missing lock nut

[Chaz646]

Hello
Riding home today a tapping noise started about 2miles from home, after removing the rocker cover I noticed the tappet locknut was missing from the upper adjuster, exhaust side.. The nut has probably disappeared down the camchain tunnel. Will the nut settle in the bottom of the sump or will I have to strip the motor. Thanks

 

[Bendy toy]

If there is no sign of trouble its probably sitting happily in the sump. Once there it wont do any harm.

 

[JayC]

I would be asking myself is it meant to be loose and free in the engine/sump?

No!

The only safe outcome and certainty is to look for it and remove it.

It's very easy for a non-owner of your bike to suggest it will be ok but he/she won't be footing the bill if it all goes tittie side up!

 

[Ian J Hartley]

If your going to leave it there. I would make sure you never drop your bike with the engine running.

 

[Mr K]

Well, you're not going to ride it with a tappet free to adjust itself at random.

Drain the oils and see if it's attached itself to the magnetic sump plug.

If not remove the sump...... if it's not there... you'll need be taking more bits off.

 

[Chaz646]

I will have to take a chance, I dont fancy dropping the engine out. Pity they dont have a sump cover.

 

[Mr K]

I will have to take a chance, I dont fancy dropping the engine out. Pity they dont have a sump cover.

Do you fancy the engine exploding?

 

[Chaz646]

Mr K, my drain plug isn't magnetic , and there isnt a sump plate. I might get a magnetic plug and run it around a bit.

 

[JayC]

I will have to take a chance, I dont fancy dropping the engine out. Pity they dont have a sump cover.

So the point of the OP was?

 

[Pukmeister]

Know anybody with an endoscope ??

 

[Chaz646]

The reason for my original post was I was kind of hoping someone had encountered the same problem. Endascope could be an option. thanks

 

[Bendy toy]

Clearly, a loose nut should not be lying in the sump, but what can it do if it is in there?

Get sucked into the oil pump? Unlikely as they have strainer screens

Get jammed into the crank? Into what exactly? The moving parts will push anything aside and they spin above the oil level.

Get trapped in the cam chain? Unlikely, it runs around the crank above the oil level.

If the bike falls over with the engine running the nut has to get through the oil and into somewhere harmful in the few seconds before the engine is turned off. Leave it running on its side and the oil pump will run dry so it wont matter anyway.

It could be anywhere but as the engine has run fine since the nut fell off, so its probably not doing any harm.

There is a simple choice:
Take a chance
or
Strip the entire engine until the lost part turns up

 

[Chaz646]

Thanks Bendy, Im going to take a chance. If something nasty goes wrong I'll have to strip the motor anyway. I'll probably be hearing all kinds of funny noises the first few weeks of riding around. I will have to order a new locknut tomorow I think its a special nut (fine thread).

 

[Pukmeister]

Don't lose any sleep over it. As a marine engineer in a former life, I used to find all sorts in the sumps of large Diesel engines including the odd spanner or large socket. None of them ever had a problem because of it. I'm sure your engine will be fine, if it was going to fail I reckon it would have happened already.

I would be more concerned with the tightness/condition of the other locknuts and the valve clearances.

 

[Bendy toy]

Its an excuse to buy the fibre optic bendy inspection camera from Lidl.

A question to the proper mechanics -
Is it appropriate to use a threadlock adhesive on tappets? Oil tolerant varieties exist but I dont know if they would cause more trouble than they solve.