R1150 GSA SE Engine noise...any ideas??

AndyT

AndyT

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during a 3000 mile stint on my new GSA SE the engine started making what at first I thought very loud tappet noises however they just got louder. I took th ebike into BMW under warranty and noticed whilst listening to oit with the mechanic that the noises were not actually tappet noises but coming from deeper inside the engine case (Big ends I think!!). Another rason I think its the big ends is because the noise is the same both sides of the engine not just one.

Anywway they took the bike in to strip down the engine and have come back saying that the rocker shafts have excessive float in them and they will change these out:confused: My understanding of engines would be that exxesive float wouldn't make a knocking noise and would be apparent from the start where as the noise I hear only shows itsself once the engine is up to full temp.

I recon I will get the bike back and the noise will still be there... Any thoughts or experiences similar to this?? I should get it back at the weekend.

MAny thanks

AndyT:thumb2
 
Did you buy it new ??

Has the engine ever been run low on oil sometime in it's past.
 
I think Andy said somewhere previously that he got it s/hand

Any advice:nenau ............buy another 1200:augie

1150's.........pah....... always in at the menders
 
Engine noise

I had a very similar experience with my 1100gs. When the bike got hot (i.e. at traffic lights) it developed a ticking sound (like a very loud tappet sound) on the right hand side.
This got to the stage that people crossing the street in front of the bike would look at it. Anyway by using a metal screwdriver against the head and put my ear to it I reckoned the head was not the problem. After searching this site and others and also talking to the very helpful lads in MOTORWORKS came to the conclusion it was the small end bearing. I pulled the bike apart but found very little play.
However there was a little so I replaced the con-rod (the bearing and rod are all the one piece). Be ware you need to replace both rods (as they have to balance) if you can get one from the same batch as the ones on your bike (colour coded) this would do also, but two new ones are better obviously. When I got the bike back together the noise was GONE.
The explanation, when the engine gets hot the parts expand. The gap (tolerance) between the small end bearing and the gudgin pin increases. This causing the ticking noise. When the bike cools a bit the gap reduces and the noise goes away.
 
My problem on my new 1150 GSA a while ago was a faulty camchain tensioner on the RHS. It's the bolt thing under the cylinder head.

Made hell of a racket - like a tappet but more pronounced.

Sorted under warranty of course
 
Steptoe said:
Did you buy it new ??

Has the engine ever been run low on oil sometime in it's past.
Click to expand...

I bought it used from a BMW dealer at the end of July this year with 7k on it. It has 1.5k now. I've only had 3 longish rides on it the 3rd being my trip down to the Black Forest and Alps. It could well have been happening on the first 2 trips but I tend just to switch it off at the destination not listen to it.

I should know a bit more tomorrow and will let you know.

By the way the oli level has always been okay dring my short ownership.

AndyT
 
I picked up mybike from John Clarks in Abedeen today after they had replaced the rocker arms and rocker shafts. They said that the shafts had to much float in them way outside the tolerance. I must admit I wasn't convinced 100% as the sound was coming from deeper inside the engine but a half hour fast ride got it up to a good temp and the knocking has gone away.

Any ideas why excessive float would cause a knocking noise???

Main thing is it appears to be fixed - fingers crossed.

AndyT:cool:
 
AndyT said:
Any ideas why excessive float would cause a knocking noise???
Click to expand...

If you get a 100 gramme lump of steel and clunk it against a kg of aluminium half immersed in oil, you'd probably get the same sort of noise

Basically as the cam rotates the lever action on the rocker arm isn't straight up and down, so as well as rotating to open and close the valves the rocker arm slides up and down the rocker shaft and the hotter the engine gets the larger the deviation of expansion of alloy to steel and the gaps get bigger

Whats bizarre is that you can easily adjust rocker end float on the oil heads So why did they need to change the shafts?? unless it was them jumping in their mountings??? Very Bizarre
 
Whats bizarre is that you can easily adjust rocker end float on the oil heads So why did they need to change the shafts?? unless it was them jumping in their mountings??? Very Bizarre
Click to expand...

BMW paying the dealer for the warranty work:augie
 
BeemerJay said:
If you get a 100 gramme lump of steel and clunk it against a kg of aluminium half immersed in oil, you'd probably get the same sort of noise

Basically as the cam rotates the lever action on the rocker arm isn't straight up and down, so as well as rotating to open and close the valves the rocker arm slides up and down the rocker shaft and the hotter the engine gets the larger the deviation of expansion of alloy to steel and the gaps get bigger

Whats bizarre is that you can easily adjust rocker end float on the oil heads So why did they need to change the shafts?? unless it was them jumping in their mountings??? Very Bizarre
Click to expand...

I agree with that but is float not the lateral movement rather than the gap between rocker arm and valve etc... The float tolerance is surely to allow the shaft to expand laterally. I can't understand why this would produce a knocking sound deep in the engine but it does appear to have stopped it.

Andy:cool:
 
Hi steptoe

Steptoe said:
Did you buy it new ??

Has the engine ever been run low on oil sometime in it's past.
Click to expand...

Hi Steptoe sorry to hijack someone else's post but have knocking and has been run low on oil. Bike is 2003 full service mainly bmw with 24000 on the clock was told recent service when I bought that cost £700 so stupidly didn't check oil when I heard knocking thought it was as this has standard can and my last gs had remus. But onriding up some steep gradients in hot weather noise became much worse and on checking the oil level wasn't even in the sight glass 😕 Had to put over a litre in and now the noise is there when it gets warm and I accelerate sounds like the top end of of an old pinto engine so fear tells me big ends ?? Would appreciate your input regards keepemall
 
JohnnyBoxer said:
Sounds like a trip to yourself is on the cards
Click to expand...

�� not a happy bunny any ideas how much ballpark if it's a, just bearings or b, crank and bearings. Pretty sure the reason oil was down as it's burning oil when I topped it up
 
The gaskets,seals ,rings and bearings etc add up to @£500 ish,assuming the crank is ok.if the big ends have gone you really have got to take a look at the mains.
Stripping and rebuilding the motor is 2 days so @£800.
Problem you have is removing the lump,as it’s a total strip of the bike
To strip,rebuild and recommission realistically is 3 to 4 days work,plus anything else that’s found in the process.
So you could potentially be looking at nearly £3k
 
mikeyboy said:
The gaskets,seals ,rings and bearings etc add up to @£500 ish,assuming the crank is ok.if the big ends have gone you really have got to take a look at the mains.
Stripping and rebuilding the motor is 2 days so @£800.
Problem you have is removing the lump,as it’s a total strip of the bike
To strip,rebuild and recommission realistically is 3 to 4 days work,plus anything else that’s found in the process.
So you could potentially be looking at nearly £3k
Click to expand...

Jesus wept just sold my old bike in bits with a good lump in it £900 for the lot 😮
 
keepemall said:
Jesus wept just sold my old bike in bits with a good lump in it £900 for the lot
Click to expand...
Bad luck,
It would be a cheaper bet to move the bike on in one lump
And find a good one.
Or get another engine,
Still doesn’t get around the total strip to replace the motor,
Any of your mates handy with the spanners?
 
mikeyboy said:
Bad luck,
It would be a cheaper bet to move the bike on in one lump
And find a good one.
Or get another engine,
Still doesn’t get around the total strip to replace the motor,
Any of your mates handy with the spanners?
Click to expand...

Just paid £5500 for it, it is absolutely mint I am wondering if he had banged a tin of

Stp in it as wasn't a noise out of it when I bought it and only done a few hundred miles on it before it started knocking it's only 24000 miles and full service history 😕
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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