Rattle rattle bang bang smoke and stop

[Tubbyt]

My much enjoyed 04 20k mile 1200GS expired yesterday having completed 200 miles of mid-Wales' finest roads at the top end of the rev-range ... I got a short warning of a rattle, followed very quickly by very very loud rattling and banging with HUGE clouds of smoke covering the poor bugger on the Fireblade behind me ... sounds like the valve-train has lunched itself in a fairly big way ....
Does anyone have any ideas of a non-franchised outfit in the Wiltshire area who may be able to repair it without main dealer labour rates ?

Gutted of Swindon !

 

[shugie]

My much enjoyed 04 20k mile 1200GS expired yesterday having completed 200 miles of mid-Wales' finest roads at the top end of the rev-range ... I got a short warning of a rattle, followed very quickly by very very loud rattling and banging with HUGE clouds of smoke covering the poor bugger on the Fireblade behind me ... sounds like the valve-train has lunched itself in a fairly big way ....
Does anyone have any ideas of a non-franchised outfit in the Wiltshire area who may be able to repair it without main dealer labour rates ?

Gutted of Swindon !

If it's been main dealer serviced, you might like to try for some goodwill from BMW. After all, if you don't ask you won't get.

How many miles?

 

[John Armstrong]

Wonder if it's another right-hand piston problem

 

[Tubbyt]

If it's been main dealer serviced, you might like to try for some goodwill from BMW. After all, if you don't ask you won't get.

How many miles?

20,000 miles, I bought it last year at 11,000 stuck 8k on it last year and barely used it this !
Was serviced by North Oxford's finest just on a thousand miles back ...

 

[gipsymagpie]

Same here

I would definitely try for some goodwill. I had the exact same failure on mine ('54 reg 20000k) a few months ago. It will be the right hand exhaust valve cracking. You'll need a new right hand cylinder, piston and associated bits. You will probably also need a need set of pipes due to oil contamination of the cat.

What I didn't say is I had an extended warranty....but the number of times this has happened and a full service history should get you a long way.

 

[Tubbyt]

I would definitely try for some goodwill. I had the exact same failure on mine ('54 reg 20000k) a few months ago. It will be the right hand exhaust valve cracking. You'll need a new right hand cylinder, piston and associated bits. You will probably also need a need set of pipes due to oil contamination of the cat.

What I didn't say is I had an extended warranty....but the number of times this has happened and a full service history should get you a long way.

I can safely say that mine is not the standard right side problem ... just took the cam cover off the right, and all looks fine ... but the left is a different story !
The main spark plug is a mashed up pile of scrap, the top inlet valve appears somewhat short and bent, and the exhaust cam has about 10mm of play on it ... I don't think there's going to be any good news any further in somehow !

 

[littleredrooster]

I can safely say that mine is not the standard right side problem ... just took the cam cover off the right, and all looks fine ... but the left is a different story !
The main spark plug is a mashed up pile of scrap, the top inlet valve appears somewhat short and bent, and the exhaust cam has about 10mm of play on it ... I don't think there's going to be any good news any further in somehow !

Ah! You've got the left-handed version, then.......

 

[Tubbyt]

I tried for goodwill, and was told that my 04 bike was "outside the age in which goodwill is offered"

So it looks like I will be doing the work myself !

Any recommendations as to the suitability of either the Haynes manual or the BMW repair manual for following for this work ? I'm expecting to need to replace at least the head, barrel and piston and all associated items ... I've not done this kind of thing for quite a few years now ... last full on rebuild was probably 25 years ago

 

[WindyChuffer]

Ooops. Hope you get sorted OK. Would be good if you could take some piccies of the work as you go along and post them here.

BTW - Go guns blazing for trade discount from BMW dealer for the bits. Don't pay retail !!!!

Oh, one more thing - I have a complete exhaust system (pipes, cat, can) in chrome I could tempted to sell. Never used as had Remus/Akra fitted to mine prior to collection when new.

 

[socket086]

had the same problem bits everywhere, it was a lot cheeper to change the complete engine than trying to get all the parts not to mention the work in pulling the motor apart to get all the bits of metal out. it was on my 04gs with only 35,000miles on it, got an engine with 45,000miles on it and it runs with less vibration than the old one.

 

[Mav]

had the same problem bits everywhere, it was a lot cheeper to change the complete engine than trying to get all the parts not to mention the work in pulling the motor apart to get all the bits of metal out. it was on my 04gs with only 35,000miles on it, got an engine with 45,000miles on it and it runs with less vibration than the old one.

I picked up my bike with 31k on it and it, surprisingly, has got smoother over the last 20k miles.

 

[Tubbyt]

Thanks for the suggestion about just swapping the whole engine out, I''ve been thinking about going that way myself ... where did you get the engine from ?
I've still not had the chance to start taking it apart yet ... partly down to time, and partly the thought of quite how much damage there may be is giving my wallet the shivers !! that and the fact that apparently a new boiler is more important than my new engine

 

[socket086]

went back through my stuff and could not find a number, but if you go into ebay and look up rcmawer you can email a guy called richard[the boss] he will have what you are looking for. I went for the engine with higher mph as it was cheeper got it for 600 bargin. I had started to price parts and it did not take long to know which way to go. Get the haynes book and you will have the job done in a weekendish.