Camshaft chain guide rail bolt: Help!

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ruddy
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Camshaft chain guide rail bolt: Help!

Post by ruddy »

I pulled a major stupid and mistakenly removed this bolt from the left cylinder. Is there any way to screw it back in with having to pull the head? ](*,)
Rick
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CycleRob
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Re: Camshaft chain guide rail bolt: Help!

Post by CycleRob »

Ruddy,
You won't have to remove the head, but removing the cam chain tensioner assembly (the Aluminum bolt head) should provide enough chain slack for you to locate the chain rail's end hole with various small tools. Try rotating the crankshaft bolt slowly with a 16mm wrench until the chain run gets loose enough to relocate the chain rail end hole. You may have to turn the engine slowly to visually find the point where the opening intake valve spring pressing on a cam lobe opening ramp will move all the chain slack onto the span where the tensioner rail is. Then with someone restraining the crankshaft bolt with the boxwrench, loosen the cam sprocket bolt. If that loosens the crankshaft bolt, you'll need the inexpensive BMW plastic flywheel tooth locking piece to hold in place.
If that fails, then remove the cam sprocket bolt to fully loosen up the chain. Loosening the cam sprocket bolt with a socket wrench is difficult as it is really tight and you must not use an impact wrench as the rapid-powerful shock loads could, and has, broken the plastic chain rail !! My `02 R1150R needed a 1/2" breaker bar to loosen that bolt, the scariest part of the whole head removal decarbonization job.

Check your PM inbox for my contact info, but use this corrected/expaned info.
Last edited by CycleRob on Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Camshaft chain guide rail bolt: Help!

Post by BadToTheBown »

All you need off is the valve cover to access enough to put it back in. The end of the chain guide goes all the way through the cylinder and the end should protrude into the head where you can reach it, a flash light should enable you to see it and use a screw driver to lift it up enough to put the tensioner bolt back in, I cannot remember if a straight shaft screwdriver fits straight in, a bend to it may be necessary...the tensioner comes spring loaded (oil pressure also provide further tensioner pressure (resulting in more chain tension), if you can't lift it with a screw driver, you may have to back out the tensioner to give you enough slack...just don't forget the sealing washer on the bolt you're putting back in before you put it in...best of luck...
2014 Ducati Hyperstrada (HyperProject)
2005 BMW R1150sR Project Tourer
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ruddy
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Re: Camshaft chain guide rail bolt: Help!

Post by ruddy »

Thanks to both of you for responding to my plea. Removing the valve cover did allow me to insert a fairly long blade-type screwdriver to lift the guide enough to insert the bolt. All is well. =D>
Rick
2003 R1150R: Silver
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BadToTheBown
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Re: Camshaft chain guide rail bolt: Help!

Post by BadToTheBown »

Congrats, glad it worked out...I need to get back to my project, water damaged RV repair is delaying my return...
2014 Ducati Hyperstrada (HyperProject)
2005 BMW R1150sR Project Tourer
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