K4x Motor-Cam Chain and Sproket

With the already recommendation to change out the cam chain tensioner and adding the anti tooth jump guard..and now from BMW..it is recommended to replace both the cam sprocket and cam chain at the 18 K service..and all not under warranty with the exception of the cam tensioner..this will be a very expensive service!

Clay said:

With the already recommendation to change out the cam chain tensioner and adding the anti tooth jump guard..and now from BMW..it is recommended to replace both the cam sprocket and cam chain at the 18 K service..and all not under warranty with the exception of the cam tensioner..this will be a very expensive service!

Click to expand...

BMW Bulletin?

cjack said:

BMW Bulletin?

Click to expand...

INFO ON LOCATION OF DEALER/SERVICE NOTICE FOR THE CAM CHAIN:

The letter is dated 02/11/2011. It's in the TIS section of the dealer website.
Not easy to find (as I witnessed yesterday). Apparently, it is supposed to be on the
Inspection Check List sometime but it's not there yet. My dealer-LONESTAR
brought this to the attention of their FSE (service guy from BMW).

My dealership is going to strongly suggest that customers install the new
guide at the 18K service and at the 36K service strongly suggest replacing the
chain, sprockets, etc. with the new K13 components (as the original chain/sprockets are not available).

any idea what the labor and parts cost of this will be.

This will make it easier to resist the siren call of the K1600. I needed that.

Clay said:

INFO ON LOCATION OF DEALER/SERVICE NOTICE FOR THE CAM CHAIN:

The letter is dated 02/11/2011. It's in the TIS section of the dealer website.
Not easy to find (as I witnessed yesterday). Apparently, it is supposed to be on the
Inspection Check List sometime but it's not there yet. My dealer-LONESTAR
brought this to the attention of their FSE (service guy from BMW).

My dealership is going to strongly suggest that customers install the new
guide at the 18K service and at the 36K service strongly suggest replacing the
chain, sprockets, etc. with the new K13 components (as the original chain/sprockets are not available).

Click to expand...

That's more like what I heard from the Denver area. That the 36K change of chain and sprocket will be on the maintenance list. The thing about the chain guide was not mentioned back then of course...since it's a relatively new item, or new to hear about.

ragtoplvr said:

any idea what the labor and parts cost of this will be.

This will make it easier to resist the siren call of the k1600. I needed that.

Click to expand...

$75

Real numbers

Here's the latest quote I got for the service:

Cam Chain/Tensioner Update
11 31 7 703 192 (sprocket wheel set with chain) 217.30
11 31 7 717 287 (tensioner) 124.66
11 26 7 684 353 (clutch cover gasket) 28.31
11 13 7 676 478 (clutch cover screws) 33.66
11 14 7 678 478 (clutch cover screw) 2.20
Labor 326.70

Oh sorry. I was just responding to the cam chain guard install.

cjack said:

Oh sorry. I was just responding to the cam chain guard install.

Click to expand...

I'm convinced now that our bikes need the chain jump guard installed. I was thinking that maybe since it doesn't happen to every bike, I might avoid the issue. A tech I know very well said that the chains are stretching. Chain noise is a sign of that...I assume if you have the new tensioner and we are not talking about the old chain noise at startup, the noise may occur even with the new tensioner or at other than startup. This tech has seen several skipped a tooth bikes where the valves kissed the pistons, etc. He also mentioned changing out the chain and big sprocket at 36 K miles. On the '07 bikes and newer, the small sprocket is pressed onto the crank. I think the two sprocket and chain kit is NLA, I heard, so the only option seems to be changing the large sprocket and chain. I don't know if I will do that...surely if I hear some rattle and since I have the chain guard installed, I assume I'll be safe until I do change out the chain.
So for about $75 and an hours time, it is worth doing. Makes me feel better about these bikes like I used to feel about the previous BMWs I have owned. Dang it.
BTW, the suspension link changes on our three K12Ses took about 10 minutes each. Probably worth doing and is a recall item paid for by BMW. It appears that the bushings in the link are made of a different (I guess non corrosive) metal or finish. Otherwise they are the same and our bikes had no corrosion...even with the absence of some road out west going from WY into CO on pot holes, rain, mud, gravel, hail, and smiling road workers amused at our plight.
Jack Hawley, MOA #224

Is the 36k chain/sprockets swap required for the K13 as well as the K12? It's getting to where one needs a road map to figure out which mods and non-standard service items need to be done on which bikes. The dealers aren't much help-- I asked the parts person at my local dealership about the cam chain guard and got a blank look. He then handed me a business card and said if I got him the part numbers he'd order it in for me.
?????

Anyway, just wondering if the 13 needs the swap as well or has the chain/sprocket combo been upgraded on the K13 and no swap needed?

Best,

GTRider

GTRider said:

Is the 36k chain/sprockets swap required for the K13 as well as the K12? It's getting to where one needs a road map to figure out which mods and non-standard service items need to be done on which bikes. The dealers aren't much help-- I asked the parts person at my local dealership about the cam chain guard and got a blank look. He then handed me a business card and said if I got him the part numbers he'd order it in for me.
?????

Anyway, just wondering if the 13 needs the swap as well or has the chain/sprocket combo been upgraded on the K13 and no swap needed?

Best,

GTRider

Click to expand...

The quality control or whatever it is called bulletin came out in Feb of 2011. Seems unlikely that any K13 bikes have it. It calls for all the 12 and 13 four cyl bikes to need it. Your dealer can check for this, it's actually a "Measure", not a bulletin. The latest RSD will have a procedure in the inspections area called "checking for chain guard". Since it is such an easy job, it might be prudent to check or just do it with the parts on hand.
These are the parts, you need about 20 of the long screws (actually 18 or something) and about 7 of the short screws. They are aluminum so they supposedly can't be reused. The gasket probably shouldn't be reused either, but I think some have reused them.

11318526932
CHAIN TOOTH-JUMP GUARD
$6.70

11147727974
GASKET
$28.31

11137676132
ISA SCREW - M6X25
$1.80

11147678478
ISA SCREW - M6X20
$2.00

Jack Hawley, MOA #224

cjack said:

The quality control or whatever it is called bulletin came out in Feb of 2011. Seems unlikely that any K13 bikes have it. It calls for all the 12 and 13 four cyl bikes to need it. Your dealer can check for this, it's actually a "Measure", not a bulletin. The latest RSD will have a procedure in the inspections area called "checking for chain guard". Since it is such an easy job, it might be prudent to check or just do it with the parts on hand.
These are the parts, you need about 20 of the long screws (actually 18 or something) and about 7 of the short screws. They are aluminum so they supposedly can't be reused. The gasket probably shouldn't be reused either, but I think some have reused them.

11318526932
CHAIN TOOTH-JUMP GUARD
$6.70

11147727974
GASKET
$28.31

11137676132
ISA SCREW - M6X25
$1.80

11147678478
ISA SCREW - M6X20
$2.00

Jack Hawley, MOA #224

Click to expand...

I don't know if the K13S will have the 36K in the maintenance schedule, as far as I know it's not in any maintenance schedule...but the word I got is that it will be. Or at any rate, it's prudent to do it particularly if you hear any rattle when running. If the chain jump guard is in place, then I think the issue is defused for the most part...other than hearing a loose chain.
Anyway, that's the way I am going since you need a valve check at 36K anyway and changing the chain is not much additional other than the cost of it.

cjack said:

The quality control or whatever it is called bulletin came out in Feb of 2011. Seems unlikely that any K13 bikes have it. It calls for all the 12 and 13 four cyl bikes to need it. Your dealer can check for this, it's actually a "Measure", not a bulletin. The latest RSD will have a procedure in the inspections area called "checking for chain guard". Since it is such an easy job, it might be prudent to check or just do it with the parts on hand.
These are the parts, you need about 20 of the long screws (actually 18 or something) and about 7 of the short screws. They are aluminum so they supposedly can't be reused. The gasket probably shouldn't be reused either, but I think some have reused them.

Click to expand...

Right, I was aware that the K13 bikes need the cam chain guard and planned on having it done at the next service, hence my question for the parts guy. But I'm wondering about the chain swap at 36k-- is that K12 only or is the K13 supposed to have it done as well?

GTRider

Well K1200 was already off my list from the non undercut gears, a repeat of a previous mistake. I hope they find whoever the idiot is at BMW that thinks nonundercut is a good idea and give him the axe. Now it is double off my list.

I want to know more about the K1300, is it or is not requiring a change. Right now it is off my list too.

K1600 used will be down the road, I want one bad, but if they keep this up, I will find a nice boxer.

Rod

ragtoplvr said:

Well K1200 was already off my list from the non undercut gears, a repeat of a previous mistake. I hope they find whoever the idiot is at BMW that thinks nonundercut is a good idea and give him the axe. Now it is double off my list.

I want to know more about the K1300, is it or is not requiring a change. Right now it is off my list too.

K1600 used will be down the road, I want one bad, but if they keep this up, I will find a nice boxer.

Rod

Click to expand...

I have the 1200S...what am I missing with my non-undercut gears? Is that something that increases reliability with performance riding, and I won't care since I just want to get to British Columbia or Oregon and back easy going?

By the way, I did three cam chain guards on three K1200Ses in just the morning. A piece of cake as they say. Take off the side fairing cover, loosen the belly pan and let it hang down. You don't have to remove the slave cyl or the heat shield...just bungee the cover out of the way after removing the aluminum screws. Lift off the old gasket, slide on the guard, dry up the oil that dribbles out if there is any, wipe off both surfaces with an alcohol dampened rag, put on the new gasket, slide the cover back making sure the slave cyl is proper (little center half moon with flat surface out), put in a couple new screws lightly tight, making sure the gasket is even at the bottom, then tighten all the new screws to 3 NM (one screw is shorter than the rest), turn them all 90 degrees...comes out to about 6 NM. Secure the belly pan and put back the side cover.

I installed the guard on Helen's higher mileage(39K) S bike yesterday. As mentioned, a very quick process. I could have done both of ours in the morning, but had other bikes to finish up.
I'll do mine tomorrow and install the new tensioner. I believe I am around 19K and have no slapping noise. More of a preventive step on mine at this time.

Plan on replacing the chain & sprocket set after an October trip. Hers rattled from the day she got it with 30K . I installed the new tensioner at 36K to quiet the rattle away( which it did) but now worry the chain is s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d. It sure was loose when I put the jump guard in there! The chain/sprocket combo lists around $253. Just wish all this was out there when I did the 36K valve check...I found out about it about two weeks later

These are NOT our daily riders so we don't rack up the miles like on our R bikes...I don't practice throttle control or am not near as good as getting out of visits with the LEO's as she is So I stick to the GSA .