Cam chain slide rail failure on 2005 R1200GS

[Hemuli]

Hi all,

Yesterday I had cam chain slide failure over here in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
Oil warning light came on and strange sound from RH cylinder started 20km after the Argentinian border.
I pulled over turned off engine and opened cylinder head cover at the side of the road.

I found many broken plastic parts and a small piece of metal. More careful check revealed that cam chain guiding rail had shattered!
I got bike and myself to Rio Grande and later today I need to do a bit more careful check, but I guess also chain tensioner has failed.

Bike has already over 330 000km, so I guess this is the main cause for the failure. I am also wondering if the spring in tensioner failed and this caused chain to rattle and finally destroyed the guide rail.

Has anyone had this kind of failure before?

I have couple of options:
Option 1: Try to replace chain guide rail over here and keep my fingers crossed that nothing else has failed. Risk, if there is any material in the engine, it might cause catastrophic failure at any point.

Option 2: Fly the bike back to Germany, open the whole engine and do a proper rebuild.

Any suggestions / comments?

Br, Hemuli

 

[Bendy toy]

It's a costs v risk v benefit calculation.
New engine WILL be costly and WILL delay the journey. But with a new clutch you should solve all reliability issues. Then maybe replace gearbox as well.
Engine repairs will cost less but and what else could fail?
The broken parts will drop into the sump where they can't really do any harm. Loose cam chains can cause serious damage but you'd know by now if they were going to trash the engine.
There are no open gears and oil pump has a pick up strainer.
Repair presumably requires removal of the cylinder giving a good chance to clean out any broken parts.
The right side has failed so left side will be in a similar state of wear.
My instinct is to get the parts with new stretch bolts, gaskets etc to remove both cylinders and replace both cam chains and guides. Its a big job but a lot less cost than a new engine.
However only you know the life that engine has lived. Taking off the damaged cylinder may show enough to decide which option to take.

 

[Hemuli]

Just had closer look to the bike.
RH side tensioner was the original "old" type with 17mm head (upgraded one has 15mm head). Seems like the whole piston has disappeared (or at least worn so much that cannot get the tensioner cylinder out).
Slide rail has disappeared starting from the tensioner.

So, at the moment I think the only way to go forward is either split the engine or get replacement.
It is impossible to say what other damage there might be inside.

Spark plug looked totally normal and I did not see any damage from in the piston (view through spark plug hole).

 

[Bendy toy]

You should see more if you remove the cylinder, maybe both cylinders.
How old is clutch and gearbox how many more miles do you have planned?
220K kilometres is a good mileage for any bike engine but the GS is tough and should be repairable.
A full strip short of separating crankcase should tell you what you need to know.

 

[Hemuli]

You should see more if you remove the cylinder.maybe both cylinders.

Yes absolutely, but this Tierra del Fuego is not a place to start doing this (part availability is extremely poor and getting parts from Europe takes ages)...
Engine has already over 330 000km, so it might be good idea to open it and replace all bearings and guiding rails.

 

[patzx12]

Respect,
With that kind of km, its probably better to drop another engine into it.
There are some on ebay.de and also ebay.com
There are some on here with good knowledge of international shipping

 

[Hemuli]

Respect,
With that kind of km, its probably better to drop another engine into it.
There are some on ebay.de and also ebay.com
There are some on here with good knowledge of international shipping

That is valid possibility, but I cannot do it over here due to carnet (carnet has both engine and frame numbers). If these numbers do not match paperwork, I will loose around €3000

Another difficult thing is Argentina customs...

 

[Bendy toy]

At that odometer the engine has to be well worn. There are ways to make sure the numbers match

 

[DrFarkoff]

I think Get a chain guide and new tensioner fitted and get the hell out of Argentina

It owes you nothing now so ..............

"IF" it does fail as long as you can get back to a place of safety You are no worse off

as to getting debris out ? The guide rail is plastic and the balancer shaft has probably knocked the schit out of it

I would however spend some time with a magnet on a string trying to recover metal parts from in there!

 

[Bendy toy]

Repair was my first instinct tempered by the high mileage, but its not going anywhere as it is so pull off the cylinders and have a good look around. A Dr F says replace the broken bits and get the H away.
Replace cam chain tensioners, chain guides cam chains, and cylinder studs on both sides. Box it up and go. The snag will be if locating points machined into the parent metal have been worn away.

 

[Hemuli]

Not possible to fix it here in the middle of nowhere.
I am trying to organise transportation to Buenos Aires and fly my bike from there to Germany.
I do not want to do a "quick fix" because it can cause more problems quite soon (and getting parts over here could take a month).

I have not had any problems with people over here. Most amazing thing was when my bike broke down 60km from Rio Grande, I stopped one guy who then rode to this town, got me a towing truck and the truck driver did not take a single peso for getting me here! Once we found a hostel for me, he even gave me a hug!

Bikers are always welcome and people are willing to help them everywhere

 

[DrFarkoff]

Hemuli I am nearly sure there is a way to "snap" the chain guide into place without dismantling the motor

Surely it would be easier and cheaper to fly into the states?

San Jose BMW have a really good rep I am sure sgt Bilco has names of good Workshops too

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Do you need a contact for shipping Hemuli?

 

[Hemuli]

Do you need a contact for shipping Hemuli?

Thanks Sgt Bilco, I should get my bike to mainland on Friday Rio Gallegos and from there on a truck to BA (still waiting for their answer to my email).
In BA I will use Dakar motos to get my bike shipped to Germany.
Shame to end the trip like this, but need to start looking new challenges (like riding through Africa for a year or something similar )