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2002 R1150RT rocker arm nut came off- yikes!

A

allemande

New member
Hello folks,
I messed up. Didn’t lock down one of the rocker arm nuts while adjusting the valves on my R1150RT. The bike ran rough, so I took off the valve cover and discovered that the nut had come off and is floating somewhere inside the engine. Nice!
I drained the oil, pulled the oil filter, and used a magnet probe without any luck of finding the nut. So, the question is after I reorder a new nut and fill the oil: is it ok to drive with a small nut somewhere inside the engine or would that be a big mistake?

I feel like a total dork...
 
You are not the first that has done that.
The good news is both oil pickups have intake screens.
The nut will happily live in the sump.
 

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How about the possibility that the nut might have jammed in one of the oil passages leading to the sump, and thereby partially block the oil return path?
 
Rocker arm nut that got away

GSAddict said:
You are not the first that has done that.
The good news is both oil pickups have intake screens.
The nut will happily live in the sump.
Click to expand...

Hi GSAddict, so there is little chance that the nut could cause damage by blocking the flow of the oil?
 
I would install a magnetic oil drain plug in the engine. As the nut bounces around it will sooner or later be captured by the magnet.
 
Lost nut

Hi GSAddict, thanks for putting me at ease. Replacement nut will be installed this coming Friday and bike should be ready to go to Des Moines.
 
GSAddict said:
Where?
Look at the picture I posted, the only place it can go is down into the forward or rear sump.
Click to expand...

My thought was that the nut would have come off its threaded rod where the valve adjustment is made, in the space under the valve cover and "above" the valve gear.
Oil flows from this space down to the sumps via oil passages in the cylinder heads. Might the nut stick in or jam one of those passages?
 
dbrick said:
My thought was that the nut would have come off its threaded rod where the valve adjustment is made, in the space under the valve cover and "above" the valve gear.
Oil flows from this space down to the sumps via oil passages in the cylinder heads. Might the nut stick in or jam one of those passages?
Click to expand...

I assume the OP would have checked there.
 
Update on lost rocker arm nut

GSAddict said:
I assume the OP would have checked there.
Click to expand...

Update is as follows: I double checked all crevices around the cam chain, rocker arm, and openings below engine housing (drain plug and filter openings) and used a magnetic probe. No nut was found and so it was time to check valve clearances and refill oil. The bike runs like butter...
Thanks to all who offered advice and opinions.

On other good news, I found an almost pristine 1988 K100RSin a nearby town with 38k miles and comprehensive service records for a very low price. Had to have it! Now we have two kids in the garage!:dance
 
OMG 2004 R1150RT... same thing yesterday

I adjusted the valves on Sunday and went happily for 3 days until yesterday when the bike suddenly lost power on the highway. Limped home in 2nd and just l spent the last 3 hours trying to figure out why I lost power. Came around to the right side and my jaw dropped when both lock nuts on the intake side was missing. I found one but the other one is rolling around somewhere. I will try to fish around a little bit more to find the critter.

I am relieved to read this thread that.

Thanks

Sunny
 
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