Since I got my 1999 GS500E, I've noticed something strange.
I never paid attention too much, but, is one of those thingy that remains in your mind and you can't really ignore.

What: the engine *RANDOMLY* produces some metallic clang clang clang once in a while. Sometimes londer than other times

When: when the engine is IDLE (or at low RPM) and HOT. Usually after a short stop. The "clang" sound is timed with the RPM.

Some extra  information:
- this sound "comes and goes" without figuring out what triggers it (and what stops it).
- whenever I hear it I rev it up a little bit until it stops. Sometimes when the engine go back to idle it starts again.
- it sound BAD (to me)...
- the bike has 13k mi. and I've noticed this sound since I got it
- I got the bike 1 1/2 years ago: after sitting on a garage for about 3 years without running (previous owner drove it for 180 miles in 4 years)
- Yes, there is enough oil in the engine.
- Yes, whenever I change the oil, I replace the filter as well.
- I think Suzuki recommand a 10-40W oil, but I'm ended up using a 20-50W (a guy at a local shop recommanded).
- I never hear this sound when the engine is cold.
- The sound resemble to two pieces of metal hitting one each other.

Can it be a problem with the valves ? Can it be the oil pump that somehow sometimes can't get enough oil?

The bike lately is also having some trouble with the carburator (as I read on the board, there may be some cracks on some hoses), but this is another issue...

Anybody had a similar "experience" ? Any suggestion? Any help is highly appreciated!!!

Fabrizio

Is the sound coming from the top of the engine?  Sounds like you might be in need of a valve adjustment.  A valve that adjusted too loose makes a steady tinny click-click-click sound.

I can't really tell if it comes from the top or from the bottom of the engine.
I thought at the valves as well... and I was thinking to open it... I've the Clymer book and it doesn't seems too "complicated" to open it... I'm just afraid to cause more damage by opening the valves compartment... and mechanics don't even look at my bike for nothing less $400...

Sigh

I havn't pulled the valve covers off my gs yet but any way you slice it, you are going to get ripped off by a mechanic.  The worst feeling is paying $200 for something then having a friend teach you how to do it and you think to yourself "I paid $200 for THAT???" :x

That's the way I felt after I learned how easy it was to rejet carbs.  $16 in parts and the shop wanted $200 to do it.

Adjusting the valves on motorcycles is made to be relatively easy.  On my XL600r I could do it in under an hour.

From your description, it's not the valves.  It's a bit of sideplay in one (or both?) of the camshafts.  At idle they can slide back and forth a bit, depending on the thickness of the spacer on the left end.  (See items 2 and 8 in THIS DIAGRAM.)

The motion / sound are pretty much considered harmless, but it can drive you nuts listening to it.

See if the service dept folks will tweak the spacer(s) under warranty.

EDIT: Warranty?  Ha!  Somehow I thought you had a 2004 GS500F.  Oops!  

Hmmm the spacer idea convinces much more than anything else...

Well, let's put it in this way... I think (I want to think) the sound is harmless as Kerry said... otherwise something would have already happened after 12k miles (nothing has changed since day 1)

"...and now for something completely different": since I'm surrounded by experts here...

Guess what am I going to ask now?
Your guess is right ... the damn carburators!!! Love and hate of everybody (me first, since the very first thing I have to do to restart the bike after 3 years sitting on the garage, was to take them apart...)

Lately my GS doesn't run as well as before. Reading the message board msgs, I got the following ideas I'm going to check this weekend (ur... starting SOON!!! ):

 - Cracks on carb boots that cause vacuum leak (how do I see if there's a vacuum leak)
 - Float height adjustment (I printed the instruction from Kerry's page...)
 - The air "shutters" (I don't know how they are called): the black plastic sliding thingy that are facing the air filter, inside the carb: do they need lubrification? Those are supposed to regulate the air flow and should move up and down driven by the vacuum chamber on the top of it, right? What happen if those "shutters" don't go up or go up and down very well?

Syntoms:
- Problems starting at cold
- Hell no way is runs at idle... I've always need to keep my hand on the gas throttle...
- Adjusting the ide screw is useless: either the idle stays at 4K RPM or none...
- The bike runs fine in freeways, even if when I open the throttle, the engine first choke, but then respond (when I open the throttle much more).

Does anybody have some more ideas?
I know those are hot topics... and I'm sure you've already talked about this so many times... Sigh...
Thank you *SO* much for any hint!!

Fabrizio

OK OK slow down there a bit tiger ...
The end play in my bike 46K miles done with scant regard for anything mechanical ... If it broke I have a spare paradigm... and its not worn enough to take a end play shim... might never wear enough for one of those... so check your valves and check your cam chain, and check for goats syndrome... and ride on if these are all good. Also check your drive chain.
Cool.
Srinath.

Quote from: fabrizi0Lately my GS doesn't run as well as before.

And the bike has 12,000+ miles on it?  In that case, I agree with Srinath: check the valves first.  If you end up adjusting a shim or two, see if the noise you originally mentioned goes away.  (While you have the valve cover off, see if you can detect any movement when you try to push each camshaft end-to-end.)

Quote from: fabrizi0- Cracks on carb boots that cause vacuum leak (how do I see if there's a vacuum leak)

Spray some WD-40 or other solvent on the boots while the engine is running.  If the RPMs change as a direct result, then there is a leak somewhere which has been letting extra air in.  (See this photo.)

Quote from: fabrizi0- The air "shutters" (I don't know how they are called): the black plastic sliding thingy that are facing the air filter, inside the carb:do they need lubrification?

Around here we call them "slides".  The parts fiches label them as "piston valves".  I've never lubricated mine....  :dunno:

Quote from: fabrizi0Those are supposed to regulate the air flow and should move up and down driven by the vacuum chamber on the top of it, right? What happen if those "shutters" don't go up or go up and down very well?

This sounds like one for Srinath, our resident carb guru ... along with this one:

Quote from: fabrizi0- The bike runs fine in freeways, even if when I open the throttle, the engine first choke, but then respond (when I open the throttle much more).

But a good, thorough carb cleaning wouldn't hurt.

What thickness do the shim come in? I have an 89 with the tic-tic-tictic end play (have always had it for the 10k miles or so since I bought the bike at 24k).  I just measured the end play and I cannot even fit a 0.25 mm feeler in it. :dunno:

Cheers,
e.

Quote from: Ed89What thickness do the shim come in?

Check out a couple of posts starting HERE.

Quote from: Ed89I have an 89

Interesting.  I remembered someone saying a few months ago that the '89 came without replaceable camshaft end washers.  But the '89 BikeBandit diagram shows them.  :dunno:

Quote from: Ed89I just measured the end play and I cannot even fit a 0.25 mm feeler in it. :dunno:

Since they come in .1mm increments, maybe you'll get lucky.  But it might be best to shell out $10 for a full set of 3 washer sizes rather than guess wrong one or more times.

The slides in the carbs don't need to be lubricated. The gasoline would wash off any lubricant in no time anyway.
I would check the intake boots thoroughly, if it only want's to idle at 4000 rpm and bogs at first when you open the throttle more it seems that the mixture is too lean. If that isn't the problem, it may be a clogged up pilot-jet. In that case you would have to open the carbs to clean everything.

But like Srinath and Kerry said: First adjust the valves! After you've done that you can move to the carbs.

Quote from: Kerry

Quote from: Ed89What thickness do the shim come in?

Check out a couple of posts starting HERE.

Quote from: Ed89I have an 89

Interesting.  I remembered someone saying a few months ago that the '89 came without replaceable camshaft end washers.  But the '89 BikeBandit diagram shows them.  :dunno:

Quote from: Ed89I just measured the end play and I cannot even fit a 0.25 mm feeler in it. :dunno:

Since they come in .1mm increments, maybe you'll get lucky.  But it might be best to shell out $10 for a full set of 3 washer sizes rather than guess wrong one or more times.

Well .1mm increments yea but the thinnest is 1mm and I have a max of .9 in my 89 ... BTW I didn't have shims in it stock, and neither does the 90, 92, 95, 97 (Gino's and devon's) and 93 (spare) ...
Cool.
Srinath.

Thanks for the link, Kerry.  My 89 doesn't look like it has any shim at all on the cam where it should be according to the diagram.  So I suppose it is true that 89 doesn't come with replaceable shim. (Edit: Uh... Missed Srinath's post above.  I guess it is not just 89 that has no replaceable shims.)

Srinath: 0.9mm!    You have been riding your bike!  :mrgreen:

Cheers,
e.

Hey Srinath ... another money-making opportunity!  Maybe your machinist could turn out some camshaft washers at various thicknesses!

Yeah ... everybody break out your feeler blades, find out what thickness you need, and ... hmmm, is this not a good idea? :dunno:

Maybe everybody could buy the 1.0mm washer and sand it down to fit?  (Good luck! )

OK, I give up.

Quote from: KerryHey Srinath ... another money-making opportunity!  Maybe your machinist could turn out some camshaft washers at various thicknesses!

Yeah ... everybody break out your feeler blades, find out what thickness you need, and ... hmmm, is this not a good idea? :dunno:

Maybe everybody could buy the 1.0mm washer and sand it down to fit?  (Good luck! )

OK, I give up.

& moreover, fabrizio

few month ago i`v replaced the shims in the camshaft & the crank sound
has gone... ( i used 1.2 & 1.3)

but .... i thought to myself a few days ago ...
since my gs is year 2001 ... hmmm .... hmmm
what can happend in few more years if the the noise will come back ?

suzuki did not manufactor 1.4mm washer shim  :dunno:

i wonder if someone already been in that shaZam! ....

btw:i tried to make that shim at my work (factory)  
but i came to know that there are many kinds of steel
so i bought the original parts of suzuki.

Ive got the same clacking sound at low rpm and when the engine is good and warm.  Ive done a lot a checking and rechecking of the valves and what not, and havent found anything wrong.  I had givin up and decided to live with it until Kerry posted an older thread about the cam shaft side play, it makes sense to me so Im betting that was the problem with my bike. Its been doin it for atleast the last 2,000 or so miles and it still runs like a champ.  Based on your description Im going to guess you have the same problem Ive got.

Quote from: erezshlez

Quote from: KerryHey Srinath ... another money-making opportunity!  Maybe your machinist could turn out some camshaft washers at various thicknesses!

Yeah ... everybody break out your feeler blades, find out what thickness you need, and ... hmmm, is this not a good idea? :dunno:

Maybe everybody could buy the 1.0mm washer and sand it down to fit?  (Good luck! )

OK, I give up.

& moreover, fabrizio

few month ago i`v replaced the shims in the camshaft & the crank sound
has gone... ( i used 1.2 & 1.3)

but .... i thought to myself a few days ago ...
since my gs is year 2001 ... hmmm .... hmmm
what can happend in few more years if the the noise will come back ?

suzuki did not manufactor 1.4mm washer shim  :dunno:

i wonder if someone already been in that shaZam! ....

btw:i tried to make that shim at my work (factory)  
but i came to know that there are many kinds of steel
so i bought the original parts of suzuki.

sorry bring it up agine, but will be happy to know ....
can it come to 1.4-> & above ?

I have the same clack, clack noise in my '93'. It has been there ever since I bought it last year. The sound on my motorcycle is coming from the tachometer cable drive pinion underneath the exhaust camshaft.

The pinion gear is a helical gear which has a thrusting component when driven. It appears that, in the case of my GS anyway, the clack, clack sound is the pinion gear being driven against the bearing surface on the engine case.