BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Lately I noticed that on hot days at very slow traffic speed until complete stop I hear this clunk noise like (tatatata...).
Then when I stop and acclerate again the sounds dissapears.
Sometimes when I rump up the RPM the noise dissapears as well.
This noise only happens on hot conditions, never on cold engine temperature. At first I thought that the drive shaft U joint is gone...but if this is the case shouldn't I hear this noise at all times.

Robbie could explain this better if he were around. I think he's in the process of moving. But it has to do with the cam chain tensioner and oil...and I've been told it is perfectly normal. And I ceratinly hope so because mine has done it for 40,000 miles now.

Mine sometimes sounds like it's ready to self-destruct it has that much clatter and clunking from the engine. Only when hot. Only when slowing to a stop. Mainly in traffic. Goes away with a blip of the throttle. Not all the time. Seems normal (so I'm told) and I've heard other oilheads making the same noises as well, so it's no big deal.

Gets some funny looks from the can drivers beside you though when you pull up with an engine that sounds terrible for a few seconds. I think it's a momentary loss of noise damping by the oil (NOT a loss of lubrication) around the tensioner. Where are the experts on this please?

This baby will take care of your problems. It is the new left cam chain tensioner.

Don't really care if this noise is normal, I just want it to go away
Is this BMW original part? Should I contact the local BMW dealership and schedule an appointment?
How much for the parts and labor?
many thanks, Momo

More info:

http://www.advrider.com/Wisdom/cam.pdf

Should we all be switching it out? What about the guys with the 2004/05 model, does that have the new piece?

Gene

Nah, unless of course it really bothers you. I've got about 32K on mine and its only done it a few times. Knowing why it occurs and no damage is being done, I don't intend to go there.

Momo wrote:Don't really care if this noise is normal, I just want it to go away

-A Ducati dealer wanted to change my rod bearings.
-The guy living across the street from me thought my engine was about to self-destruct.
-Buying a new tensioner was the best money I ever spent on this bike.

Momo wrote:Is this BMW original part?

Yes. Some people spent $250 for the previous version of this enhanced cam chain tensioner. The one pictured above is, I believe, less than $50 or so.

Momo wrote: Should I contact the local BMW dealership and schedule an appointment?

You should do it yourself, but a good dealership might do it under warranty.

Sounds to me like Rocker Arm end play. Read the article linked below and check yours.

http://advwisdom.hogranch.com/Wisdom/OREPADv1.0.pdf

gel9001 wrote:Should we all be switching it out? What about the guys with the 2004/05 model, does that have the new piece?

Gene

Does anyone know if this is an issue for the 2004?

HiOSilver wrote:Does anyone know if this is an issue for the 2004?

All RRs come with the same LCCT with the factory. Some are noisy but most are not. If you have no noises that bother bother you, you should leave the tensioner alone. The enhanced LCCT shown in the picture above fits all 1150 and 1200 engines (and, I think, the 1100 ones), but it doesn't come standard on any of them.

Last night I installed my new cam chain tensioner for the left cylinder. Got it from Max BMW for $60 (free shipping). This is the two-piece updated version from the Hexheads, and replaces our three-piece Oilhead version. It's a direct replacement and drops right in. I've been reading owners' reports of this with great interest over on Advrider.com, and decided to take the plunge myself.

I had been noticing lately how much slapping sound there seemed to be present after the motor had fully warmed up, so I decided to try this, and all I can say is that it was well worth it! The motor sounds quieter and tighter, whether it's cold or fully warm. I can now hear the valves and rocker arms ticking away when I'm rolling along slowly in first gear with my helmet on. The swap has improved driveability as well. It's hunting/surging less, the on-off throttle transition is smoother, and the motor vibrates less. With the old tensioner and the slapping chain, I think the motor was suffering from a bit of inadvertent variable valve timing on the left side!

I found the how-to instructions in the Wisdom section on Advrider a bit involved, so all I did was:

- loosen the two intake runner clamps
- push the intake runner back
- loosen the rubber intake manifold clamp
- pull the throttle body out with everything still attached
- loosen the throttle body vacuum line from its stay
- suspend the throttle body a bit out of the way with some wire
- remove the old cam chain tensioner
- oil the new tensioner up a bit, assemble it, and drop it in
- reassemble everything
- check throttle cable seating and operation

The torque value is 32Nm if you can fit a torque wrench in there. Here are the part numbers:

11 31 7 688 629 - cylinder, left
11 31 7 656 922 - piston, left
07 11 9 963 308 - gasket ring, or crush washer (A18X22-CU)

If your Roadster is "slapping away", I highly recommend this swap!

Captain, how many miles do you have on the clock? and at what mileage did you first notice the problem? Cheers Simon.

Thanks Captain. I'm also tired of all the noises and am planning on this update as my winter project this season. This helps inspire me to move on it. I have 42K on my bike and I think it's time.

I just placed my order from Chicago BMW. Total cost with shipping-$53

Simon D wrote:Captain, how many miles do you have on the clock, and at what mileage did you first notice the problem? Cheers Simon.

I have around 22,500 miles on her, and I started noticing it in earnest this summer when she passed the 20K mark.

I guess that I haven't been following this list as closely as I should, because the cam-chain tensioner issue is new to me. Is this like the input shaft splines and rear drive problems that only affect a few machines (ahem), or is it more like the surging of the single-spark machines that affected most machines, but that most owners ignored?
peter '73 R75/5, '04 R1150RA (20K miles, what am I listening for?)

It's more like the surging. To my knowledge, only one Oilhead motor has failed because of a snapped cam chain on the left side. Needless to say, that particular GS motor needed some work afterwards. Most owners, however, can probably safely ignore this altogether and their motors won't fail them. It's mostly an aural issue, but there are side benefits as I've mentioned.

If your motor sounds different when fully warm compared with when it's cold, this swap is worth looking into. Listen for a slapping kind of sound at idle when the motor is up to operating temp.

Thanks a bunch for the info. I think this will be a winter project for me as well.

Capt., Thanks for the info and also for the concise instructions on how to replace the tensioner. I'll take out the earplugs and listen up.

BTW - I made a foray over to advrider and looked for a tensioner thread. I never found it, but I did get caught up in a long-running thread that was started by a new owner who had the temerity to criticize a few BMW engineering features. All I can say is that the BMW defenders on this list are models of decorum compared to the faithful on advrider.
peter '73 R75/5, '04 R1150RA