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Message started by Nodicei on 09/12/07 at 16:49:59

Title: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by Nodicei on 09/12/07 at 16:49:59

Hey...new to this site. Have a 97 Suzuki Savage.
I'm starting to hear a tapping/metalic ticking sound coming from around the engine cover. Goes away temporialy when I throttle up. It's as if something is loose in the engine. No loss of compression or performance. Thought it might need valve adjustment. Took the bike to shop. They just called. Noise not caused by valve problem. They need to
open the engine (4 hours labor) to see what the problem is. Has anyone else had such a noise coming from the engine. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks.
P.S. Not technically inclined.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by jkhulon73 on 09/12/07 at 17:15:21

Did you check to see if the chrome head covers were tightened down? :o Mine was loose on the left side and noisy as all get out (until I removed them both and put them in the 'to be sold' pile)

If the tinking was in the top end, I'd have thought valves, too. I'm not sure what the cam chain sounds like before the tensioner goes, but I think that noise would come from lower down on the right side. Someone with a bit more experience might know...

...I imagine I have been no help, what so ever...

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by Nodicei on 09/12/07 at 17:22:16

Every little bit helps. I just don't want to get screwed by the shop I left it with...:P. They want $320 just to strip it down. God knows how much for the replacement parts and then putting it back together. It's on opened pregnant dog that I just don't want to deal with. The bike runs great. It's that noise that concerns me. I can live with the it. I just don't want to find out later I could have avoided more problems down the road.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by firsts40 on 09/12/07 at 17:44:06

I read somewhere on the site that during hot weather, the valves will get a little noisy even if there is no problem with them. My 06 had a little noise this summer in the high 90 temp range, and now that it is cooling off a bit, (high 80's) it isn't as bad. I have an excellent dealership very close, and I plan on having the valves checked next month anyways. They told me the same thing I read on this site about valves becoming a little noisey in very hot weather. By the way.........this will be the last visit to the shop unless it is something major. It will be time I turn wrenches myself.

How about hearing from the experts on this site. Is this true or not??????

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by Nodicei on 09/12/07 at 17:48:56

I read the same thing. But my noise is constant. I think I may have caused some damage by letting the oil level get too low. I could not really see the oil level that well through that dumbass little window. What happend to the old dipstick? Oh that's right I'm the dipstick for letting the oil level get to low. :o

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by demin on 09/12/07 at 17:56:30

Listen and try to get a good idea where it is coming from.Mine sounded like valves ,checked them they were ok kept riding.Found this site only to find out about the cam chain tensioner dilema.There are a bunch of threads already on the tensioner just go through the topics in here. How many miles on the bike?

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by Nodicei on 09/12/07 at 18:08:37

18K....only changed the oil every three thousand miles. No other maintenance. (new spark plug).

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by demin on 09/12/07 at 18:14:31

My money is on the tensioner.Check out "ooops" on the next page.That's what happens when a tensioner comes apart.I would check into ASAP .My '86 is down with the same problem.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 09/12/07 at 18:25:20

Why you say it isnt valves? When were they checked?

At this age & mileage, the time for a cam chain change is upon you. Instead of paying out the nose for the work, during which they will likely "find" the need for more work & $$/. Learning to do the work will pay you back many, many times. If you pay for the maintenance on this bike, you will not ride it far or often.If you pay someone to do the repairsd( if repair due to low oil IS needed, & for the maintenance & a cam chain is needed, I wouldnt be surprised to see close to a grand spent. You can do it all for just a few hundred & the tools will be paid for on the first job. As long as any low oil damage is lim ited to the top end, I think I am steering ya right. If You would change the oil & run a magnet thru, loking for ferrous metals & autopsy the filter, you can have a better idea.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by Nodicei on 09/12/07 at 18:31:56

Man...I have a hard time changing a light bulb at times. It be great if I had a big brother like you to watch over my shoulder when I get to tinkering. But the fact is I wouldn't even know where to being. I have a repair manual that the previous owner gave me. To be honest it's like Chinese Calculus. :o

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by demin on 09/12/07 at 18:36:06

It's not as hard as it sounds just takes some time.Don't be afraid to ask questions here,everybody helps everybody here.Ask Islandwahine.She didn't know much. since she has rebuilt her forks,working on carb,who knows whatelse. ;DIf you look in the tech. section there are usually step by step directions with pics.Your big brother is usually everybody here.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by Nodicei on 09/12/07 at 18:51:31

Thanks fo the confidence boost. ;D

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 09/12/07 at 19:53:59

I dont think theres a bike out there that can be kept & NOT maintained by the owner, unless someone is just rich & uses the bike for a hobby only. The cost of maintenance will eat the value of the bike in short order. Thats the way I see it, anyway. If I had to pay someone to solve evry little issue, it would be in the shop, waiting its turn in lione, more than in the garage, during riding season. The wait times can be 2 weeks for minor issues.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by islandwahine on 09/13/07 at 01:03:43

Nodicei wrote:

Aloha, Nodicei, There's a bunch of girls on this site (including me) that have started doing their own fixer-uppers. So if we can learn, so can you! This site is great, and someone is bound to have the right answer!

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by skrapiron on 09/13/07 at 04:44:51

At 18k, I'm going to bet your valves are WAAAAAY out of adjustment. The manual recommends adjustment every 4k. Mine started getting noisy again after 3.5k. I'm due for another oil change and valve adjustment (probably by the end of the week).

What the others have been saying about the cam chain is probably true. Older Savys tend to eat cam chains.

I checked mine at ~10k (a little less than a month ago) and there was only 15mm of run out on the tensioner. Suzuki put a slightly different cam chain tensioner in starting in 2003 or 2004. It's mostly the same but has a heavier spring (I think it's to minimize chain stretch).

Good luck with your bike. I hope you found a reputable shop that you can trust.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by skatnbnc on 09/13/07 at 08:00:45

Nodicei wrote:

Man...I have a hard time changing a light bulb at times. I have a repair manual that the previous owner gave me. To be honest it's like Chinese Calculus. :o

I have often commented on the physical distance between us Savage owners, in annoyance that Greg or Lancer or one of the guys could not just swing by and help me out on a Savage issue.

I have the manual, and it is Greek. I need common sense advice, not fancy technical diagrams that upon inspection don't match my actual bike.

It seems from your mileage that it is time to at least CHECK the cam chain. It seems like a big operation.
However, and this is a big however ~ you have everything you need RIGHT HERE on the forum to check on and repair the cam chain yourself.

This place has the parts for sale, the knowledge, the photos and the backup support. Trust me, I had never wrenched anything other than my back before I got my bike, and now have the confidence to do my own cam chain when the time comes.

If I can do, YOU can do it! :)

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by islandwahine on 09/13/07 at 10:35:17

skatnbnc wrote:

Trust me, I had never wrenched anything other than my back before I got my bike, and now have the confidence to do my own cam chain when the time comes.

If I can do, YOU can do it! :)

I must admit, the prospect of doing my own cam chain is still a bit daunting.
After doing the fork seal and oil I kept on imagining that things were wrong, wheel wobbly, fork coming off, etc. I stopped the bike multiple times for days just to check all the bolts and such cause I could swear there was something I had not done right!
So even though I feel I can do anything (which a lot of times is true) I guess it takes a while to get the confidence in yourself and to actually feel safe hopping back on the bike after.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 09/13/07 at 11:16:49

I think that is a very reasonable & smart thing Island. NOT being coRcky about it, being a bit worried, checking things over & over, that will keep you alive. Unneccessarily jumpy beats unreasonably calm every time. Keep going over it till you know its right.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by FreeSpirit on 09/13/07 at 16:53:49

Has anyone mentioned the Clymers(service) manual ????

Since I've gotten one,I wouldnt want to do anything without it......for one thing has lots better pictures than the Owners manual.

And lots more info!etc,etc,etc :-)

I don't think anyone mentioned this.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by demin on 09/13/07 at 17:31:01

Everytime I buy a vehicle I get a manual for it.Checking the tensioner isn't that big of a deal.it's behind the right (brakeside)crankcase cover.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by Nodicei on 09/13/07 at 17:55:24

Well here's the "good news"/"bad news" result of taking my bike to the shop. As I mentioned in my previous post the mechanic claimed the noise I kept hearing was coming from the lower/deeper part of engine. He claims it may be a worn piston, a loose rod or the like. Long story is they wanted big $$ :o off of me to fix the thing. $320 to go in and $320 to come back out (build the engine back up) not to mention the $ for the replacement part. That's the bad news. The good news is they charged me $86 to take a look at my bike. For that they did adjust my valves which normally would have cost me $160. The bike sounds and responds much much better. I still hear a tapping noise, but its not as bad. It sounds like a sewing machine on steroids. It generally runs quieter. I can't tell if it actually sounds like before or not. ::) So that is where I stand. I would like to thank all of you for your input. I'm amazed with all the great responses I received in this matter. All said I am fairly satisfied the way things worked out. It'll buy me enough time until I can upgrade to a Suzuki C-50 or a Honda Spirit shadow.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by firsts40 on 09/16/07 at 08:05:21

I stated once before that I read they will have a little valve chatter when the temp goes way up. Well yesterday I ran a Poker Run that was 208 miles round trip for me. When we left in the morning it was around 70 degrees and got up to the high eighties coming home in the afternoon. In the morning it purred pretty on the highway (65-70). Topped the tank off on Mobile Alabama, and got some pretty attention getting back fires. Filled again in the Mobile area coming home and we ran around 70 most of the way to Biloxi Mississippi, and it purred pretty again with no backfires even whenclosing the throttle quickly from 65 MPH. Not only did a lot of the chatter go away, it ran strong. Our Captain motioned me up next to him and told me to take the lead, we were doing around 65, and I rolled the throttle and she jumped to around 75, I backed it off to around 65 again, but still the chatter was almost gone.

???Don't ask me what I am trying to say, because I don't really have a clue....just rambling along about a completely stock S40 that had a little chatter this summer and now it is gone down a lot since the weather has cooled.

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by nervekiler on 09/16/07 at 08:58:29

my bike has the same sound only after it has warmed up for a few minutes. i only notice it at lower RPMS but that might just mean the exhuast drowns it out.
ive tried touching the engine and cannot feel a clanking feeling..

it sounds like a sewing machine though

how bad is it to continue to drive the bike with this sound? right now its my only transportation to and from work until i can save a little $$ to buy a car...

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by firsts40 on 09/16/07 at 11:26:31

I am not a very good wrench turner, so would wait to hear from some of our experts. I chanced it and drove my 06 for about 500-550 miles of only commuting back and forth to work hitting maybe 60. I could hear it going to work during mid afternoon, and not as much at arouind 1AM when I was going home, when the temp was a little lower.
How about some of you experts answering this question for him.
Ride safe

Title: Re: Tapping sound coming from engine
Post by demin on 09/16/07 at 11:27:20

Just look at YonuhAdisi's(think I spelled it right)ooops in the next page or 2.It's not pretty what can happen ;).He got lucky thats all that happened.