SuzukiSavage.com - Ticking?

eanon

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Ticking?
10/09/07 at 19:17:05

I recently did the speedo rattle fix (thanks for all the help on that!!), and consequently I can actually hear the bike now.

Today on the way home from work, I noticed a "ticking" that seems to be coming from the engine. Higher rpm's, faster tick, lower rpm's, slower tick. It kinda sounds like my car when the oil needs to be changed, but I changed the oil on the bike last weekend! Only thing is, the oil is already black! (At least in the little "oil gauge window") I know the filter is old, and I'm gonna change that this weekend, but I really don't want anything catastrophic to happen at 75 mph... Any thoughts?

Forgot to mention: I fixed the speedo rattle almost a month ago, and have ridden almost everyday since. This is the first time I've heard the "ticking".

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Red '97, cone filter, 150 main, 52.5 Pilot, half spacer, Screaming Eagle turnout, 17/43 chain drive, shield, de-badged, 4" forward control extensions. Gettin' there.

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rigidchop Serious Thumper Offline don't feed the drama llama Posts: 1105 ravenswood wv Gender:	Re: Ticking? Reply #1 - 10/09/07 at 19:51:07 could be cam chain, valves, or oil to thin for outside temp. how many miles do you have on it?
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Reelthing Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Fish or ride that is the question Posts: 5397 Houston,Tx Gender:	Re: Ticking? Reply #2 - 10/09/07 at 19:57:25 eanon wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10: I know the filter is old, and I'm gonna change that this weekend How old is old? if it's highly restricted your not getting proper oil flow - only takes couple minutes
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verslagen1

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Re: Ticking?
Reply #3 - 10/09/07 at 21:17:58

The oil will turn black rather quickly cause there's leftover oil the can't drain out in your filter, and various other places.

Ticking... is it with every revolution? comes and goes? does it come from the right side? only when hot? High rpm? low rpm? any other noises? Is it coming from the new clock on the handlebars? (just kidding) Grin

valves that need adjusting tick, adjuster just before it lets go ticks... etc. etc. etc... tick... tick... tick...

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PerrydaSavage Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Riding "The Rock"! Posts: 3522 Republic of Newfoundland Gender:	Re: Ticking? Reply #4 - 10/10/07 at 00:21:15 Hmmm?? Y'all saying that the LS is a "timebomb"? ???
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T Mack 1 - FSO

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Re: Ticking?
Reply #5 - 10/10/07 at 03:33:37

PerrydaSavage wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:

Hmmm?? Y'all saying that the LS is a "timebomb"? ???

Aren't all mechcanical vehicles time bombs? ? You just have to know how to correctly handle the bomb and how to slow down the timer.

Eanon,
Questions:

- What oil did you use?

- Is ticking present when engine is on, but bike is sitting still? The reason I ask this, with a helmet on, direction of noise gets distorted. If it's only when you're moving, could be tranny or something rubbing belt. I had a noise at idle when commuting back and forth to work only, a small rattle like the noise a washer makes on a bolt that is almost ready to fall out. Sounded like it was coming from the handle bar area. Turned out to be the zipper pulls on my back pack, on the luggage rack, tapping together. Rubber bands on the pulls and no more rattle.

Comment: It's a good habit to always change the oil filter when changing oil. When changing the filter, aluminum foil is your friend!

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azjay

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Re: Ticking?
Reply #6 - 10/10/07 at 06:07:50

its easy to check and adjust valves. hopefully, that'll take care of your ticking noise. if not, pull the right side cover and have yourself a timing chain inspection, gaskets are WAY cheaper than motors. you didn't mention how many miles are on the bike, that can be useful information. i keep 3-4 oil filters in stock, and change the oil AND filter every 2000-2500 miles. catastrophic failure at 75 mph is a single BOOM! then silence, we learned that one night, last fall.

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Rogue_Cheddar

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Re: Ticking?
Reply #7 - 10/10/07 at 07:41:26

azjay wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:

its easy to check and adjust valves.

Easy is a relative term isn't it? While I recently successfully adjusted my valves

, (I'm not a motorcycle mechanic but play one with my Savage), I would not regard this adjustment as easy, but doable if your confortable with feeler gauges and screwdrivers in your hands, and can RTFM. As Borat would say "Oil changes are easy, adjusting valves, not so much." Cheesy

As far as the ticking goes, I would bet on the valves needing adjusting, as mine were ticking quite loudly. I believe they're supposed to be adjusted every 4000 mi or so anyway. I think that's what I saw in the Clymer's book. The hardest part for me besides the tank removal and reinstall, was driving to all the auto parts stores looking for angled feeler gauges that went down to .003. I ended up bending the .003 and .005's on my straight set to gitrdun.

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Savage_Rob Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Mechanically Inclined Amateur Posts: 6972 Texas (Dallas area) Gender:	Re: Ticking? Reply #8 - 10/10/07 at 08:57:54 azjay wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10: catastrophic failure at 75 mph is a single BOOM! then silence, we learned that one night, last fall. And faster to accomplish using no oil rather than just old oil too!
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eanon

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Re: Ticking?
Reply #9 - 10/10/07 at 14:06:31

I used penzoil 10w-40, just like the om suggested. Yes, the noise is present when the bike is on and sitting still. She has 11,378 miles on her, and I would bet the filter hasn't been changed in 5000-6000 miles. I know it needs to be done, just a matter of time and $$$. (payday is friday! New filter, here I come). The ticking is with every revolution, and does not come and go. It's constant, though it gets louder with higher rpm's. No clock yet, was thinking of hooking up my grandma's 75 yr old table top clock for nostalgia sake. 8)

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Red '97, cone filter, 150 main, 52.5 Pilot, half spacer, Screaming Eagle turnout, 17/43 chain drive, shield, de-badged, 4" forward control extensions. Gettin' there.

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T Mack 1 - FSO

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Re: Ticking?
Reply #10 - 10/10/07 at 19:29:54

So, looks like you should try the cheap things first.

First check the exhaust system to make sure it's not leaking (loose or unseen hole) near the engine. Exh leaks sometimes sound like ticking, but usually changes with RPM due to the exhaust pressure / velocity.

Next, could be valve adjustment. That's the cheapest (parts = $0). It is just a tedious chore. You'll need to get/borrow a feeler gauge that goes down to .003 in.

After that, next is taking off side cover to check cam chain tensioner.

After that, take the head cover to check cam journals. Clogged filter will reduce oil pressure, and at idle, a engine, at temp, will only have 2-4 psi with 10w-40 with a new filter. (I know this because I have an oil pressure gauge mounted because the Prev owner melted the piston and ruined one of the cam journals). The Mobil one V-Twin 20W-50 runs 5-7 psi at idle. Take a guess what I running now.......

TMack

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Engineers design things, Technicians make them work.
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Polar_Pilot

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Re: Ticking?
Reply #11 - 10/11/07 at 03:48:48

T Mack 1 - FSO wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:

So, looks like you should try the cheap things first.

First check the exhaust system to make sure it's not leaking (loose or unseen hole) near the engine. Exh leaks sometimes sound like ticking, but usually changes with RPM due to the exhaust pressure / velocity.

Next, could be valve adjustment. That's the cheapest (parts = $0). It is just a tedious chore. You'll need to get/borrow a feeler gauge that goes down to .003 in.

After that, next is taking off side cover to check cam chain tensioner.

After that, take the head cover to check cam journals. Clogged filter will reduce oil pressure, and at idle, a engine, at temp, will only have 2-4 psi with 10w-40 with a new filter. (I know this because I have an oil pressure gauge mounted because the Prev owner melted the piston and ruined one of the cam journals). The Mobil one V-Twin 20W-50 runs 5-7 psi at idle. Take a guess what I running now.......

TMack

One more thing - changing oil without changing the filter is a totally false economy.
Every oil change your engine gets clean oil - so why immediately contaminate it with a dirty filter?
Your bike deserves a new filter with new oil!

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azjay Serious Thumper Offline aridzona... its a dry heat Posts: 816 Gender:	Re: Ticking? Reply #12 - 10/11/07 at 06:18:38 Savage_Rob wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10: And faster to accomplish using no oil rather than just old oil too! cause and effect
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eanon Full Member Offline Thump-Thump-Thu mp Posts: 219 Austin, Texas Gender:	Re: Ticking? Reply #13 - 10/15/07 at 14:04:29 So I'm pretty sure the ticking is the valves. Thanks for all the info. Only question now is am I going to hurt the bike by waiting to adjust them? I'm planning on doing it either this weekend or next weekend.
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eanon Full Member Offline Thump-Thump-Thu mp Posts: 219 Austin, Texas Gender:	Re: Ticking? Reply #14 - 10/15/07 at 14:49:47 Should I have mentioned I ride 200+ miles a week?
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