That Horrible, Horrible Heat Shield Rattle On Early K Bikes

[90288]

I just bought a 85 K100RT with the heat shield rattle on the exhaust.

It looks like someone tried to take off the heat shield and stripped out the tops of the allen bolts.

Any suggestions on how to fix this rattle OR how to get those bolts off?

Do I have to but off those Allen bolts and start all over?

 

[kioolt]

You can drill the heads off of the bolts. If you can't get the remaining stud out of the nut you can buy new nuts at your dealer.

 

[sgborgstrom]

I fixed the rattle

by leaving the heat shield off. Never had any repercussions either.

Steve

 

[deilenberger]

I just bought a 85 K100RT with the heat shield rattle on the exhaust.

It looks like someone tried to take off the heat shield and stripped out the tops of the allen bolts.

Any suggestions on how to fix this rattle OR how to get those bolts off?

Do I have to but off those Allen bolts and start all over?

The fix for the rattle if you want to keep the heat shield is surprisingly simple.

Put washers under the heads of the new bolts you buy. Put a bit of high-temperature antiseize on the bolts before installing them.

The stock bolts seem to be just a tiny bit too long - so when you tighten them all the way down with the heat shield on - they actually bottom on the actual muffler instead of pulling the heat shield, mount and nut together tightly.

Did this on my '85 K100, and just did it Saturday on THE K75S. The K75S one was rattling enough to be annoying to me - it's absolutely quiet now.

Best,

 

[cuervo]

I believe BMW has a repair kit for them.

I think, though, it was intended to replace bolts that had broken off at the muffler and left a hole.

The best fix--StaInTune.

 

[kbasa]

I believe BMW has a repair kit for them.

I think, though, it was intended to replace bolts that had broken off at the muffler and left a hole.

The best fix--StaInTune.

Not for a K75.....

Dyno charts

 

[tinboatcapt]

Screw Removal tool

There is a simple way to remove those screws/bolts.

I found a screw removal tool kit at Sears that did the job on my '86 K muffler shield. The kit contains four small tools of increasing size. Choose the largest that will fit in the shaft of the bolt without interfering with the treads of the nut. Use a variable speed, reversable drill. Drill the head of the bolt with one end of the tool, turn the tool over in the chuck and reverse the drill direction. At slow speed, this removes the bolt nicely.

A little WD-40 did help as well.

Good luck
jim