Ticking Sound From Engine

mrdrprof · July 16, 2018, 04:45:57 PM

Can anyone help me identify this noise? And how bad it is? It really freaked me out when I got home from a ride

The bike has 23,000 miles on it if that is a factor at all.

Video: https://youtu.be/-XD5Av2ejFg

crackin · July 17, 2018, 05:32:14 AM

I didn't look at your video, but it's probably a valve clearance issue. Mine bike does it all the time, well not all the time because im constantly re shimming the valves. Check you clearances.

HPP8140 · July 17, 2018, 01:49:21 PM

Doesn't sound like routine service, that I can tell you.

Kookas · July 17, 2018, 02:16:33 PM

Quote from: crackin on July 17, 2018, 05:32:14 AM
I didn't look at your video, but it's probably a valve clearance issue. Mine bike does it all the time, well not all the time because im constantly re shimming the valves. Check you clearances.

I don't get a big 'loose valve' type feeling from this, unless the valve clearance is a few centimetres or something - it's too loud and heavy. Sad to say it but it sounds like engine rebuild material to me. Hopefully someone with much more experience than me has a more optimistic opinion.

I have some top-end ticking on mine which I suspect is either cam chain or the valves on the looser end of the spec, and it's not nearly this loud or this metallic. It also doesn't get louder with RPM like this does.

mrdrprof · July 17, 2018, 06:12:31 PM

Oh man, I really hope the engine isn't on its way out. I just got the bike last season and I absolutely love it. But I don't feel capable of rebuilding an engine and I'm not sure if it's worth having it rebuilt by a shop.

mrdrprof · July 18, 2018, 01:20:39 PM

Okay, so I did some tests today and it makes the noise whether the engine is cold or warm. I put a screwdriver to my ear and poked around but I get the same noise at the head and at the clutch cover/pickup cover so I don't know where it's coming from. By ear it sounds like it's near the head, actually closer to where the carbs are but I'm not 100% sure because I don't hear the noise when I stick the screwdriver on the carbs. It doesn't seem to be as prominent on the crank case side (left side). Should I try doing a valve adjustment and see it that fixes it? I don't think the valves have ever been adjusted anyways.

crackin · July 18, 2018, 01:54:07 PM

Yes check the valve clearances, you've got nothing to loose. Also check the cams for damage and the timing chain for excessive slack.
Still haven't seen the vid, but I will check it later today.

tobyd · July 18, 2018, 01:57:53 PM

yep, can't hurt.

Watcher · July 18, 2018, 02:38:17 PM

That sounds positively unhealthy.

I wouldn't be thinking cams unless a cam journal has cracked.
Sounds to me like it's bottom end.

Don't be too intimidated by a rebuild, but if it comes down to it a donor engine isn't that hard to find.

sledge · July 19, 2018, 01:32:20 AM

It's easy to make guesses but it's very difficult to accurately diagnose faults in this manner.

What's the back story?
Has it just started or gradually developed?
Have you been been on a long run and run low on oil?

crackin · July 19, 2018, 04:12:51 AM

I looked at the video and it does sound bad but I not sure its the bottom end. Until the valve cover is pulled and everything checked out it is hard to say. The bottom ends on these engines are pretty strong unless they are run with no oil.

mrdrprof · July 19, 2018, 05:17:43 PM

Quote from: sledge on July 19, 2018, 01:32:20 AM
It's easy to make guesses but it's very difficult to accurately diagnose faults in this manner.

What's the back story?
Has it just started or gradually developed?
Have you been been on a long run and run low on oil?

It has been running great since I got it last year. I just noticed this noise when I was riding the other day. It may have been there for awhile but just got bad enough that I could hear it clearly but I can't be sure. It still seemed to run just fine though. I check the oil every time I get gas (I let it cool down first, obviously). I've never run it low on oil and the oil still looks new

Kookas · July 20, 2018, 10:07:32 AM

Quote from: mrdrprof on July 19, 2018, 05:17:43 PM
Quote from: sledge on July 19, 2018, 01:32:20 AM
It's easy to make guesses but it's very difficult to accurately diagnose faults in this manner.

What's the back story?
Has it just started or gradually developed?
Have you been been on a long run and run low on oil?

It has been running great since I got it last year. I just noticed this noise when I was riding the other day. It may have been there for awhile but just got bad enough that I could hear it clearly but I can't be sure. It still seemed to run just fine though. I check the oil every time I get gas (I let it cool down first, obviously). I've never run it low on oil and the oil still looks new

Old filter? An old, high-mileage filter could leave you with poor oil flow despite plenty in the sump. A real risk I would imagine if a PO who owned it for a long time decided to only ever change the oil and not the filter.

mrdrprof · July 20, 2018, 12:24:32 PM

The seller told me the oil and filter were changed about 500 miles ago when I bought it, so it probably has about 1100 miles on it now so I don't think that's the issue. Though I guess he could've lied to me but that seems like a weird thing to lie about

Kookas · July 20, 2018, 01:10:02 PM

Loads of possibilities, really. Probably a PO didn't treat it too well. Ragging it whilst cold, low quality oil, both, neither. Dunno.

mrdrprof · July 20, 2018, 02:08:50 PM

I ran the bike again for a little and I made it idle pretty low to hear the sound better and it definitely sounds like it's in the bottom end, on the clutch side around where the clutch assembly is. That doesn't make me too optimistic.

crackin · July 24, 2018, 04:06:33 AM

You need to stop running the bike and start pulling down.
I have seen in the past where a pressure plate bolt has backed out and hits the side cover, it could be as simple as that. You won't know until you start looking.

sledge · July 24, 2018, 04:33:59 AM

Do a search "loose starter clutch"

mrdrprof · July 26, 2018, 04:40:36 PM

Okay so I just adjusted the valves. The left exhaust was less than the minimum spec (.03 mm), so I was hoping it would be that. But no luck there

. Now that I have the tank off I can get a better listen and it sounds like it's in the top end. Kind of sounds like it's where the carburetors are but it's really hard to tell. Different spots give me the same sort of sound. Maybe I need to sync the carbs. I already have the tank off so that should be an easy 5 minute job. I have heard that the starter clutch bolt likes to come loose and make noise on these bikes so I will also look into that if syncing the carbs doesn't help. The PO said he replaced the clutch plates not too long before I bought the bike so it could be possible something came loose in there. I will look into that as well.

J_Walker · July 26, 2018, 05:14:28 PM

if its lower end, it will sound funny when riding the bike. like it will come an go depending on RPM. like it will start to make "the noise" when the engine is under load, but when you get to RPM steady, it will seemingly "go away" this is the "pre-warning" for spitting out a babbit bearing of some sort.

sounds like upper end to me, like its slapping, me thinks loose tolerances. cam chain is more of a slap sound, and it comes mainly from the front of the engine more, because the cam chain guide clips in towards the back of the engine [near the carbs]

Also you know when the cam chain skips a tooth or two......

things run into each other...

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Ticking Sound From Engine