BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Advrider has some disturbing individuals. I go there to get a few laughs, and the info can be of substance.

I prefer the civility of this board, and have refrained from ever posting on advrider.com.

much appreciated for the "low-down" on this simple fix. I ordered mine today for my Rockster.

My freind has an R1150RS (2003 single spark). I'm assuming that ANY oilhead can benifit? thanks!

elmosisu wrote:My friend has an R1150RS (2003 single spark). I'm assuming that ANY oilhead can benefit?

If it's making that noise, yes. I'm pretty sure that all Oilheads were manufactured with cam chain tensioners of the same, or at least very similar, design as our Roadsters.

It is my understanding that the original tensioners are an inefficient design. As they wear with mileage, they become unable to maintain sufficient pressure on the cam chain follower at operating temp (thinner oil viscosity), so the chain starts flapping around.

W








ye arent you chging the right cam tensioner also.

Why arent you changing the right cam tensioner also.

thanks

2004R 24,600mi.

Why arent you changing the right cam tensioner also.

There isn't one!

Boxer wrote:

Why arent you changing the right cam tensioner also.

There isn't one!

Hehe... actually, there is one. It's under the right cylinder. For some reason, that original-style tensioner works fine when it's "upside-down" like that, so I don't see a reason to replace it.

Hehe... actually, there is one. It's under the right cylinder.

Oh! Okay! Who'da thunk it? You learn something new every day. I've seen that change out at several different places and never did anyone mention one on the other side. I just assumed the ONE tensioner did it all!

Once again I get my money's worth on this board.

Captain,

Excellent post, you've inspired yet another comrade to do this winter project, sounds like fun as well. I'm not getting any new noises on my 04 with 12K miles, but with all the additional benefits that come with the swap out I think thats worth it.

I vote to promote the Captain to Admiral!

G

gel9001 wrote:I vote to promote the Captain to Admiral!

Too kind, far too kind!
But seriously, I'm just glad I'm able to give something back to the board. It sure has kept me entertained and informed for a long time.

More tips for this little project:

• - First of all: if your motor is running sweetly, and you can't imagine it being better, save your money for gas. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
  - You will need a 17mm wrench to remove the old tensioner, and a 15mm wrench to tighten the new one (if memory serves).
  - Don't bend the throttle body very far back when you're suspending it out of the way... give yourself just enough room to work. If you rupture the fuel line to the injector, the entire fuel distributor assembly will have to be replaced. Not fun.
  - When you push the throttle body back into the rubber manifold, be sure to align the little metal tab (on top of the throttle body) exactly with its cutout counterpart in the manifold.
  - You may get lucky, but chances are that the throttle body O-ring will become mangled. Order one beforehand, the part number is 13541341797, and it's around 3 bucks.
  - Before you reconnect the intake runner, put a thin layer of motor oil around the inside of the flange. A thin layer on the throttle body O-ring wouldn't hurt either.
  - You may not be able to tighten the clamps enough with just a screwdriver. I used a small ratchet, but be careful not to snap the clamps, though.

Other than that, you ought to be good to go... but if I remember anything else, I'll post it.

peterbulgar wrote:...BTW - I made a foray over to advrider and looked for a tensioner thread. I never found it, ...peter '73 R75/5, '04 R1150RA

It's here. Hit me.

Done it, thanks to the Adventure Riders Site. What a stunning difference in engine noises!!!!!!!!!!

Why do it? To get rid of the annoying rattle these engines often have on start up and when stopped at the lights when the engine is hot. Doesn't hurt anything, but is really embarassing. Pre 04 (I think) R1150 engines have a three part tensioner (anti-slap device) that doesn't always work. The one I fitted is the latest two part version that's also in the R1200 engines. It's a straight retrofit. There was an intermediate one with four parts. It didn't work either.

Easy to tell what you have - Old one has a 17 mm head, while the new one is 15 mm. It's a bit tricky, but you can do the job in about 15 minutes like I did and not remove any of the TB parts. I am completely blown away by how quiet my engine is. I'm not easily impressed, so this is really something special!!!!

This shows the combination of tools required. Anything bigger than a 3/8 drive just won't fit.


Feed the assembled tools over the suspension arm and hold in place from the underside with the right hand. The cylinder comes out easily if you rotate it to the rear of the bike. The spring and piston usually remain behind. NONE OF THE BITS CAN FALL INTO THE HOLE.


Note the disassembled magnetic probe head used to fish out the piston and the bit of coat-hanger wire used to hook the spring.


Comparison of old and new bits. The new item has the spring built into the cylinder.


Did I say how amazed I am at the difference? This should have been a BMW recall or free upgrade kit!!!!!! Cost was AUD$145 for the new cylinder, piston and crush washer, and worth every cent. I think you US guys can get it a bit cheaper than us.

This is a highly recommended upgrade if your engine rattles a bit or a lot from the left side. Especially good for high mileage engines that are getting a bit noisy. It may be nothing more than the tensioner upgrade that's needed. The right side is on the bottom, so it doesn't have the problem.

Thanks to the ADV-RIDER guys for showing the way.

Thanks Mick...I might have to look into that...do you have the part numbers of what's needed.

Thanks for the post and great pics...

DJ

Oops - Forgot that bit. Prices are from Aus BMW so AUD$

Piston BC-1131 7656 922 - $75.58
Tensioner BC-1131 7688 629 - $52.25 (Also called a cylinder)
Sealing Ring BM-0711 9963 308 - $4.61 (Also called a crush washer)

Well worth the effort DJ. I was told it couldn't be done without removing or at least loosening the TB to get access, but my aviation experience told me that if you can see it, you can get to it. I believe others have also been succesful in not touching the TB, but it's a pretty snug fit. 8" fingers would be nice!

It may depend on how tight the old one is and how clean the bike is kept. You may not be able to get enough leverage to shift it if it has 'grown' in the threads. Mine was barely a 'nip' tight, so it cracked pretty easily and undid nicely.

Thanks Mick.

DJ

Great pics...

What is the BMW part number for the new set ?

Kazushi wrote:Great pics...

What is the BMW part number for the new set ?

OOPS
Did not refresh the page before my post...

Just got off the phone with the local dealer, the parts are not available localy yet, they need to be ordered from Germany so price would be a bit salty !!
As for the fix itself, they haven't ever done it, when the noise gets too loud, they just change the tentioning spring !!!

Kazushi,

The upgraded tensioner is the replacement part for the old style. If you walk into a dealer and ask for a tensioner for any of the 01-06 R1150 engines, and even the R1100 engines and R1200 engines I believe, you get the 'new' parts. The old type I removed is a dead item, unless someone is carrying old stock. So is the other (intermediate or second version) that was around for a year or two.

Replacing the spring on the old style tensioner is only a short term fix. It was the design of the assembly that was the problem, not just 'weak springs'. It's the way the oil gets in behind the piston, and how the parts slide with spring extension/compression as the cam chain 'whips'. The old design used to loose lubrication, and the spring couldn't compensate fast enough, hence the noises associated with cam chain slap.

The 'tensioner' doesn't really tension anything. It just applies a small amount of pressure to the cam chain to stop it slapping about as it rotates. When your oil is hot and thin, the old tensioner just can't work fast enough to do its job. More noticeable in some bikes than others, and brings into play questions about type of oil used, how hot, how many miles on the engine, how hard it has been used etc etc.

Many people told me that these noises were 'normal'. They are, but they are also very fixable. Check out the Adv Rider site for much more info. I think the TB removal on the GS is because the suspension arms are 'thicker' and you can't get in to do the job the way I did.

Don't let them just sell you a new spring!!!!!!

I changed mine without removing any other parts, I simply used a universal joint and extender on my ratchet. It may take some experimenting to find the right extension length.

It was a 5 minute job, max. And I lean toward the mechanical novice side.