Driving with no timing chain tensioner

[michaelo]

I have just returned to Ireland from a 16 month trip around Africa with my 2002 1150GS adv , in Holland I noticed a sever rattling sound from left cylinder, took of the valve cover and looked in and found that both timing chain guides were absent presumably worn away and the tensioner itself must have fallen into the body of the cylinder, discussed the issue with BMW dealer and they suggest complete engine strip down to replace the guides and tensioner, mucho $'s but I decided to continue driving. I'm in Ireland now and almost home with a very noisy engine a few more km to go and hopefully I won't snap the chain before I get home. I'm planing to strip the engine myself - does anyone have any suggestions on the best repair manual to use for this job and where I can buy the such a manual or has anyone done a complete engine rebuild? -thanks Mike

 

[(RIP) Bin Ridin]

You can download the manual, do search here for link.

You have had a lucky ride home, go and buy a few lotto tickets while you are on the roll.

Jaysus!

BTW, take the chain tensioner out first, it is under the telelever pivot LHS. You can rotate the LH throttle body to get it out, don't touch the telelever or anything else. It MIGHT be only a busted spring. new one has no spring.

Search camchain tensioner, it is Sunday so you might get through it all in time for bed.

Bin

 

[DrFarkoff]

Bit of a bitch to do!

You have to remove the gearbox and in reality the cylinder and head

it would probably be better to do it on a workbench

I would say they didn;t wear way they became brittle and shattered so most of it will be lying in the sump for you to poke out

There's a big bolt dead centre under the flywheel that holds the centre of them

Wanna Swop for a Grrrrrrr to Get ya Home??

 

[Decster]

Welcome home

Sounds like a fantastic trip.

Hope you have the time to post up a trap report with some pics.

Do a search the manuals are downloadable, normally as pdf's. Their might be a link on here so start with a search here..otherwise google.

Goodluck and keep us informed of what you find with your engine and how you sort it...will be no doubt handy for others..

 

[fundura]

I think it's possible to replace tensioner guides,without complete stripdown
Hopefully,Sir Steptoe will be along to calm your fears

 

[DrFarkoff]

I think it's possible to replace tensioner guides,without complete stripdown

Yep I hope I'm wrong too But I don;t think so!

I wonder how he'd get the centre bolt out below the flywheel to get the guides out? Check grahic above for the guide layout

Never had to do the job yet but ,,,,

Yo "michaelo" I can take you pics of what the guides should look like I have an R1100S engine with the barrels off if you want a look

 

[Pekkavee]

- does anyone have any suggestions on the best repair manual to use for this job and where I can buy the such a manual or has anyone done a complete engine rebuild? -thanks Mike

You can download a repair manual from here
http://ursa.irk.ru/manual/

Pekka

 

[Steptoe]

I think it's possible to replace tensioner guides,without complete stripdown
Hopefully,Sir Steptoe will be along to calm your fears

Doing it by the book means splitting the engine in half vertically .

But there is a much, much simpler method in comparasion. Which just requires the heads and barrels to be removed and the use of a small file. ( thats all i can divulge, the rest is trade secret )

 

[davegs]

Tension

Not amusing.

 

[Deleted member CB]

Mike,
There was a thread on "ADVrider" (ask there, you'll get more help) telling how someone had done it without splitting the cases-
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=360342&highlight=chain+tensioner
The text has now been deleted.

The general gist was to carefully file the hole in the end of the blade open to make a "U" shape so it can simply be pushed into the case over the difficult to remove stud.
The bloke reckons parts of broken blade were still in the sump but caused no problems.

 

[michaelo]

many thanks for all the replies - yeah the bike has been through a lot in Africa, when i first noticed the noise from the cam chain I wen't to a BMW shop and bought a new tensioner, removed the cap screw on the L.H side and went looking for the tensioner itself but none was found! put in the new tensioner into the hole just to see if it fits and plop it fell straight into the engine to join the origional one which was lying down there somewhere, took off the valve cover to have a look and the I see that both chain guides are missing! nice eh? that was in Holland on the way back, BMW mechanics said that it requires engine tear down so I continued riding it to Ireland, So far so good, going to Joe Duffy BMW Dublin tomorrow to get new chain and guides the down to Kerry after that, and put the engine on the bench for a strip down, thought about the filing option to push on the upper tensioner guide but I going to park the bike up for a while so I wouldn't mind doing an engine strip down. Hopefully I can make it all the way to Kerry without a final meltdown just a few km's from home, it would be embarrasing to make it all the way around Africa to end up pushing the bike the last few km to home. I'll post some pics from my africa trip if anyone is interested. Thks -Mike

 

[davegs]

Tensioner

Mike,
There was a thread on "ADVrider" (ask there, you'll get more help) telling how someone had done it without splitting the cases-
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=360342&highlight=chain+tensioner
The text has now been deleted.

The general gist was to carefully file the hole in the end of the blade open to make a "U" shape so it can simply be pushed into the case over the difficult to remove stud.
The bloke reckons parts of broken blade were still in the sump but caused no problems.

That sounds a good idea but where do these things break? (not happened yet but just in case!) the end would have had to break off otherwise it will not work. Good luck on your final run!.
Dave GS.