did you rotate the crank CW or CCW?

did you rotate to TDC on the compression stroke?

verslagen1 wrote on 08/15/12 at 20:23:08:


Definitely a good thing to check.  TDCC is correct; TDCE is not.  I just pull the spark plug and insert a piece of wooden dowel; TDCC gives the least distance to the piston.  There's probably a better way but it works for me.

Same here... "Ting ting ting ting" coming from the head region once the engine is warm. I gapped the valves (turning CCW and definitely TDCC based on valve movements and difficulty moving the breaker bar) put it all back together and.... No difference.

The bike is a 2007 with 8000 km on it. A friend has a 2004, but I haven't heard it running warm yet to compare.

Any ideas?

I'm hoping that the noise is normal, but until I can hear another engine for comparison, it's hard to know. You know?  

I know for sure! I have heard quite some Savage's around here and will hear a lot of them again this weekend. We are going to have a Motorbike party from our LS-forum in Germany ... That won't help you, I know.
But don't be to anxious. "She" is not a glamour girl and if "she" got an arm with a hand, she would scratch her a** in public

It is usual rising good audible tic's from the valves when hot, even if you wear a helmet.

If the rocker arm pads working on the lobes of the cam were worn out, that would generate nasty and awkward sounds even if the engine is cold.

Could you make a short video and post it on youtube? ...might help a lot!

I just (re)-checked the valves on my 03, and it's the same.  To spec, and still a not-so-soft ticking.  I'd call it a "tacking" rather than a ticking.  But no other Savages around the I know of to compare.  

I used the $2.99 feeler gauge set from Harbor Freight.  Pushed them right in, though there was some wiggling for the tigher fits.  And I had to flex the feeler into an S-curve to get it in, but tried to get it reasonably flat at the point of contact.  Basically, depending on the valve, I could get the .003 or .004 in there and slide it around with some friction, but couldn't get the .005 or .006 to even go in.

Since I didn't have some offset wrenches, or a screwdriver that would reach the darn screw with the engine on the bike, I basically finger tightened the adjuster screw with the .005 gauge in there, then finger tightened the locknut, then took the feeler out, then used a torque socket wrench (10 bucks at HF with coupon this week!) to tighten the locknut.  Then I'd check the gap again.  With a little playing around, I could zone in on it, but boy what a pain.