Today while working on this project http://k100rt.aforumfree.com/t4600-k75-main-wiring-harness-compatibility I did something very stupid. I had the 3 injectors hanging off the rail into a large pan to check for spray. Turned out they're plugged and the pump pressure popped 1 or 2 out of the rail, instantly sucked the vapors in through the ports and ignited the whole left side of engine and floor. I was unbelievably lucky today: no injuries and no damage (except for some melted harness tape).

Literally, only one thing kept me from losing my house: a dry chemical fire extinguisher close by. This is embarrassing for me to post that this happened, I thought I knew better. FWIW: If you work on you own machines please make sure you keep a charged ABC extinguisher close by!

That would be funny Weez, if the same thing didn't happen to me.
I don't think mine was as spectacular as yours, but still a silly mistake.
rossco

Everybody makes stupid mistakes like yours. and it's good to talk about it. At least we know what NOT TO DO.
Very good advise about keeping an extinguisher in your workshop.
I also have a 100 feet water hose permanently hooked on a tap. In case of fire in the workshop or the house, I can deploy it quickly. This is a cheap insurance.

CF

The good news is you are ok.
You have just convinced me to get another one and keep it near my bike. I have them around the work sheds but not near the bike.
Tks for the tip.

yes , totally agree. Life can take a turn in the blink of an eye, ALWAYS there should be a fire extinguisher if there is any possibility of fire, always a first aid kit in the car and on the bike , always a big stick beside the door and another beside my bed, all the gear all the time.
Glad it was only embarrassing for you weez.

Crazy Frog wrote:Everybody makes stupid mistakes like yours. and it's good to talk about it. At least we know what NOT TO DO.
Very good advise about keeping an extinguisher in your workshop.
I also have a 100 feet water hose permanently hooked on a tap. In case of fire in the workshop or the house, I can deploy it quickly. This is a cheap insurance.

CF

CF, 'stupid' is such a harsh word. "Minor errors" would be more palatable. But maybe I'm just overly sensitive to this topic....

Thank you for posting , never had to use one , but when I first built my shop a friend gave me four fire extinguishers, he was a call fireman for fourty years, I've come close, though, thanks again for reminding us.
Brian

club_c wrote:

Crazy Frog wrote:Everybody makes stupid mistakes like yours. and it's good to talk about it. At least we know what NOT TO DO.
Very good advise about keeping an extinguisher in your workshop.
I also have a 100 feet water hose permanently hooked on a tap. In case of fire in the workshop or the house, I can deploy it quickly. This is a cheap insurance.

CF

CF, 'stupid' is such a harsh word. "Minor errors" would be more palatable. But maybe I'm just overly sensitive to this topic....

Oh I think that is just about what all of us would think as it unfolds before your eyes Oh no what the F and how stoopid is that and I just did it as you are grabbing for the extinguisher and spraying it down.
Yes I have done almost that and fortunately don't have any scars where the burns were. It is just so easy to have it happen and the smart thing is there was a fire extinguisher there for the time that it does happen and Wees didn't have the attitude that many do which is "I am smart so it wont happen to me".

Thanks everyone! Later, after I changed my underwear;-), I realized the full magnitude of other possible outcomes to this incident. My brother and/or I could've been severely burned. Not only could I have lost my house I think my homeowners insurance would've been justified in denying coverage. I was doing this in my basement because this is going to be an over the winter project.

Henceforth I resolve that if I ever do any pressurized fuel system testing again I'll take the extra couple of minutes to roll the bike out to my driveway AND I'll plug those ports with some old injectors I have around! ALL gasoline is now up in my shed.

For a split second while I was cranking the starter I did get a brief attempt by a cylinder at internal combustion, it was pulling it's mixture through the injector ports(!) then I had .....external combustion

I was thinking of you Wess while I was tinkering with mine yesterday.

Hmmm..............could be a good idea to check the fire extinguisher in the shed.

Good that it was no harm done, .....just a wake up for forum members.....
myself included....which could be the positive side of the story.

One thing I found a few years ago was to give the dry powder types a good shake up every year or so as the powder settles and doesn't all come out when you pull the trigger. It applies more to extinguishers in cars and boats.
I had one in my power/fishing boat and when I went to use it only about half the powder came out and the guy whose car I used it on said give it a shake and hit it with your hand when upsidedown and try again and I got as much powder again and managed to put the fire out on the second attempt.

Gets reminders from my insurance company every now and then......
once a year, turn it upside down...
and give it a firm nock, so all the powder drops down.

Strewth its time to mount mine in an easy access possi then

Got the cleaned injectors back, put them in, connected and tightened all the fuel lines. After some cranking it started, coughed up a few hairballs and blew out some black exhaust smoke but ...INTERNAL combustion this time! I wanted to prove the electronics etc. on the 325K bike are OK because I may need to use some of them with the 7K engine I'm swapping to. I have to say though that, judging by the way it runs, it's hard to believe it has that many miles on it and then sat neglected for 5 years. Once it warmed up and cleared out it settled into a perfect idle. Almost made me feel bad to be retiring it, well mainly the engine/drive that is, ..so many priceless memories on that bike!

Have to ask, as a guy with only 85,000 KMs on a Brick how long can they go till they are unrideable?...

300,000KM's is a huge figure especially if you compare the distance most other bikes travel before they are pensioned off.

Cheers JK

There is a K in US that has done more than 1 million miles. I think it was on BMWMOA that I saw reference to it being at their annual rally.
I know of a K100 here in Oz that has over 400,000klm on it. I saw it at a rally in Mt Gambier.

Yes Rick is correct, a friend that lives in Colorado saw a K100 at the Top Of The Rockies rally a year or two back and it had over a million miles on it. He said it looked like it had been to hell and back but it was still clocking up the miles. So weez at 325,000 miles yours might be just run in!

Ainsjac's red one has 400,000km I believe.

It's a bit of a tough decision. On one hand I would like to continue running it but, in order for me to have confidence in reliability, I feel a chassis and injection harness replacement is prudent.There's some misc. broken connectors etc. and some sections of wire feel very stiff and possibly brittle. I have bought both from eBay parts sellers and they are coming. Another issue is that the frame is in bad need of painting. Some areas of rust are visible and it generally looks like crap. Splines are at about 50%. Since I'm going through the work of taking everything off the frame for painting, replacing harnesses and have a 1988 engine/drive w/6500 miles I concluded I might as well just put that in now and be done with it. So what to do with a K75 engine/drive assembly w/325K? Maybe soda blast, shellac and use as an artsy coffee table base

take the guts out of it wes ...store them in an oiled container and covered with oily rags etc ...should last years and years ...paint the cases with the guts removed ..should get it back to a few killos then you can nail it to the wall for arts sake ?

ill bet you find all the internals still within spec ...just the rubber stuff and plastics will be the issues

Hmmm a K75 with no more use, pull it apart you say, Hmmm now we just happen to know that those 11:1 pistons are sort after dont we. Personally i would hook it up to a generator and show it off.

oh crap keith !.....shhhhhhh were wearing him down and he will soon feel obliged to sell them cheep to us blokes out in the antipodies ...\now we lost the surprise attack ....bugga !

its all good wez ...just some weird aussie humor ,,,grin !

but if you ever do decide to part out the bits ..like pistons , rings and connecting rods .....please remember us ...

grovel ......giggle