SuzukiSavage.com - What could be the source of this engine rattle?

och Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 629	What could be the source of this engine rattle? 06/23/23 at 07:57:15 It is on the left size of the engine, seems to be coming from the head, but maybe from the crankcase, I'm not sure. I started noticing it maybe a month ago, seems to be getting worse, but the engine runs strong. Video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ftgqMdRl2E
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Tocsik Serious Thumper Offline the singularity Posts: 1167 Denver, CO Gender:	Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle Reply #1 - 06/23/23 at 10:03:34 Sounds like loose valves to me. Easy enough to check. Be sure your motor is stone cold; not even ridden at all the day before you check them.
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Ruttly Serious Thumper Offline Thumpers Rule Posts: 5113 Manteca , CA Gender:	Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle Reply #2 - 06/23/23 at 11:48:43 Better hope it isn’t the cam chain tensioner coming apart. Past experiences tell me , they run the best right before they blow up. Drop your oil and check for metallic debris. Just to be safe. Oil is cheap , engines are not !
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och

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Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle
Reply #3 - 06/23/23 at 12:21:28

Ruttly wrote on 06/23/23 at 11:48:43:

Better hope it isn’t the cam chain tensioner coming apart.
Past experiences tell me , they run the best right before they blow up.
Drop your oil and check for metallic debris.
Just to be safe.
Oil is cheap , engines are not !

It is definitely on the other side of the engine, where the magneto is. Last month I had the clutch done, mechanic said the chain and tensioner are nice and tight.

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Dave

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Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle
Reply #4 - 06/24/23 at 03:47:49

My bike and a couple of others developed a rattle that was elusive, and later turned into a loud knocking sound. The sound started when the bike only had 400 miles on it....by the time it reached 1,200 miles it was incredibly loud. The sound was loudest at idle and would get quieter as the rpm increased. It was impossible to locate the source....it just seemed to come from everywhere on the left side of the engine.

I took the motor apart starting at the top end and worked my way down. When I went to remove the flywheel nut it was loose! All the rattling and eventual knocking was caused by the flywheel rattling on the splices of the flywheel/crankshaft.

If you can't find it anywhere else.....check the flywheel nut before you tear the engine apart.

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Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle
Reply #5 - 06/24/23 at 05:25:50

Dave wrote on 06/24/23 at 03:47:49:

My bike and a couple of others developed a rattle that was elusive, and later turned into a loud knocking sound. The sound started when the bike only had 400 miles on it....by the time it reached 1,200 miles it was incredibly loud. The sound was loudest at idle and would get quieter as the rpm increased. It was impossible to locate the source....it just seemed to come from everywhere on the left side of the engine.

I took the motor apart starting at the top end and worked my way down. When I went to remove the flywheel nut it was loose! All the rattling and eventual knocking was caused by the flywheel rattling on the splices of the flywheel/crankshaft.

If you can't find it anywhere else.....check the flywheel nut before you tear the engine apart.

Thank you Dave. My clutch was replaced last month, and I think this is when the noise appeared - I guess it could be the mechanic didn't tighten the flywheel?

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Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle
Reply #6 - 06/24/23 at 08:47:32

The flywheel nut is not involved in a clutch repair....they are on opposite sides of the engine and on different shafts.

The clutch nut is on the right side of the input (intermediate) shaft - while the flywheel is on the right side of the crankshaft....behind the magneto.

The mechanic would not have loosened, removed or tightened the flywheel nut while working on a clutch.

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Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle
Reply #7 - 06/24/23 at 08:51:41

Dave wrote on 06/24/23 at 08:47:32:

The flywheel nut is not involved in a clutch repair....they are on opposite sides of the engine and on different shafts.

The clutch nut is on the right side of the input (intermediate) shaft - while the flywheel is on the right side of the crankshaft....behind the magneto.

The mechanic would not have loosened, removed or tightened the flywheel nut while working on a clutch.

Understood, it makes sense now. I think I know what caused it, I had the starter clutch gear disassembled last year, and then when I put it back together I didn't use oil between plates, and my starter was making a weird sound for months. Now its back to normal, but I think that gear might have caused the flywheel to loosen up.

I really do not want to take that cover off if I don't have to, if its just going to continue to make noise but doesn't get any worse, I'll just leave it be.

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Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle
Reply #8 - 06/24/23 at 13:30:42

If it is the flywheel nut - it will get looser and louder.

As the nut continues to loosen, the flywheel rattle will become so loud you will not be able to ride the bike without folks stopping and staring at you! When I would pull up to a parking space folks would look at me in disbelief.

It took about 600 miles for mine to go from a tick to a loud banging sound. The noise was worse at idle and when cruising at 60mph it was not noticeable.

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DragBikeMike Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 4408 Honolulu	Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle Reply #9 - 06/24/23 at 19:58:28 This is what the loose flywheel sounds like when it gets outa hand. It's pretty bad. http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1660775470
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och Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 629	Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle Reply #10 - 06/25/23 at 07:56:38 Thank you. Wow, nothing is easy with this bike.
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Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle
Reply #11 - 07/28/23 at 18:49:16

The noise is now so bad that it overpowers the exhaust. I still have no idea where its coming from, but its present at all times.

One question - is the starter clutch/torque limiting gear spinning at all times? I had it disassembled and reassembled back a while ago, and I cleaned it when it was apart, and did not apply any oil to it when I reassembled it. After that, the bike sounded weird when I was starting it, but no I think it starts normal, but I think I may have done some permanent damage to that gear that causes it to rattle?

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Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle
Reply #12 - 07/28/23 at 19:18:21

Take a look at the video below, this is from last October/November when I reassembled my starter clutch gear, and reinstalled the stator cover. You can hear the bike sounding weird while starting, and a little bit of metallic rattle when I rev it up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPpOqLGAAfw

And this is now the way it rattles, I think this is that little rattle from last year amplified.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=947tPGFNm7k

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28890 L.A. California Gender:	Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle Reply #13 - 07/28/23 at 22:03:49 och wrote on 07/28/23 at 18:49:16: One question - is the starter clutch/torque limiting gear spinning at all times? No, it only turns while starting.
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28890 L.A. California Gender:	Re: What could be the source of this engine rattle Reply #14 - 07/28/23 at 22:09:35 I think I would check the valves. and the decomp cam, if the cam or rockers are worn, the decomp cam gets close to the rocker and can tap.
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