R90 Maus Haus

[bobh41]

I knew I had screwed up by neglecting and ignoring my /6, covered, in the garage, but I didn't know how much until after I had worked off and on for a week rebuilding the carbs with the a Bing kit. It wouldn't fire up and I tore them down and re-examined them. I woke up about 3:00 a.m. with the big flash - the reason the plugs don't smell like gasoline is because water doesn't smell like gasoline. I was sure I had emptied the tank completely, but I started over and removed the spigots completely and emptied the gas in a plastic bucket. I emptied the bucket into a glass jar many times and finally discovered almost a quarter cup of water in the last jar full.

So after cleaning the spigots real well, I put a couple of pints of gas in the tank and started over. Lo and behold, the engine fired a few times, but wouldn't keep running. As I walked around behind the bike I noticed a bunch of debris on the concrete, bits of feathers, Sunflower seed hulls, fabric scraps, straw, and mouse turds. (I live in the middle of a couple hundred acres of woods.)

I pulled the mufflers off, cranked up my compressor and blew out of the mufflers a couple of handfuls of that stuff. Does anybody remember the old fun trick of jamming a potato into the exhaust pipe of your buddies car?

Now I can see straw fragments in one of the mufflers, so I know there is still stuff in there. Can someone describe the muffler construction? - how small are the internal holes? Could a mouse get past the muffler? If so, could it get past the exhaust valves? I'm considering pouring gasoline into the mufflers (off the bike) and igniting it to clean them out.

I suppose this is funny - but I feel like an idiot. And I'm very glad I haven't taken it in to the BMW shop to have it "tuned".

[mrocket49]

I had a similar experience with an 84 R80 of a co-worker. She "stored" it in a shed for 6 years without even shutting off the gas, pretty much just parked it one day. A mouse had gotten into the air cleaner and turned the filter element into shreds. The gas had turned into turpentine and whatever hadn't been covered by gas was rusted in the tank. We had to cream the tank, rebuild the carbs and petcocks and it was good to go. We did alot of other neccesary things but cleaning out the mufflers was not one of them. There's no way for a mouse to get past the exhaust valves and just running the bike will get rid of anything combustable in the mufflers.

[Boxerkuh]

:doh :bliss Well, well, I am no expert by no means, but I think it is impossible for a mouse or any other type of animal to go from the muffler to past the valves into a motor. Most commonly they are found in the air box, the seat, under the seat or in the fairing pockets. It gives great shelter from wind and weather. It sounds like what you should do is go through the bike, you should change all the fluids, the fuel filters, clean the carbs (fuel has a way of gumming up the little holes in jets), clean the airbox, set the valves. Make sure your battery is up to par. At that point she should fire right up. How long has it been sitting? If it has been a while, some more rubber parts may need replacing, too. You can do it. :thumb
My food for thought...:eat :drink

[vanzen]

encounters with the furry little bas ... uh... roDENTS:

1. bike wouldn't run out to full throttle, felt like the choke was on.
The FLBs filled up the airbox with nesting.
2. bike would not start. basic check started. removed front cover.
The FLBs filled the front cover with nesting AND ate ALL the insulation off of every wire, and even ate some copper wire, apparently.
3. K-bike quits dead going down the road. subsequently found the FLBs had eaten insulation off of tail light wiring, which grounded and shorted out the battery...

GET A CAT!

(I hate those meeses to pieces !!)