K11 Owners Group

[rgscomp]

So I am doing a valve clearance/timing chain replacement on my K1100LT. It has now done 130K miles and the work really needed doing.

I also have to confess I've not actually touched the engine since I bought the bike with 18K miles on it.
I've always needed the bike for long-distance commuting and never had the opportunity to take it off the road for anything other than breakdowns.

So as expected, all 16 valve clearances had opened up (none tight) and so am currently waiting for all the shims/buckets to turn up at local dealer.
So I have today changed the timing chain, guide rails and the tensioner plastic facing.

The issue is that I had got the engine at TDC to remove the cams for new shims and secured with the BMW clamping tool. This was determined by No1 cylinder valve positions (closed) and the fact that the tool lined up and the slots on the sprocket carriers pointing to the crankcase. So I hadn't removed the timing cover at this point.

Now today, having not moved the crank at all, I removed the timing cover and all the chain and guides.

I then noticed that the TDC marker on the crank (the pin and the line marked on crank) were out of line.
So I have not rotated the crank at all since removing the cams and the top end all lined up and the cam clamp tool fitted correctly.

The pin on the crank end was nearly a whole tooth of the timing chain sprocket out of alignment.

I've re-aligned it, and turning the engine over with the crank end bolt is free and easy and no indication of valves touching the pistons.

So am I right to re-align this, or is there any way the pin on the crank end could have been installed out of line? Bear in mind the engine hasn't been opened up probably since it was built. I have no history though for the first 18K miles so could have been misadjusted then...

Cheers,
Ray.

[rgscomp]

So I've been thinking about this, and I just can't see how the motor would have run properly if it was a whole tooth out at the crank sprocket.
I've been consistently getting between 50-60mpg all the time I've had the bike and performance generally has always seemed strong.

When refitting the cam sprockets, the manual does say that you have to keep the tension on the chain and I guess that at some point this process moved the chain and so the crank turned a bit.

Anyway, it's all set up as per manual and so must be right. I'll find out when I start the motor javascript:emoticon('')

[Number 6]

I'm not sure I understand your concern, can you post some pictures?
_________________
I am not a number, I am a free man.

94 K1100LT

[rgscomp]

The first picture is how I found the crank TDC marker when I removed the timing cover.
The sequence of events had been to remove the cam cover, check clearances, remove cams to check shim/bucket size, work out new sizes needed and order new shims/buckets. As per the manual, I locked the cams in place(using the BMW special tool) at TDC No1 cylinder by checking the cylinder was at TDC (through spark plug hole) and that all valves were closed on No1. I also used the BMW special tool to lock the camchain tensioner.

Then as I was going to replace the timing chain/guides anyway I thought I'd do this while waiting for shims.

So I replaced the cams, locked to TDC as above (I hadn't moved the crank position at all), replaced the chain and sprockets as I was unsure how the chain tensioner worked at this point and didn't want it flying apart.

When I took the cover off, the crank TDC marker was as in the first picture - one tooth out of alignment.

I did not think I had moved the crank at all, so was a bit mystified as to how it could be so far out and the engine still run OK (for 110K miles that I know of personally).

Second pic shows the position after I had turned the crank to align the markers as per the manual.

Having thought about it, as I said I now think that putting the cam sprockets back on is probably where this error crept in.
I found that it was quite difficult to get the exhaust sprocket back on while also keeping the chain tensioned and I think at this point my attempts to locate the cam sprocket must have moved the chain which in turn moved the crank.
I just really can't believe the engine would run well that far out and I have had no engine issues in all the miles I have done.

So I have rebuilt it all with all the marker s lined up as per the manual so can't see any issues. Engines turns over OK via the hex bolt on the end of the crank and doesn't lock up at all.

Ray.

[Number 6]

Don't bother, what matters is that it is aligned as below once the chain is in place:

_________________
I am not a number, I am a free man.

94 K1100LT