Hello everyone and greetings from Finland!

I bought a 48000 km driven terribly bobberized Savage last December and I've been restoring it to closer to it's original form. There was a clanking noise when I bought it, and it still has. Comes and goes with the use of the throttle and it's really hard to say where it comes from, tried to locate it with a screwdriver method and later with a stethoscope.

I have checked the cam chain tensioner, only 13mm out. I've also lifted the head cover: Cam, rockers and bearing journals seemed to be in good condition, altough the head cover wasn't properly installed, two snapped bolts were glued in place and one locating dovel was missing   And no sealant in the head cap  
Valve clearances are well adjusted and they seem to stay the same after a test run.

I'm going to check the flywheel nut as soon as I get the puller.
Any other suggestions where this sound might come from?

EDITED 3/5/17:

things I've checked or replaced so far:

-Camshaft journals (in factory specs)
-New camshaft
-Lifters are fine
-New O/S Wiseco piston (old was 0,5mm under wear limits at the skirt)
-Crankshaft and con rod bearings felt fine
-New valves & seals (one was bent)
-Flywheel nut (couldn't get it open, so I think it's tight enough)
-Oil pump works & turned the sprocket the right way around
-Clutch (in factory specs)
-Tensioner out 13mm, not hitting the cover

Any suggestions? Intermittent tapping, comes back and goes away with throttle, quite sure it comes from just below the cylinder out front.

welcome!
did you change the oil? if yes witch oil did you put in the bike?

cool you need to check out Rotella T oil and treads about that!

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 05/08/16 at 08:28:28:


OK, it's M/C oil and suitable for wet clutches so I hope there will be no problem with the clutch, but we'll see when I get on the road. That sound also seems to appear more frequently with a warm engine, so I'm not sure it's the oil?

Have to check the Rotella T, I think it's a bit difficult to find in Europe, but seems like the Delvac MX is very popular choice too.

Thanks for your input!

kojones wrote on 05/08/16 at 13:45:27:



I wouldn't use an impact wrench.....you can't know how much torque is on the nut when you stop?

kojones wrote on 05/09/16 at 04:18:11:


OK.........Good luck with that!

Gary_in_NJ wrote on 05/09/16 at 05:39:16:



Yes, there was magnetic and aluminium metal flakes in the filter but we haven't been able to determine their origin. I have no clue how long the filter has been there, so hard to say are they result of the noise.


And actually I asked about using the bikes transmission and brakes as an resisting force, the use of an impact wrench has nothing to do with that, altough the impact might be a bit hard to gear wheel tooth.  
But since the required tightening torque is so much bigger than the engines output torque I think I'm not going to tighten or loosen them that way.

Have you checked your front pulley ? If not torqued to 100 psi ,it could be moving on the shaft ,rubbing the side cover . The noise can be intermittent on throttle , going or slowing.