My pic above is of the front main bearing housing. The protrusion you can see in the inner circular section is where the dowel locates. As the dowel had fallen out and the bearing had rotated, you can see in the pic that the protrusion no longer lines up with the hole in the bearing into which the dowel would have originally fitted. So the diagnosis of this problem is that a) you find a dowel in the sump (not in the clutch housing) and b) the hole in the main bearing doesn't line up with the housing for the dowel any more (if it does line up but there is no dowel, you have been lucky and you should replace it). Symptoms will include anything that can be caused by oil starvation on the high pressure oil circuit. The starvation happens because as the bearing rotates it also ceases to line up with the various drilled oilways in the housing.
Found in my sump
- Thread starter Roger Chatterton
- Start date
My pic above is of the front main bearing housing. The protrusion you can see in the inner circular section is where the dowel locates. As the dowel had fallen out and the bearing had rotated, you can see in the pic that the protrusion no longer lines up with the hole in the bearing into which the dowel would have originally fitted. So the diagnosis of this problem is that a) you find a dowel in the sump (not in the clutch housing) and b) the hole in the main bearing doesn't line up with the housing for the dowel any more (if it does line up but there is no dowel, you have been lucky and you should replace it). Symptoms will include anything that can be caused by oil starvation on the high pressure oil circuit. The starvation happens because as the bearing rotates it also ceases to line up with the various drilled oilways in the housing.
Having re-read some of my thread, I realise I never posted back any findings etc.
Steve Scriminger was, somehow , able to install a new locating pin, and peen the pin in place without the need pf a full engine removal, and apparently timing chain etc was all OK, so that was a relief! According to Steve, he has seen this problem many times before, and that it just goes to show that this job of securing/peening the locating pin in place was not always performed as well as it could have been by BMW on the production line. Hope that this problem is now resolved. Must admit that I have not removed the sump again to check !
Whilst I am here, I must also mention the dangerous subject of OIL !!! Steve swears by using 10w-50 oil, as this is not so thick , and with the high oil pressure with cold oil at start-up, 10w-50 solves the problem of this high initial pressure. However, 10w-50 oil, non-synthetic is hard to come by, so 15w - 50 might have to be found. I raise this thorny topic of "what Oil" knowing that there may well be a whole torrent of opinions on this. I'll risk it !
So, many miles since the work above and bike is running well. My suggestion is, for what it is worth, - if you find a loose pin in your sump, get it sorted at the earliest opportunity; I was very lucky and did not suffer ant major consequences .......!
Steve Scriminger was, somehow , able to install a new locating pin, and peen the pin in place without the need pf a full engine removal, and apparently timing chain etc was all OK, so that was a relief! According to Steve, he has seen this problem many times before, and that it just goes to show that this job of securing/peening the locating pin in place was not always performed as well as it could have been by BMW on the production line. Hope that this problem is now resolved. Must admit that I have not removed the sump again to check !
Whilst I am here, I must also mention the dangerous subject of OIL !!! Steve swears by using 10w-50 oil, as this is not so thick , and with the high oil pressure with cold oil at start-up, 10w-50 solves the problem of this high initial pressure. However, 10w-50 oil, non-synthetic is hard to come by, so 15w - 50 might have to be found. I raise this thorny topic of "what Oil" knowing that there may well be a whole torrent of opinions on this. I'll risk it !
So, many miles since the work above and bike is running well. My suggestion is, for what it is worth, - if you find a loose pin in your sump, get it sorted at the earliest opportunity; I was very lucky and did not suffer ant major consequences .......!
Morrison oils will deliver their excellent "golden film" oil in any quantity you want.
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