Set screw fell out while changing oil on my 99 R1100S

[yopro101]

I changed the oil on my ‘99 R1100S and this set screw came out. A 2mm Allen fits snugly

[Michaelr11]

As far as I know, that isn't a standard BMW part.  Do you have an accessory oil fill cap?

[The Fabricator]

Accessory oil fill cap would be my guess also.

And, I can't envision any BMW component that would use it.

[szurszewski]

Also, since that was your first post, we need to see pics of this S - you know, so we can figure out where you screw came from....

[Jim Moore]

LOL, I told you they would know. Welcome to BMWST.

[Lowndes]

I'd say it came from your oil drain pan, not your R11S.  

 

Put it somewhere you can never find it again and the original owner will show up shortly, then you'll think, "OH, I GOT IT!!", and never find it again.  That's what I do, anyway.

 

It's NOT all beat up so it didn't do any harm inside the engine, it fell out so it's not clogging an oil gallery somewhere.  Gotta look at the bright side.

 

Friend of mine told a story about a real obnoxious boss that drove a new Benz and was anal about it.  My friend found a spring in the parking lot and decided to put it on the Benz door handle with a note that "it came from this car".  The OB grilled everyone in the office trying to find out who did it, then had the Benz in the shop for days having them search for where it came from.  You didn't drive a Benz about 20 years ago, did you??

[dirtrider]

Quote

I changed the oil on my ‘99 R1100S and this set screw came out. A 2mm Allen fits snugly

Afternoon yopro101

 

Offhand I can't think of anything that resembles that screw being used inside the BMW boxer engine. 

 

But even if a like screw "was" used as OEM internally in the engine it would show signs of micro-encapsulation, Ny-loc, or Loc-Tite. That screw shows no signs of any type of thread locker used. BMW wouldn't use a bare setscrew inside the engine without some sort of retention like a lock nut (screw it too short for that), or micro-encapsulation.

 

Over the years I have seen many/many items come out of engine crankcases during an oil drain or engine overhaul & most were from some external source. A number were tracked back to engine assembly tools at the factory, or entered during oil changes at dealers (dealers typically don't use individual oil jugs but instead use a container that is filled from a bulk source). Those containers sit in the shop open to the world so things like springs, small bolts/nuts, washers, who-knows-what can end up in that container then into an engine.

 

As Lowndes mentioned it could have already been in your drain pan, or possibly stuck to one of your tools then fell off into your drain pan during the service work, or even have been sitting on the engine or chassis somewhere waiting to fall into the drain pan. 

 

As mentioned way above it possibly could be from an aftermarket locking oil filler assembly but you would think that if it used a set screw it would be Lock-Tited & if set screw was missing then the oil filler would be giving you problems like rotating when the cap was removed or filler popping out or leaking.   

 

[yopro101]

On 10/18/2023 at 11:30 PM, szurszewski said:

Also, since that was your first post, we need to see pics of this S - you know, so we can figure out where you screw came from....

:)

[szurszewski]

2 hours ago, yopro101 said:

:)

very nice! One of the two best colors!

[yopro101]

On 10/19/2023 at 2:59 PM, dirtrider said:

Afternoon yopro101

 

Offhand I can't think of anything that resembles that screw being used inside the BMW boxer engine. 

 

But even if a like screw "was" used as OEM internally in the engine it would show signs of micro-encapsulation, Ny-loc, or Loc-Tite. That screw shows no signs of any type of thread locker used. BMW wouldn't use a bare setscrew inside the engine without some sort of retention like a lock nut (screw it too short for that), or micro-encapsulation.

 

Over the years I have seen many/many items come out of engine crankcases during an oil drain or engine overhaul & most were from some external source. A number were tracked back to engine assembly tools at the factory, or entered during oil changes at dealers (dealers typically don't use individual oil jugs but instead use a container that is filled from a bulk source). Those containers sit in the shop open to the world so things like springs, small bolts/nuts, washers, who-knows-what can end up in that container then into an engine.

 

As Lowndes mentioned it could have already been in your drain pan, or possibly stuck to one of your tools then fell off into your drain pan during the service work, or even have been sitting on the engine or chassis somewhere waiting to fall into the drain pan. 

 

As mentioned way above it possibly could be from an aftermarket locking oil filler assembly but you would think that if it used a set screw it would be Lock-Tited & if set screw was missing then the oil filler would be giving you problems like rotating when the cap was removed or filler popping out or leaking.   

 

That’s kind an exactly what’s happening. The oil filter cap could spin freely and didn’t tighten down properly and fell out while on the Highway lol. It might be from that, I haven’t gotten the chance to take off the cover and look

[dirtrider]

2 minutes ago, yopro101 said:

That’s kind an exactly what’s happening. The oil filter cap could spin freely and didn’t tighten down properly and fell out while on the Highway lol. It might be from that, I haven’t gotten the chance to take off the cover and look

Morning yopro101

 

Well, if it fell out while riding then you should be able to just pull it back out to look at it for a missing screw.  

[SANTA]

what is the thread pitch of the screw< i ask because at one time Marc Parnes was making a knurled throttle cable adjuster that slid over the bottom end of the throttle cable.   it  had a locking set screw with thread #10x32,