Tick/knock from lh pot

[Jaws]

Hiya peeps.. bit of a newby to BMW,s so please be gentle with me

The 1150 I have just bought has a really interesting ( !! ) sound coming from the left cylinder head.. The bike is low mileage at 28k

It is not quite a knock but worse ( to my ears ) than a tappet would make.

Previous owner took it to a BMW agent who listened, listened some more, declared he had no idea what it was and not to worry about it !

It is bloody loud at tickover but seems to diminish as the revs rise ( though it could just be being masked by the other engine noises )

If I get it good and hot and take the revs up to about 4k, then let it drop back to tickover, the noise is very def a knock for a few seconds..

Using the old 'stick a blunt stick in your ear as a stethoscope' malarky, the noise SEEMS to be coming from the rocker chest .. it is certainly louder there than at the CCT..
Oh and as it gets hotter it gets worse.. When cold there is barely a sound from it
It is almost as if the rocker assembly is suffering oil starvatiion but looking at the exploded diagrame I cannot really see too much that would make a knocking noise in there ??

Sooo.. what do you folk reckon ?

 

[Pukmeister]

Oil pressure drops as the oil gets hotter. The oil could also be past its best and may be 10W40 grade. Bear in mind that these engines are pretty agricultural, especially if you are used to a Japanese 4 cylinder machine.

Try changing the oil for a quality 20W50 grade (which BMW now recommend on Boxer engines) and see if it improves the noise before you shell out on spannering.

You could always check your rocker endfloat and valve clearances and reset them if necessary, an easy enough spanner job for a half-competent home mechanic.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81408

 

[Noddy]

Cam chain tensioner

 

[Welshman]

Sounds like it needs the Left Hand Cam Chain Tensioner fix. Nothing dramatic but sounds better afterwards, varying results on different bikes.

Welsh

 

[paddy dougan]

Wot John, no more birdie??

Hi John,
have you moved over to the darkside?
Didn't know you were an admirer of all things agricultural??

cheers,
P.

 

[shready]

Cam chain tensioner

I thought that too, does that mean I know what I'm talking about?

PLEASE DON'T ANSWER THAT

 

[Jaws]

As Noddy is someone I have known for errrrr well a long time, I have noted his suggestion.. And as I have known him for so long also know that I should ignore it and try something else ! LOL!!

Seriously, big thanks to the Nodding one for casting an ear and passing on advise.. Your wise words have been taken on board and a CCT is on the way to me..

Will also do an oil change ( got 10 filters on to this weeks order ) and if that does not cure it will check out end float and valve clearences..

However......
I have been looking at the cheat sheets this evening..
I have a sneaky feeling that it COULD get nasty ...
Noddy has made another good suggestion and if that does not check out then I have a feeling is COULD be a knackered rocker shaft carrier.. Ok, still far from the end of the world but suspect it aint gonna be a cheap fix if it does turn out to be that,,
Only time and a wee bit of spannering will tell

Paddy, diversity is what makes the world go round mate ! !
Only trouble is I have three Blackbirds to get shot of now !!!!!

 

[Steptoe]

Why don't you first check the valve clearences before getting your knickers in a twist.

 

[Speggo]

Try changing the oil for a quality 20W50 grade (which BMW now recommend on Boxer engines) and see if it improves the noise before you shell out on spannering.

l]

Is that right? What oil should I put in my 1150GSA?

 

[Runt]

I have a feeling its gonna be the same as the other 1150 engines and a 20W/50 IS recommended in the book.

 

[Noddy]

Is that right? What oil should I put in my 1150GSA

I can help you here Spegs I have about three gallons of what I call gloop left in a 5 gallon drum.

Ita a mixture of the following, red diesel, waste engine oil, old two stroke oil, hydraulik (jack) stuff. atf, old brake fluid, power steering stuff, flat petrol, the old veg oil from the fish frier, half a tin of Castrol R and just a drizzle of creosote for that nice country smell.

Do ya ? Should do ! its been keeping my sheds woodwork waterproof for years

 

[Jaws]

Why don't you first check the valve clearences before getting your knickers in a twist.

Cos generally valve clearences do not change from moment to moment !

Still, must admit that it is SO nice to be able to just check and adjust them in a few minutes.. Just finished doing a customers Blackbird clearences.. 3 bloody hours !

 

[Steptoe]

Worth a try looking at the pushrods.


Previously posted on here. The ends can work loose and rattle when hot.

BMW have changed the design.

What causes the noise. And it's not obvious just by looking, they really need to be hot before the play shows

Thanks to whoever originally posted the pictures


The new type

 

[Jaws]

Cheers Steptoe..
order of play I am reckoning on:
Change CCT ( if it ever gets here ! )
Oil and filter change
Check tappets and end float
Check push rods
Check rocker shaft and load faces

And someone came up with a new one today..
He has had a couple of pistons go on him.. Apparently the gudeon pin hole elongated and that caused a similar noise.. But I am fairly convinced the knock is not as low as the cylinder..

Hopefully the CCT will arrive tomorrow and I can get down to some looking rather than guessing !

 

[Jaws]

Ok ok.. so I am a pessimist !
The CCT arrived today.. So got the days work out of the way and wheeled the gs into the work station ( read garage driveway )

Sump off.. ( weird screws at the front holding them on aint there ) sumpl plug out, oil filter out.. let drain.

Left hand injector body out of the way ( Deed right Noddy.. piece of wee .. like the way the velocity tube slides out of the way.. ) and 20 minutes fiddling got the new CCT in place ( thought I was in the doo doo at one point as could not get the old plunger out for a wee while ! )

Oild filter back in, sump plug back in.. 4 litres of oil in..

DOH !!!!

a bit drained back out again

Fired it up..
silence
Went for a few mile run
Silence..

Bloody top notch !!
So all you clever sods out there who dived straight at the CCT I think you can take a bow
Big up to one and all for all the input and help to this newby

 

[sk8mutie]

hi jaws, had what i thought was excessive noise from cylinder head, but got down close when bike just started and not too hot, and traced it back to worn throttle body spindle bearings...put my finger round the back of the throttle body and applied a bit of pressure and the noise stopped.

they arent greased from build, so after about 20-24k, they develop excessive play, and rattle in time with intake valves opening...just a thought.

 

[Noddy]

I thought that too, does that mean I know what I'm talking about?/QUOTE]

First test passed

Get your nose back in the book, the next one has even more red herrings