Whew! Check your screws...

bmwloco · 06-07-2002, 08:44 AM

Disaster - nearly.

I took my 912 Targa to my sister's house to return her pooch. I was babysitting while she was on vacation.

On the trip back up the mountain, I heard a slight rattle. I thought it was cars around me as the Targa is quiet and you can hear all the other rattle traps on the road.

Once home, I lifted the engine lid to find - to my horror - the screw missing that hold the K&N filter cover in place.

Had the screw slid down the throat into the engine? Was it lurking on the lip - just ready to dive in and do harrowing damage?

Luckliy, no. It was found lurking happily behind the fan housing.

You can bet a made sure both screws holding on the filter were tight! Check yours and divert a possible big uh-oh.

Duke · 06-07-2002, 09:02 AM

Try using a drop or two of "threadlock" which is available in most sporting goods stores. Eliminates problems caused by vibrations but part is easily removed with screwdriver or wrench. Duke, 69 912.

Green 912 · 06-08-2002, 06:04 AM

I lost a head, piston and cylinder to just that! The ****** K&N cover was held on with a bolt that went through a speed clip on the filter frame. I was using a square of race tape over each bolt to keep them in and tight. (I use different jets on track and street and have to take the covers off often so locktight was not an option) the tape works great and you can visually check that things are tight) After a carb tune and then neglecting to replace the tape during the street test the right cover bolt backed out and #1 ingested the speed clip. From first hand experience I can tell you that speed clips don’t compress well and are harder than pistons and heads. Believe me, it was UGLY!

I now have welded bolts to the frame bows sticking up and the covers drop down onto the bolts and are held with a wing nut rather than the bolt going into the frame and speed clip. If the wing nut comes off the cover and its bolt stays put and the wing nut cannot get past the cover and into a velocity stack. $300 for a set of heads $300 to machine them up for track use, $1000 new JE 1720 P&Cs (old set had 2 years track time were still good but on the worn side) some valves and 2 weekends to rebuild from the crank out.