Pleased, but perplexed

[Kiki]

..So i bought my bike last fall , and it wasnt long before I "assumed" I had a ticker, -- right side, after warm-up, valve clearances fine, etc, etc,, but the sound was different from the many I've heard on line. I figured the fix is probably 6 or 7 hundred bucks (with me on wrench) , and since I paid such a low $$ for the machine, I wasnt terribly upset. My plan was to ride this summer, and then do the work over the winter--(the head would be shipped off with parts for the pressing, lapping, etc).

I wanted to check for the old "oil in the exhaust ports" , and since mine hasd been ticking for about 10000km (6K miles) I assume that is would be showing by now.

So after a 1000km 2-up trip to Bar Harbour Maine this past weekend, I decided to do the teardown and check. In the meantime I had to fix a shorting horn "a-la- Little Miss Sunshine" ( it wasnt funny to the border guard, and also check for a greased drive-shaft spline.

8 hours later, the horns fixed, the drive shaft now is greased, and ...... drumroll please..... there is NO OIL! not only that, there isnt any soot either! I felt down the port, and the valve tappet shafts are dry and clean.....

So i guess I live with a noisy engine...........?

PS-- new Starcom1 from Jeff at SB Effects was the cats meow!!

 

[03HiYoSilver]

Kiki,

Good to hear your good news and valiant efforts.

It is a good possiblity you have a noisy Cam Chain Tensioner....mine was replaced and it is much quieter now.

 

[harlonbrando]

..So i bought my bike last fall , and it wasnt long before I "assumed" I had a ticker, -- right side, after warm-up, valve clearances fine, etc, etc,, but the sound was different from the many I've heard on line. I figured the fix is probably 6 or 7 hundred bucks (with me on wrench) , and since I paid such a low $$ for the machine, I wasnt terribly upset. My plan was to ride this summer, and then do the work over the winter--(the head would be shipped off with parts for the pressing, lapping, etc).
I wanted to check for the old "oil in the exhaust ports" , and since mine hasd been ticking for about 10000km (6K miles) I assume that is would be showing by now.

So after a 1000km 2-up trip to Bar Harbour Maine this past weekend, I decided to do the teardown and check. In the meantime I had to fix a shorting horn "a-la- Little Miss Sunshine" ( it wasnt funny to the border guard, and also check for a greased drive-shaft spline.

8 hours later, the horns fixed, the drive shaft now is greased, and ...... drumroll please..... there is NO OIL! not only that, there isnt any soot either! I felt down the port, and the valve tappet shafts are dry and clean.....

So i guess I live with a noisy engine...........?

PS-- new Starcom1 from Jeff at SB Effects was the cats meow!!

I thought I had a ticker, went to see the dealer, He told me to accelerate really hard through the gears and that would activate the cam chain tensioner. I did this and my ticking ceased. I posted this and was told my dealer was nuts, that the tensioner didn't work like that. I was told the tensioner had constant spring tension via springs and idler pulley. I went to a parts breakdown and found no springs or idler. Looks to me like some sort of plunger that may ratchet out when cam chain becomes slack. I think when you accelerate really hard the cam chain tightens allowing slack between the tensioner and chain allowing the tensioner plunger to come out taking up the slack. All I know is it worked for me and when ever I start to hear ticking I get on it really hard through the gears and my ticking goes away. I have a 2007 fjr1300a with 5300 miles.

 

[SkooterG]

Ask anybody who's been around my high mileage FJR - the Playa Ballerina - and they will tell you it's one noisy son of a gun. Warchild still insists it's a ticker, and I am no longer convinced he is wrong. But a dealer recently proclaimed it NOT a ticker. Whatever. 110k, still pulls strong, no oil use between changes. Me thinks me just has a noisy one. As good as it's been to me, I can live with that.

Now recently I have had a new noise make itself apparent on the lower right side of the engine. After some dealer diagnosing, I am 100% sure it is the cam chain/tensioner. My guess is the tensioner is not tensioning properly and the cam chain is knocking against something. Only really happens just off idle, sometimes loud, sometimes not so loud, and occasionally, it's not there at all.

It is a good possiblity you have a noisy Cam Chain Tensioner....mine was replaced and it is much quieter now.

Replaced under warranty by any chance? Just wondering. I priced the tensioner from U Motors - $49 w/o shipping which isn't too bad, but am wondering how involved a job it is to swap it out. One tech told me it's a tough job as the engine, or head, or something, had to me moved out of the way?!?!

 

[Kiki]

Replaced under warranty by any chance? Just wondering. I priced the tensioner from U Motors - $49 w/o shipping which isn't too bad, but am wondering how involved a job it is to swap it out. One tech told me it's a tough job as the engine, or head, or something, had to me moved out of the way?!?!

I just quickly glanced in the manual-- i dont think its a huge job, just peel off the bark and unscrew it-- the manual does say to replace all the seals, though.