BMW replaced the shaft on my 2018 last fall because it had over 36k mi. (42k actually). Never felt any difference but there might not have been a problem with my existing shaft.
Got the bike home and decided it was time to do a valve check. Pulled the valve covers and discovered that the cams were bad. A couple were worn down to nubbles. Fortunately, I had an extended warranty. They replaced all the cams and rockers.
The shop observed that one of the forks was leaking. I had just replaced the fork fluid and I think that there was some residual fluid on the forks and it was not actually leaking but hey, they replaced the seal under warranty so that was OK.
The shop also said that my starter was on it's way out because it made a "whining" sound when it was disengaged. Huh? They also replaced it under warranty.
My point is that shops love to do warranty work. It's easy money.

(03-28-2025, 07:21 AM)dravnx Wrote: .... Pulled the valve covers and discovered that the cams were bad. A couple were worn down to nubbles....

Any chance of photos?

Here’s a pic of some camshaft damage. This was from Sept of ‘23. One of the many bikes Boxerflyer serviced that day.


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I'll bring one of my ruined cams to the September meet up. It's a whole lot worse than that. Boxflyer fixed me right up (at his house no less).

(03-30-2025, 04:27 AM)BobAin'tStoppin Wrote: I'll bring one of my ruined cams to the September meet up.  It's a whole lot worse than that.  Boxflyer fixed me right up (at his house no less).

Yup, that's classic Boxflyer. Are you bringing it to FART?

To Trempealeau

    Here ya go.

I see the fix is to replace the cam and followers and continue on. Realize that all the metal bits that wear off the parts have to go through the oil pump before they get to the filter not to mention where they can migrate to before they are cycled through the oiling system. I know most people don't want to hear it, but it seems to me at least and engine teardown to clean out the trash is the only long term solution.

Frank

(6 hours ago)Duckbubbles Wrote: I see the fix is to replace the cam and followers and continue on.  Realize that all the metal bits that wear off the parts have to go through the oil pump before they get to the filter not to mention where they can migrate to before they are cycled through the oiling system.  I know most people don't want to hear it, but it seems to me at least and engine teardown to clean out the trash is the only long term solution.

Frank

This is the real concern for me as well.

The engine has several places that ball bearings are used, but the use of roller bearings on the axle shaft for the Cam Chain Sprocket right next to the source of the deteriorating cam lobes prior to this splash lubrication ever washing down to the sump and then run through the gears in the pump before finally getting to a 25 micron filter is terrible.

I'm scheduled to change out the Cam Chain Sprocket axles and bearings on a "normal" engine that has a long history of just being noisy very soon.
I'll document this repair, but have already inspected another "spare" WetHead I have with undamaged Cam Lobes and it has indications of bearing wear that could be a source of noise and impending failures.

More to follow...

New Axle vs used Axle from "normal" engine.                  Axle and sprocket carrier.                                                New Axles and Bearings to be pressed into carrier.