SuzukiSavage.com - Clunky/Tapping engine sound

WunGun Junior Member Offline No cage Posts: 76 Modesto, Ca Gender:	Clunky/Tapping engine sound 10/17/20 at 09:54:55 Hey any savage gurus know what this sound is? I took it on a long ride to work and stopped at a light and noticed it had a high idle all of a sudden and was also making this sound. It was a hot running engine and was being pushed hard for a good 40min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZrsB1sEKIs
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28754 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound Reply #1 - 10/17/20 at 10:13:04 high idle after a hot run is not unusual. it will slow down after it cools a bit. investigate the tapping though.
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twhitus

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Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound
Reply #2 - 10/17/20 at 12:39:11

that sounds like a wrist pin to me. you can take a wooden dowel or stethoscope "can be cheap at auto store" and put it against the engine and other side against your ear to help pinpoint the noise. if the rockers have worn/backed off it should be coming right out the top of the engine. If its a wrist pin or piston slap it will be lower, about carb height. I dont think its a lower rod end as its to slappy sounding.

Silly question is the oil full?

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Dave

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Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound
Reply #3 - 10/18/20 at 10:52:59

My bike developed a knocking sound when it had 400 miles on it - by the time it had 1,200 miles it got incredibly loud. At higher engine speeds it was not noticeable - at idle it was very loud.

I eventually had to tear down the engine to see what was going on - it turned out the flywheel nut had come loose. It was a shame that I didn't find it until the engine was out of the frame and the entire top end was removed.

The sound was not isolated to the left side of the engine - the noise created by the flywheel banging around on the crankshaft splines was transmitted through the crank to the engine block, and the sound seemed like it was everywhere!

One other forum member bought a bike with a bad engine knock and proceeded to part a really nice bike out - and then discovered the flywheel nut was loose and the only problem.....unfortunately too much of the bike had been sold off to put it back together!

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WunGun Junior Member Offline No cage Posts: 76 Modesto, Ca Gender:	Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound Reply #4 - 10/21/20 at 20:16:12 Thanks for the replies. Flywheel is on tight and going to check the top end soon. Yes it had oil but wasn't full. Maybe half full. Could it be valves?
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zipidachimp Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 1387 surrey, b.c. Gender:	Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound Reply #5 - 10/22/20 at 00:01:10 inner/outer header pipe separation? I need to get mine re-welded. Cheers!
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jd290

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Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound
Reply #6 - 10/25/20 at 14:17:49

New owner of a 1998 Savage here. Had a loud (drilled muffler baffle) exhaust when I purchased the bike that I recently quieted down and now I clearly hear that exact same sound coming from the top of the cylinder. It's identical to video that you posted. Seems to be louder on the left hand side.
So far I've:
Adjusted the valves - no change
Temporarily removed the decompression shaft - no change
Interesting that it started suddenly for you. Have you checked the cam chain adjuster yet? Let us know if you find a possible cause. I'll continue to do the same.

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jd290 YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 12 Brooklyn N.Y. Gender:	Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound Reply #7 - 11/12/20 at 09:11:33 Not sure if you have taken off your cylinder head cover yet WunGun but this is what I found under mine. Utter carnage. Like I said , same exact tapping/Pinging noise as your posted video.
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jd290 YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 12 Brooklyn N.Y. Gender:	Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound Reply #8 - 11/12/20 at 09:13:01 This is the head cover/Rocker arms
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LANCER Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Savage Beast Performance Parts Posts: 10591 Oklahoma Gender:	Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound Reply #9 - 11/12/20 at 09:40:28 Nasty nasty nasty. 😣 And a big OUCH ! 😟
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jd290 YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 12 Brooklyn N.Y. Gender:	Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound Reply #10 - 11/12/20 at 10:17:24 Yep, can't believe it idling and running as well as it did except for the tapping noise! At the very least this is going to be cyl head, cam and head cover with rockers. Hope it doesn't absolutely require the engine out. I'm working on it outdoors in a parking lot.
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DragBikeMike Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 4166 Honolulu	Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound Reply #11 - 11/12/20 at 17:49:20 Sorry to give you bad news but the engine must come out in order to remove the head. Your pictures point to an oil problem. The only place I see any oil is in the head plug. You really must check your oil system before you light it off again. Dave had a head assembly for sale.
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jd290

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Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound
Reply #12 - 11/12/20 at 20:01:25

I wipe it down before taking pictures but definitely going to check for oiling system issues. It leaked oil pretty badly from the head plug so it seems like oil was getting to top end. Only had possession of the bike for about a month now and am thinking the previous owner let it get low on oil. There is a thread somewhere on this forum where some guys were saying you can remove front bottom engine mount and loosen the rear to lower the engine for clearance to remove head. Hope this is true for 1998. Only has 7000 mi. and would like to save it.

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niceast

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Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound
Reply #13 - 11/12/20 at 20:05:22

jd290 wrote on 11/12/20 at 20:01:25:

I wipe it down before taking pictures but definitely going to check for oiling system issues. It leaked oil pretty badly from the head plug so it seems like oil was getting to top end. Only had possession of the bike for about a month now and am thinking the previous owner let it get low on oil. There is a thread somewhere on this forum where some guys were saying you can remove front bottom engine mount and loosen the rear to lower the engine for clearance to remove head. Hope this is true for 1998. Only has 7000 mi. and would like to save it.

I was able to remove the head without removing the engine. its possible

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BobH

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Re: Clunky/Tapping engine sound
Reply #14 - 11/13/20 at 06:05:30

Dave wrote on 10/18/20 at 10:52:59:

I eventually had to tear down the engine to see what was going on - it turned out the flywheel nut had come loose. It was a shame that I didn't find it until the engine was out of the frame and the entire top end was removed.

Is this a big enough issue that the nut should be checked even if we don't have any noise? Is this nut easy to get to? Is the nut Number 9 in the diagram?

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Bob

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