Hi from Ulaanbaatar!

We've just ridden from Germany to Mongolia via the Baltics, Russia and Kazakhstan on an R1200GS Adv and an F650GS Twin. Fantastic trip. In some heavy traffic my R12 got quite hot, even flickering the oil light pressure light a couple of times. Since then there has been a tapping sound whenever the bike gets hot, sitting in traffic. I thought it was the valves having loosened up so I checked them here at the Oasis Guest House. They were all good except for one exhaust valve being a bit tight. Then I noticed that the nut on the bottom rear cylinder head stud of the left cylinder had backed completely off. That could be the source of the tapping noise. So I tried tightening it and it wouldn't take any torque, feeling as if it had stripped. I noticed that the stud was sticking out much more than the equivalent stud on the right side.

Is it possible that the stud has simply backed out of the case? If so, could I lock together a couple of nuts and then screw the stud back in? I can't see that the stud would be stripped (as has happened to me on the R100GS) since I've never touched it.

We are in UB for a few more days before heading to China where we will be on an escorted tour and there won't be any time to play with the bike. So any help would be appreciated.

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Ekke Kok

'84 R100RT 141,000 km (Dad's!)
'89 R100GS 250,000 km (and ready for another continent)
'07 R1200GS Adventure 100,000 km (just finished Circumnavigating Asia)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

www.ekke-audrey.ca