Hissing tappet cover

[Intrepid Ken]

I live in Hong Kong and am soon to shift to Perth, Australia. To import a bike into AUS is not easy, one issue is that the bike must be spotlessly clean. This is not easy as I've just finished a trip in Western China where it got a little dirty .

My Expat solution was easy, pay some guy from the Mainland to clean the bike.

I've just ridden my R100 GS home and when I stopped the motor I could clearly a hear hissing noise coming from the right-hand tappet cover. It was stilling like a steam train a few minutes later. I couldn't see anything. The ride home took about 10 minutes, so the engine had no water sitting near the spark plug.

Does anyone have any thoughts what it could be. Why would there be pressure behind a tappet cover. I've checked the exhaust pipe, it wasn't full of water. The oil is clean and shows no signs of water. Could my skilled cleaner put a high pressure hose where he shouldn't have.

Should I take to BMW to check? Should I ride it. Is a tappet sticking?

 

[Kenny]

He probably used a pressure hose on the engine..can force water behind the rocker covers...sounds like its sorted itself out now

Repeat after me, Never use a pressure hose on a motorbike

 

[BillN]

Repeat after me, Never use a pressure hose on a motorbike

Kenny, I always have...........but I do try to be careful and I always dry my Bikes with an airline afterward, (the £100 compresser type).

Same goes with cars

 

[Voyager]

I had a rocker gasket become distorted and a small section bowed inwards, allowing crankcase pressure to 'chuff' through the hole.

I wasn't getting any oil spray out of it but I could hear it when the bike was running.

I put a new gasket in and it has been fine since.

I don't use a pressure washer and don't know what caused the problem. The gasket wasn't broken and the rocker cover wasn't loose.

It sounds as though you have something similar.

Bob.