Replacing left side cams and followers R1200RS 2015

[dmsantam]

Thought I'd start a new thread documenting replacement of worn left side intake cam and followers. bike is a 2015 r1200rs with 33,000km on the clock. Regularly serviced, no other issues besides this. Ticking noticed getting louder, opened up both covers, and left side intake cam had noticeable wear on one lobe: 

 

Intake cam followers were clearly having issues with the coating, as expected. Old ones removed, new ones on shaft:

 

follower on the exhaust camshaft showing signs of losing it's coating imminently:

 

Now that the camshafts are removed, I had a very close look at the exhaust camshaft - the one i thought was not damaged. I can JUST catch a fingernail on the edge of the left lobe in the pic, so I think it has to be changed too :-(

 

 

I think it's interesting that the exhaust cam also has some damage (albeit very minor) despite the coating on the followers being intact, apart from that tiny chip in the picture earlier. Does that mean it's not a coating issue? Or perhaps that chip on the coating was just enough to cause the damage. I think the bit i can catch with the fingernail is where the chip would rub on :-(

 

Other follower for exhaust pictured below. Looks undamaged and i can't catch a fingernail on that lobe, although it's discoloured on the lobe a little. normal?

 

 

Just waiting on an exhaust cam and followers and i'll put the left side back together with all new cams and followers. 

 

Once that's done, i'll remove the cams on the right side, and inspect very closely. If the cams are undamaged, I will replace just the followers and see how it goes. 

 

Any thoughts welcome

 

 

[dmsantam]

New left side cams and followers installed, just waiting for the CCT tool from BMW to accurately time the cams. BMW reckons another week and it'll be here. I have all the other tools. Valve shims need to be reduced by 0.02-0.04mm, valves check slightly tight. 

 

 

 

The cam alignment tool I have is from Dan Cata in Romania, does the job and arrived very quickly. He also sells the clutch tool. 

 

https://www.spankraft.com/product/r1200gs-rt-rs-r-lcliquid-cooled-2013-onwards-series-engine-special-tools/

 

 

[dmsantam]

New cams and followers installed on the left side, and just timed the cams with the stock CCT for the time being until I get the CCT tool to put the extra pressure required on the cam chain to get accurate timing. Bike started up easily and no more ticking! Overall an easy job apart from acquiring the tools. 

 

Once i get the CCT tool, I will re-time the left side cams, and remove the right side cams to see if the followers are damaged on that side. Then I will likely replace just the followers on the right side, as the cams are good. Although it's my dad's call, and he may decide to just gamble on the stock followers on the right side if they're unblemished. As I said in a previous post, he only does about 3000km a year on the bike around town. 

 

 

[JCtx]

I bet it'll be minimally off, but curious of your findings. And if I were you, I'd check the timing on the right side before removing the cams, just to see how off it is (if at all), out of curiosity. Hey, stupid question: Is the 'reluctor' the round part that you can see underneath decompression gizmo? Just curious. And does anybody know if it's at the same place on 1250s? Thank you guys.

[dmsantam]

10 hours ago, JCtx said:

I bet it'll be minimally off, but curious of your findings. And if I were you, I'd check the timing on the right side before removing the cams, just to see how off it is (if at all), out of curiosity. Hey, stupid question: Is the 'reluctor' the round part that you can see underneath decompression gizmo? Just curious. And does anybody know if it's at the same place on 1250s? Thank you guys.

I will indeed check the timing to see how far it's off. see picture for reluctor location, it's left side of motor. I don't know about the 1250. 

cheers

 

 

[dmsantam]

Checked the right side timing before dismantling, and the cam alignment tool fitted over the cams nicely with just the stock CCT installed. I am still waiting on the BMW tool, and who knows when that will come. In the meantime I purchased Dan Cata's tool, which is just a bolt, that you hand tighten. This gets the chain tighter than the stock CCT. But how accurate is it? Who knows. Timing the cams with this, results in the timing being slightly different than the stock CCT. The bike runs fine either way, and I can't discern the difference. Once I get the BMW tool, I'll be able to confirm the difference between Dan Cata tool, and BMW tool. 

 

The right side showed no wear on the cams or the followers. The followers looked brand new. Nonetheless, I swapped just the followers to the new design, and we shall see how this holds up over the long term. 

 

The bike now runs excellent, and doesn't make any annoying ticking sounds. 

 

I'm getting pretty good at this job, took me an hour to do the right side all up!

 

Link for Dan Cata tools: https://www.spankraft.com/product/r1200gs-rt-rs-r-lcliquid-cooled-2013-onwards-series-engine-special-tools/

 

Some pics of it attached. 

 

[dmsantam]

no more clacketty clack!