www.boxertrix.com

So I got my new R1100S today, only has 17500km on the clock and i noticed that the oil is quite dirty (black) so i want to change my oil this weekend. I am not going to ask wat oil i should use, read plenty of posts on that topic and decided i am going to give the Harley Davdson 20w50 a try.

What i wanted to know;

With out me feeling like complete na-na i was looking for the engine oil drain plug, and for the life of me i don't know which one it is (the boxer has too many bolts facing downwards ) . I am going to try and get hold of a Haynes manual for my bike (the previous owner managed to lose his technical manual ) but i want to change my oil first thing saturday morning and then i will go search for a manual. could somebody please point me in the right direction ?

Also i guess i should drain the oil after the engine has been at operating temp and stood for a while? (like when you check the oil level?). How many liters of oil should i put in after i have drained the old gunk?

Torque specs for the drain bolt will also be appreciated


And lastly, being new to the boxer engine i don't know if this noise is normal; When i start my bike, just as it fires up there is a tick-tick sound, not for long and not to loud either, only 4 - 5 ticks then is goes silent. That worries me a bit, it almost sounds like bearings, but the bike only has 17500km on it surely they can not be finished now?


Sorry about the dumb questions guys just looking for some guidance, you guys look like quite a knowledgeable bunch on the boxer motor.

Hi hdp and welcome to the fickle world of the R1100S. Its a great bike which I'm sure you'll grow to like.
To try and answer some of your questions, the oil drain plug is about midway along the lenghth of the engine and just off centre to the right. Its torque setting is 32Nm. The oil filter setting is 11Nm.
Yes you do have to get the oil good and hot before dropping it out. The boxer engine can hide oil like no other bike I've come accross and getting it hot helps to get the old stuff out.
The start up rattle your getting sounds simmilar to the noise mine used to make when I bought it. It was remidied by replacing the lefthand cam tensioner with a modified replacement from Motorworks, £45 for the full kit. Its not a difficult job to do, it took me about 25mins total. Theres a link to the pelican site somewhere which gives you step by step instructions on how to do it. The difference is great, no startup rattles and none when the oil is hot and thinned out. Thanks to Sproggy for that tip.

Hope this helps, cobbster.

Found the link

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthre ... nextnewest

Cobbster

Awesome thanks Cobbster! Should find it now, thought it was that one but there are way too many bolts facing down for me to be sure , as for the tick going to go to that link now (hope they ship to SA )

Just read that post, it has to be the problem, the sound was indeed coming from the left-hand side

Hi again.
I get all my bits'n'pieces from www.Motorworks.co.uk
Their pretty good and very helpfull if you need technical advice, I'm sure they will post to SA if you can't get the bits you need out there.

I forgot to mention, Iv'e used Harley Davidsons 20/50 mineral oil before and found it to be ok. My oil consumption was no more than normal and engine noise seemed to be reduced so its a thumbs up from me. I changed my oil the other day and decided to try BMW's own 20/50. Its too soon to say what its like yet but I'll keep the forum informed.

Cheers, cobbster.

cool, if i don't come right here i will definitely give them a shot.

Just one last thing, how much oil does the boxer take, so i don't overfill after the oil change?

hdp wrote:cool, if i don't come right here i will definitely give them a shot.

Steady on old chap


Steve

Hi hdp,
you'll need 3.75Lts for an oil change with filter replacement.

Hope this helps, cobbster.

Boxered - LOL

Thanks Cobbster! Gonna buy the oil just now so i can get going first thing tomorrow morning.

Woohoo! picking up all the parts for the cam tensioner mod tomorrow, thanks once again cobbster!

Hi hdp,
The cam tensioner job is easier than you think, just take your time and you'll manage ok. I found that I did'nt have to take off any fuel hoses or cables from the throttle body. So long as its disconnected from the airbox and cylinder barrel, it just pulls to one side so you can get at the tensioner. You'll need a 17mm ring spanner to get the old one out and a 15mm to put the new one in. I found that dropping the first part of the kit into the engine then sliding the threaded part down onto it the easier method. You have to press hard on the new tensioner to get a couple of turns on it but once it takes hold your away. DON'T over tighten this sucker cos a stripped thread would mean an expensive strip down.
At the first start up you'll notice a big differance, I'm not sure why this mod hasn't been covered more on the forum.

Cheers, cobbster.

Thanks for the advice cobbster, i will definitely follow your advice! And DEFINITELY don't want to over tighten it

I do find it strange, from what i have been reading it does make quite a difference

Was this mod made by BMW after a certain engine number/model year, or is this an after market fix??

Stuart

Hi Stuart,
as far as I'm aware this is an after market fix. I have no info to suggest that there was a recall for this mod but I do know that it affects the 1100 and the 1150 engine. If you look at the old cam tensioner it has a groove that allows the oil to flow back down its length when the engine is turned off, thus you have to wait a few seconds after start up for hydraulic pressure to build up and the tensioner starts to work properly. The new mod keeps the oil in the hydraulic side even after the motor is switched off so tension is kept on the timing chain. I believe it also has a stronger spring to help keep the tension on. I don't think the old part causes any premature wear on the engine, its just an annoying rattle that mates take the piss out of when you start up.

Motorworks part numbers : ENA 56922 for the tensioner
ENA 88629 for the housing.

Best 45 quid Iv'e spent on the bavarian beast, makes a big difference.

Cheers, cobbster.