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How to Change the Fluid Reservoir -- Parts No. Upd

15K views 35 replies 13 participants last post by  AZ-J 
#1 ·
The parts list is updated as of 8/7/2007

I'm including some pictures of this procedure, but the actual credit for the procedure must go to Freek who pioneered this bit of cosmetic surgery. Thanks Freek.

The procedure is quite simple:

Tools needed:

T10 Torx Screwdriver (one on the end of 1/4/ ratchet and extension works well)
This is to remove the small torx screws that hold the canister to the fitting on the brake lever)

4mm hex wrench (this is to remove the screws from the top of mounting bracket)

T25 Torx screwdriver (this is to replace the new screws that hold the top of the brake handle to the handle bar)

Needle nose pliers (this is to remove the small clamp that holds the fluid tube to the top of the fluid fitting)

Supplies Needed:

Towel to catch any droplets of brake fluid (DO NOT LET IT TOUCH ANYTHING PAINTED!!!)

New Can of DOT 4 brake fluid

Parts Needed: (I obtained all from Hammersley Motors in Lynchburg VA -- total cost $55.05 including shipping)

New BMW Fluid Reservoir 34-31-7-658-914

2 plastic screws 32-72-7-675-118 (in spite of the name, they are metal, but they are specifically for screwing into plastic)

2 M5X20 Torx Screws 07 12 9 904 792 to replace the 50mm screws that hold the original bracket to the handle bar (don't forget these, the original screws will be way too long without the bracket)

1 "O" ring 32-72-7-675-117 (this is a new ring for the reservoir. It is probably not needed since all of the original rings are still very new)

the procedure:

1. Remove the reservoir from the bracket using a T25 screwdriver)

2. Remove the 4mm hex bolts from the bracket and remove the bracket

3. Replace the 4mm hex bolts with the T25 torx screws mentioned above (it is important to do this first since you will not want to be moving the brake lever after the reservoir is removed)

4. Clamp off the rubber hose that goes from the reservoir to the fitting on top of the lever (I used a hemostat)

5. Remove the hose from the fitting on the top of the brake lever by loosening the clamp with needle nose pliers then push it off the fitting. Remove the old reservoir and set it aside away from any painted surface (its till full of fluid at this point)

6. Remove the small T10 torx screws from the bottom of the reservoir (I can't describe how to do this, its awkward, but persevere -- they are not tight -- use Irish cuss words)

7. Remove the fitting from the top of the brake lever and cylinder and set it aside away from any painted surface.

8. Check to be sure the the "O" ring is still in place on the brake lever/cylinder (be sure its in good shape -- it probably is since it can't be more than 2 years old at the oldest)

9. Fit the new reservoir to the top of the brake lever and replace the T10 Torx screws that hold it on.

10. Fill the reservoir with new DOT Spec 4 brake fluid and replace the cap tightly.

11. Stand back and admire your work.

12. Dispose of the fluid in the old reservoir in accordance with your conscience (don't poor it in the drain please).

Put all of the old parts in a plastic zip lock bag and hold on to them forever just in case there really was a good reason for the cheap looking bracket and hose arrangement.

The pictures:

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#2 ·
I just got back from running it about 120 miles up the road and back. I wanted to see if the fluid got all frothy and turned to whipped cream.

It didn't.

And the front brake still works. That's always good.

I guess there may be some issues that caused BMW to make the change, but I'll be darned if I can see what they might have been.

IMHO, it sure looks a lot more BMW-like with the new reservoir.

Lotsa bugs in Florida tonight. Lots and lots of big bugs. At lest two of every variety are now on my visor and the front of my jacket. Yuck.

We need more ducks.
 
#3 ·
Originally posted by Herleman

I just got back from running it about 120 miles up the road and back. I wanted to see if the fluid got all frothy and turned to whipped cream.
It didn't.
And the front brake still works. That's always good.
I guess there may be some issues that caused BMW to make the change, but I'll be darned if I can see what they might have been.
We need more ducks.
then WHY? WHY would they have put it there? i want to replace it. hell, i HAVE the parts HERE!!! but i just can't get the BMW dealer owner's words outta my head. awful nice man, i would bring friends or family to him and trust him to sell them a very fair deal.

that said... was it something that popped up in a stunt during a wheelie? was it something where they were getting too much pressure to the ABS unit and used this to help assuage the possible pulsing from the ABS? is the ABS unit on the F800 different from the rest of BMW's minions and if so, is it possible that this unit needs more fluid when engaged, or uses the hose attached at the top to flex somewhat?

Herleman, i know this may be a bit of a scary task to ask of you, but have you engaged the ABS before, and would you be willing to engage it again deliberately in a safe controlled environment to see if it, uh, works ok... or if anything changes?

thank you so much for posting this, sir!!! you're so appreciated!!! i think we could all use a duck here and there... but it's how you use it that's important
 
#4 ·
Herleman, thanks for the howto [clap]

One year ago there were some dissatisfied owners who bought the F800 out of the brochure. They were dissatisfied because when they got their bikes delivered it had the high mounted fluid reservoir which was not seen on any photo in the brochure or on the net.

So they filed a formal complaint to BMW demanding a better looking fluid reservoir. One Dutch guy kept mailing BMW NL asking for an explanation until he got the reply explaining the high reservoir was chosen because the marketing department had tested several setups on a German panel and the panel liked the high mounted version best. They said it looked more like a sports bike that way.

BMW specialist Van Harten was the first dealer to really look for a better solution (for their F800 Van Harten Special) and they came up with this one. I have not heard them saying it but I suppose they will have talked to BMW DE before doing so. Now (a.f.a.i.k.) every Dutch BMW dealer does it without a problem, although some of them ask way to much money for it.

So if your dealer says it can't (safely) be done he is either misinformed or just unwilling (or the Dutch dealers are wrong).
 
#5 ·
Originally posted by de100kb
So if your dealer says it can't (safely) be done he is either misinformed or just unwilling (or the Dutch dealers are wrong).
is this a fact from forum members, or people you know, or did you see the letter from BMW saying this was not a safety issue, or is this just another "hearsay" like, "all twins and singles cut out"?
 
#6 ·
Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door the1sen
is this a fact from forum members, or people you know, or did you see the letter from BMW saying this was not a safety issue, or is this just another "hearsay" like, "all twins and singles cut out"?
I formulated my last reply in this tread very carefully The1sen so you might read it again. I know Van Harten is one of the leading BMW tuners and in close contact with BMW DE and I trust them and my own dealer completely.

I resent you misquoting my earlier remark. I never said all twins and singles cut out. I said I was told they are more prone to cutting out, the reason being the lighter flywheel and other parts of the engine. I also said I might be mislead on this subject.
 
#7 ·
Originally posted by the1sen
is this a fact from forum members, or people you know, or did you see the letter from BMW saying this was not a safety issue, or is this just another "hearsay" like, "all twins and singles cut out"?
..or saying the noise you hear from your F800 is from the "dry clutch"? [huh2]

-A
 
#8 ·
the1sen:

I tested the ABS. I did several tests, one from slightly over 65mph (high speed to me).

In each instance, the ABS worked perfectly. No problems.

de100kb:

I think your explanation is the most plausible. There are some Suzuki sport bikes that have the same sort of oil derrick holding their reservoir. Perhaps to some its an image thing, who knows.

I do know that I find the original to be unsightly, and the revision is a major improvement.

I find it inconceivable that the F800 could subject the reservoir to more stresses than are present in the K1200 or R1200 donor bikes.

The threshold issue is that I like it better this way. In the end, little else matters.

de100kb:

I've not seen Freek on the board for some time. If you see him, please share my thanks for sharing this modification with us.

John

 
#9 ·
Originally posted by de100kb

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door the1sen
is this a fact from forum members, or people you know, or did you see the letter from BMW saying this was not a safety issue, or is this just another "hearsay" like, "all twins and singles cut out"?
I formulated my last reply in this tread very carefully The1sen so you might read it again. I know Van Harten is one of the leading BMW tuners and in close contact with BMW DE and I trust them and my own dealer completely.

I resent you misquoting my earlier remark. I never said all twins and singles cut out. I said I was told they are more prone to cutting out, the reason being the lighter flywheel and other parts of the engine. I also said I might be mislead on this subject.
indeed.

i did not misquote you at all, sir. you said:

By the way: if you are so afraid for cut outs: don't ride a twin or a single because they all seems to be prone to cut outs sometimes. My Honda Revere (NTV650) did cut out on me once every 1000 km or so and it is considered normal for that type of bike.
and since you were misled, and admitted to it later on in the thread, i was not "picking on you." i was asking you in a practical manner if this was another possible "misleading" from someone you "heard it from" or if it was more factual.

in this case, you are stating it is more factual and direct experience, and i appreciate the clarification.

apologies if you took offense. in no way did i misquote you, however. and i resent the fact that you deem it necessary to question my reasons for making my inquiry about your remark since you have in the past given out vehemently inaccurate information like this.
 
#10 ·
Originally posted by Herleman

the1sen:
I tested the ABS. I did several tests, one from slightly over 65mph (high speed to me).
In each instance, the ABS worked perfectly. No problems.
well cool. first, i am glad it works, since brakes are nothing to shake a stick at. they kind of HAVE TO work.

this is a mod i have wanted to accomplish since i saw it first on de100kb's bike. let us hope that it continues to function properly for all our sakes, since i am about 1/8" from pulling the hair trigger on doing it.

thanks for doing this John.

-joe
 
#11 ·
How 'bout if everybody comes to all stop on making this mod till I put about 1000 miles on it.

I kinda feel like if it gets me through that with no issues, it is safe to presume that the mod is OK.

There is no real stress on the reservoir. It is not a pressure vessel, and its only job is to maintain readily available fluid for the brake cylinder. I think we can safely conclude that the only way that air could get past the fluid in the reservoir is if it is "bubbled" in through some sort of foaming.

I'll keep a close eye on the fluid container as I put the next 1000 miles on it. The next few weeeks will include some high altitude riding in Colorado and Wyoming as well as some sea level stuff between here and the Space Center. I'll have some miles on the superslab and a lot of back road stuff with accelleration and deceleration and a lot twisties. Should be a good period for a test.

I'm not concerned given that there is an excellent rear brake that is completely untouched by this change and so far, the change is completely uneventful. Moreover, de100kb confirms that this is a normal mod from dealers on the continent.

So far, I've put about 275 miles on the bike since the change. Its near 100 degrees here, and I would think that if the fluid was prone to foaming, it would do it a high temperatures more readily than at low temps. It looks perfectly boring in the reservoir right now. No bubbles, and no change in the fluid level since I filled the bowl.

Keep your fingers crossed, but I really think this is an OK mod.
 
#12 ·
Greetings all,
Thanks again to Herleman and Freek for their help on this one. I've heard several times from sportbike owners and dealership salesmen that this reservoir location is very popular on sportbikes. I've been considering this relocation, in part, becauseit's one of the few negative remarks repeated by magazine reviews. Why the conspicuous tank location? seems to be the common thread. Putting aesthetics aside, it's difficult to see the sense of not keeping parts close to the framework just for the sake of keeping them out of harm's way.
I posted Freek a few weeks ago regarding how the relocation was working for him and asked if he'd had any problems since. He said it was working just fine. Here's a post Freek provided earlier on another thread regarding the question on how the brakes were performing after the relocation:

"Carl and myself are using this reservoir for a couple of months on smooth and rough roads. We have not seen any bubbles (as stated by BMW). A check at our dealer confirmed the proper working of the brakes."
 
#13 ·
hey Herleman,

i pulled the trigger and had it done today.

so... if i die in a front-brake-related wreck, i have instructed my beautiful wife (pictured to the left[lol]) to write you guys here and let ya know.

what a huge difference it makes aesthetically.

thanks to de100kb and freek and everyone else who contributed to this totally necessary and completely awesome Mod

my wife noticed it right away... she NEVER notices things like that.
 
#17 ·
I would surely think so. The thing actually sits on the top of the brake lever and needs very little room.

I think that de100kb has his on an S model and apparently had no issues.
 
#21 ·
Ataman:

No, they are the same. I ordered a set because I assumed that I would destroy the head of at least one getting it out. That didn't happen so now I have an extra set.
 
#23 ·
Thanks to de100's initial posting on this mod, I went straight out and fitted the K1200 reservoir - it certainly looks better and is less intrusive.
until he got the reply explaining the high reservoir was chosen because the marketing department had tested several setups on a German panel and the panel liked the high mounted version best
Dunno about this, and I've had no probs whatsoever over several hundred miles since the mod; however, I did notice a distinct high-frequency vibe on the reservoir at high cruising speeds; the OE reservoir has a different cap (although identical externally) which incorporates a metal weight. I couldn't help thinking that this, along with the rubber mountings, is designed to absorb that vibration. By the way, don't (as I did) put the OE cap on the new reservoir in an effort to damp vibes; it looks OK but spews fluid everywhere once you get up to speed and the vibes intensify [eek]!
Whatever. Nice mod though, and I will be keeping it. Thanks again de100.
 
#25 ·
All thanks should go to Van Harten BMW Amersfoort because that is where it originates from.

And I think the original mounting does allow even much more vibes so it's probably not an issue. Also no owner with the mod has reported anything negative so I think you can ease your mind. Have fun riding it!
 
#26 ·
Would it work to just change the fluid reservoir to a lower profile rectangular (black with a transparent top) container that would blend in better? I'm a little intimidated by the process of moving it as described, though if I have to I will. It's a great idea for sure.
 
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