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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Valve clearance, rocker arms and metallic clicking
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Message started by vblomberg on 11/17/12 at 08:54:50

Title: Valve clearance, rocker arms and metallic clicking
Post by vblomberg on 11/17/12 at 08:54:50

Hi everybody!
Thank you for a very good forum!
After accidentally riding my 1986 savage almost dry of oil it has been alot of noise coming from the top. Thinking it was valve clearance I adjusted them to the correct measures, changed the oil and went for a short ride to see if the noise was gone. It wasn't. So I re-checked the clearance, adjusted them a bit tighter and went for another test-ride. This time it was better, but today when i went to see if the adjusters had moved I noticed the intake rocker arm is moving alot to the sides and can slide almost all the way back and forth on the shaft.

So I got a couple of questions I really need som help with!
1. Is the rocker arm supposed to slide that much sideways?
2. What will the consequences be if i start the bike?
3. Anybody got any other idea of what it could be making the noise?

The noise is coming from the top and sounds like loud metallic clicking following the RPM.

Greetings from Sweden!

Title: Re: Valve clearance, rocker arms and metallic clic
Post by Oldfeller on 11/17/12 at 09:05:49

If you ran completely out of oil you might have done some damage to the rocker tappets and the cam lobes, both of which would cause the issues that you describe.

Verification of this issue would be that a fresh, correct valve adjustment very quickly "wears large" and gets noisy again -- this would be due to the very rough surface left on the tappets and on the cam lobes quickly wearing itself some extra clearance into the system.

Sideways motion is controlled by thrust washers that are assembled on the rocker pivot rods that move the rockers totally over to one side and thus give a consistent alignment to the tappet screw to the valve head.

If you have changed that, then you have done some overheating & washer annealing -- or possibly some aluminum damage as well.

If your aluminum cam bearings in the head are enlarged or wallowed out, you will have a strong ticking that will not go away even with a fresh valve adjustment.

Title: Re: Valve clearance, rocker arms and metallic clic
Post by wambr on 11/17/12 at 09:23:30

if I've understood you correctly, then a noise in the area of the cylinder head after you went through on a savage without proper oil level in the engine? the engine oil has been very little? if so, then most likely Oldfeller sad.
you can still try to check the status of the tensioner of motor chain...it gives a very similar sounds . may be after the riding with a low oil level in the engine she just reached out..in General it is checked and it is easy and not expensive . but very useful...
good luck!

Title: Re: Valve clearance, rocker arms and metallic clic
Post by MeLikeBike on 11/25/12 at 19:22:51

So if you did a valve adjustment, and there is still ticking due to what OF says, then is there no recourse??? I think I may be in this same boat. Any parts to replace, or is this "just buy a new engine" territory?

Title: Re: Valve clearance, rocker arms and metallic clic
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 11/25/12 at 20:08:34

Pull the oil filter & dissect it,
Drain oil into a Clean, Non ferrous container,, well,, I guess thats too late,,

go get the old filter outta the oil filter bucket.. Im sure you dont put them in the trash,,