2005 R1150RT noise in engine

[oze]

I have a noise in the engine - kind of rattle chaff-cutter sound - mainly at low speed in 1st or 2nd. Hums fine when going faster. I did let the oil get too low before servicing. I was coming back from a weekend away when I noticed the noise at lower volume and saw oil light flickering. It was a hot weekend (summer here in Sydney AUS) and the weekend before I had been doing a riding course on a race track and wound it up a bit there.

 

The mechanic has suggested it is a clutch release bearing. I told them to hold off for the moment and just change the oil/filter etc.

 

Any comment on clutch release bearing being the problem? What else could it be?

 

Don

[T__]

Don very difficult to diagnose an engine noise over the internet.. Hard enough to find internal engine noises when standing over the engine..

 

Maybe we can help a little if we get WAY more info from you..

 

Like:

 

Is the noise there both hot & cold?

Is the noise there on accel,, decel,, engine float,, very light dropped throttle?

Is the noise at engine speed or ½ engine speed,, or other?

Is the noise there (or changes) if the clutch is held in & the engine revved?

Is the noise there if the clutch is just pulled in to just before the start of clutch release?

Any other situation the noise is or isn’t there?

 

Do not let them (the dealer) just drop the engine oil into a pan & toss it out..

Get the engine HOT then dump the engine oil into a very CLEAN pan,, then while still warm slowly strain it through a coffee filter (see what shows up in the filter by taking it out into the sun & looking for sparklies)

 

Same with the oil filter,, carefully cut the filter can open (DON’T use a hack saw) then carefully open the internal filter paper up & take that out into the sun to have a look see at what is trapped in the filter media..

 

Both the coffee filter & engine oil filter can tell a person a lot about what the engine is (of has been) doing as far as wear..

 

 

Twisty

 

[oze]

Thanks Twisty.

 

Noise more noticable when cold. Heard at low revs - sounds fine at higher revs. Also on decel. Does not seem to change whether clutch in or out.

 

Will ask them to examine oil (if they havent already done that)

[AndyS]

Thanks Twisty.

 

Noise more noticable when cold. Heard at low revs - sounds fine at higher revs. Also on decel. Does not seem to change whether clutch in or out.

 

Will ask them to examine oil (if they havent already done that)

 

I recommend you get them (the shop)to give you the oil after they have looked at it and get it sent to a lab for analysis. They (the lab)will be able to let you know if you have some real bad stuff going on in there (bearing failure).

Andy

[4wheeldog]

These motors do not tolerate running with the oil level low enough to flicker the light very well. I believe you have to be more than 2 quarts low in order for the light to come on. The fact that the noise and the light showed up at the same time do no bode well.

 

Chances are you have done serious damage, and oil analysis will tell the tale. Cutting open the oil filter may tell the story even quicker. Good Luck.

[oze]

4wheeldog the mechanic said he thought it was about 1.5L out of 3.5L oil (or one third ... eeekkk)

[4wheeldog]

4wheeldog the mechanic said he thought it was about 1.5L out of 3.5L oil (or one third ... eeekkk)

 

1.5L left, or 1.5L low?

Really doesn't matter......If the light lit, then the level was low enough for the pump to suck air. Not good for a plain bearing bottom end. Any rhythmic noise that started at the same time as the lit oil light is probably serious.

 

If it still makes the noise when full of fresh oil, some stethoscope sluething (Or hose as listening device) will narrow the source. If it is from the bottom end, may be worth pulling cylinders and rods, see if you were lucky enough for the damage to be bearings only, not crank. Otherwise, used motor is the least expensive fix. Good Luck!

[oze]

OK bike back - survived the operation. Prognosis good. Clutch release bearing is a separate problem. Will be checking oil weekly from now.

[GaryP_in_Dallas]

I just had a transmission rebuild and clutch rebuild.

Bought the bike (2003 R1150RT)15K miles ago (now has 48K).

When I first bought the bike, with the clutch in there was no noise, but with the clutch out at idle there was a noise like a throwout bearing going out.

Trouble is there is no throwout bearing.

The tranny input shaft splines finally spun.

Appears the noise was the input shaft transmission bearing going out. The slight wobble appears to have caused the wear.

Tom Cutter of Rubber Chicken Racing did the rebuild. He says he has a stack of spun splines on the tranny input shaft. Good luck.

[NonComp]

When I first bought the bike, with the clutch in there was no noise, but with the clutch out at idle there was a noise like a throwout bearing going out. Trouble is there is no throwout bearing.

There is a small bearing at the rear end of the clutch pushrod. Not that that makes a difference in your case. The boxer gearboxes do tend to be quite noisy at idle in neutral when they are warmed up, even at the best of times.