[Fatto]

I see where you already have the radiators on order...

If I ever need radiators, I'd take the ones I have to a radiator shop and have these re-cored. Expect to have that cost about half of new.

The garage did say that they might be able to be repaired, but then said (I suppose I have to accept their word for that) that the one rad was so badly corroded that it couldn't be repaired and the one on other side was in a pretty bad way also and to save money in the long run - get both changed at the same time. So that's what I did.

The weather over this side of the pond had more or less rained for 2 months and so as I mainly ride for the please as oppose to commuting these days I haven't missed it too much, but the weather is changing (slightly less rain in our country) so I am getting withdrawal symptoms.

The good news I had is that the MOT test was passed without any work required, so it was just the cost of the test which was £29.

I am so eager to get it out there. I do have another bike that keeps me riding which is a good thing.

 

[JPSpen]

A good radiator shop could just build new ones...BMW's price is always going to be out of sight for proprietary parts...

Take your old radiators to someone who actually fixes radiators for a living and see what they say...

Good Luck

John

 

[gunny]

Not repair.

Recore. Just reuse the end tanks, gets a new core element. Usually better than OEM.

 

[Fatto]

Update. Bike now back on the road. Total coast £702.55. I was told I had a reduction of the hourly rate to £30 per hour. 10 hours of labour to change both rads and fit a new battery. At least I can now have some riding pleasure after all of that paying out pain I've just had.

 

[deputy5211]

Update. Bike now back on the road. Total coast £702.55. I was told I had a reduction of the hourly rate to £30 per hour. 10 hours of labour to change both rads and fit a new battery. At least I can now have some riding pleasure after all of that paying out pain I've just had.

Seems like a lot of hours to change out the radiators.

The good news is that you are back on the road.

 

[shoswell]

5 hours does seem a little excessive. if it were the first time for the person I'd say yes, thats what it would take. Looking at my LT, the tipover wings, the sidevents and both sides have to come off. Many of us have had it to that point in less than an hour.

The radiators themselves are not that big of a deal once you get down to that point. a few supports have to come loose, and a few clamps.. no biggy..

Hell I've done an engine swap in double that time..

 

[deputy5211]

5 hours does seem a little excessive. if it were the first time for the person I'd say yes, thats what it would take. Looking at my LT, the tipover wings, the sidevents and both sides have to come off. Many of us have had it to that point in less than an hour.

The radiators themselves are not that big of a deal once you get down to that point. a few supports have to come loose, and a few clamps.. no biggy..

Hell I've done an engine swap in double that time..

... and ten hours does seem a bit insane. Did they double or triple the hours billed to make up for the reduction in hourly rate?