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Post here if you've had prematurely worn cam lobe(s) in your wethead
- Thread starter ncpbmw1953
- Start date
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- Tags
- cam wear worn cam lobes
RYD1WD
New member
Holy canoli.
I wonder if the wear is similar on the opposite side of the motor.
BTW I bought an '18 thinking that any bugs would have been sorted out by the end of the model run. After going through GetragHell with a '94 Oilhead, I swore off "Beta Year" BMWs.
Hopefully these failures aren't too common, but I am glad I got a comprehensive extended service agreement.
ponch1
Ponch
One YT BMW master mechanic says it's oil related. Use Advantec and nothing will every go wrong. For some reason I doubt that. If an oil meets the spec, it should be good and I've heard of failures with BMWs oil too, so there's that. It's more likely a combination of heat treatment and the path of oil lubrication. Dodge Hemi's have a similar problem and some think it's the position of the lifters, some say there are other factors. Whatever the case, they should have this bucked out already.
taran1900
Member
A BMW master mechanic would be really stupid to go on record saying something like that. As you said, it's the oil specs or certified rating that matters. The owners manual says BMW recommends "Advantec Ultimate" oil which is API SN /JASO MA2. The oil actually specified by BMW is actually API SL/ JASO MA2. No where in the manual is Advantec Ultimate "Specified".
I use API SN /JASO MA2 in my 1250RT, but it's not Advantec Ultimate. I use Motul 7100 4T 5W40 which is about six bucks cheaper on Amazon than Advantec Ultimate. BMW Advantec Ultimate oil is produced by Shell. Really, if the Advantec really had some additives that the engines required, why would BMW not specify it rather than eat the cost of changing cams and cam followers? The parts alone crazy expensive.
I would not be happy paying more for Advantec Ultimate oil, but I'd shell out the extra bucks for it if BMW said I had to use it to prevent things like premature cam wear. Car makers specify specific brand types for various types of fluids all the time. Of course, that would be admitting that the cams are really substandard.
ponch1
Ponch
I like the guy a lot, but we disagree on a couple things. This is one of them. It's a BMW problem, not an owner issue.
taran1900
Member
That Master Mechanic should be held accountable, For causing a perfectly good Cam Lobe discussion to morph in to an "Oil thread".
blacque jacque shellacque
Member
A YT BMW master mechanic! Please sent the link.
taran1900
Member
That Master Mechanic should be held accountable, For causing a perfectly good Cam Lobe discussion to morph in to an "Oil thread".
jstancampiano
New member
My right cams look like this at 41000 miles, left side looks perfect. Always done early oil changes with specified full syn oil.
Dealer says to keep eye on it. I still have extended warrenty for 16 month, but would like it fixed.
I have a ZDDP zinc additive I use on old airhead, but because of wet clutch, I hesitate to use it.
Joe
What kind of bike is it? My 2015 GS has 41000 miles on it and you're making me nervous.
Ken
pglaves
#13338
That is really interesting. Cams on one side good. Cams on the other side horrible. One thought would be that the cams came from different batches. Maybe. Another thought would be that there is an oiling problem on one side and not the other. Maybe. I wish we knew what BMW knows.
52184
GTRider
“Keep an eye on it” ??
To what purpose?
That cam is failed, along with any follower riding against it. The material missing from that lobe went somewhere and was circulated throughout your engine, and “keeping an eye on it” is only going to continue that process. You have warranty in effect; your dealer should be ordering parts and replacing at a minimum cams and followers at least on that side, and preferably both sides. If it were my bike I’d be getting a second opinion from another dealer...
Best,
DeVern
jstancampiano
New member
What kind of bike is it? My 2015 GS has 41000 miles on it and you're making me nervous.
Ken
Bike is 2015 R1200gsw
Joe
I don’t know specifically on this engine parts problem. I did learn, mostly the hard way, when I had my first foray into “hard facing” (welding), that pieces of hardened material that rubbed together had to have a “matched” hardness or the lesser would end up sacrificial.
OM
pglaves
#13338
Wouldn't it be nice if BMW motorcycles used roller cam followers like have been used on most cars for at least 25 years. Just on the post-1993 boxer motors they have gone through at least four redesigns of the valve train pieces: Oilhead, Hexhead, Camhead, Wethead. It puzzles me why they are still using the old scrape and slide technology.
lkraus
New member
I've not seen any pictures of worn followers. Nobody seems to look at those, they just see the damaged cam and assume that is the defective part.
I can imagine a hard/brittle diamond-based coating flaking off in bits, leaving a divot with a thin, hard, sharp edge to chisel away the cam. Like a bit on a lathe turning a cylinder.
