so how are your diagnostic powers ?

[peanut]

When i put my baby away last Winter she had developed quite a loud ticking clicking rattle noise .
As it was too cold and wet in November to work outside I decided to sort the problem out in the following Spring.

Well its now mid Summer and I may finally be in a position to snatch some time before the MOT test to try to get to the bottom of the problem.

I am curious to know what your best guesses are maybe we should do a poll or something I really don't know for sure what it is but as I rebuilt the engine I have a reasonable idea what the possible causes might be . Hopefully by next weekend I might have the answer .

You can hear the noise clearly on cold starting warming up and whilst riding in the first 2x minutes or so .So what are your thoughts ?

 

[nj1639]

Cam chain adjustment then valves.
Didn't notice an extreme hanging idle as your stops were barely stops......lol!

 

[peanut]

ha ! the hanging idle ....

I think I had almost got it eliminated by the time I took that video. The last thing I did last year was to remove the butterfly discs, clean the venturi and then replace the throttle shaft shims to tighten up the float on the throttle shafts as they were causing the butterfly discs to bind on the sides of the venturi walls and not close properly. I also added some stronger throttle springs to bring them suckers down smartly.

I've just listened to the noise again and I'm now not so sure that it is in sync with the engine speed. it sounds more like something loose and rattling

First thing I'll do before anything else is adjust the valves and camchain tension

 

[angus67]

the low thumping? con rod.

 

[peanut]

theres a low thumping noise !???????? cripes its getting worse

I hope not ....the engine was only rebuilt less than 500 miles ago.
Maybe I'll stick the stethoscope on it when I finally get to looking at it.

 

[weaselbeak]

I'm not hearing any con rod noise.

 

[peanut]

its tricky isn't it. The bike is so noisy with foam filters and a straighthrough exhaust I can hardly hear myself scream
I cannot hear or feel any rumble or vibration from the crank or rod bearings .

In fact the bike seems to have no vibration at all ! I expect the cruisin bars probably isolate quite a lot of vibration.

My feeling is that it is the back of the clutch rubbing on the crankcase .

When I had finished building the engine, I had a washer left over .
As I had boufght the engine stripped in a box I had no way of knowing where it had come from. Everything was accounted for so I just assumed that it was an extra washer that had found its way into the box at the po's house.

Now ... I realise that the washer is the same size as the first small clutch washer so I am assuming that the po had fitted an extra washer behind the clutch to give some clearance to the back of the clutch basket.
If it is its a nice quick simple fix

 

[5twins]

If the clutch hub was rubbing, I don't think you'd get a ticking, more or a whirring, squealing, or muffled grinding sound. How did you initially set the cam chain tension? By the shop manual method with the motor off and rotating the engine by hand? If so, it's very easy to screw it up that way and get the chain too loose. Also, if the chain was new (very tight), they loosen quickly. Chain tension should be checked again within the first few hundred miles.

Do the cam chain checking/adjusting while the motor sits there idling. It's the best, easiest, least screw-up prone way to do it. You can loosen the adjuster way up to the point that the chain starts making noise like loose valves. Then tighten it back up and the noise should go away. Keep tightening it and the plunger will stop bouncing in and out. That is too tight. Loosen it back up until the slight in-out movement returns.

 

[angus67]

that ticking noise? wheels about to fall off. Tighten the nut that connects the handlebars to the seat.
Lol. video sound quality sucks, and im not just saying that about yours in particular. When its just you, you know excactly what your listening for.
Sorry if im no help

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

... I can hardly hear myself scream

I can't hear you scream at all.

The ringy/clatter sure sounds familiar.

Time for the mechanics stethoscope...

 

[peanut]

If the clutch hub was rubbing, I don't think you'd get a ticking, more or a whirring, squealing, or muffled grinding sound. How did you initially set the cam chain tension? By the shop manual method with the motor off and rotating the engine by hand? If so, it's very easy to screw it up that way and get the chain too loose. Also, if the chain was new (very tight), they loosen quickly. Chain tension should be checked again within the first few hundred miles.

Do the cam chain checking/adjusting while the motor sits there idling. It's the best, easiest, least screw-up prone way to do it. You can loosen the adjuster way up to the point that the chain starts making noise like loose valves. Then tighten it back up and the noise should go away. Keep tightening it and the plunger will stop bouncing in and out. That is too tight. Loosen it back up until the slight in-out movement returns.

thanks ... that sounds like a very practical way to adjust the tension and I should be able to hear in difference in the rattling noise if any. I'll try that. I have checked and adjusted the tension with the engine static 3 times in the first 400 miles including when I retorqued the head.

 

[peanut]

that ticking noise? wheels about to fall off. Tighten the nut that connects the handlebars to the seat.
Lol. video sound quality sucks, and im not just saying that about yours in particular. When its just you, you know excactly what your listening for.
Sorry if im no help

you're right the video quality does suck because I had the camera tied to my jacket !.
However youtube are reducing the video quality out of all recognition in the past couple of years.

 

[fredintoon]

Hi peanut,
earplugs will fix it, I know because it works with mine. My dear departed pa-in-law claimed he could get another 5,000 miles from his Hillman Minx engine if he turned off his hearing aid when he drove it.
So, sorry, no help from me. But thanks for the 5-minute vicarious ride through Somerset, it's been 40 years since I rode my Gold Flash on those roads.
But riding bare-handed? Oddly, although the thought of riding helmetless don't bother me, there's no effin' way I'll ride without gloves.

 

[peanut]

Hi peanut,
earplugs will fix it, I know because it works with mine. My dear departed pa-in-law claimed he could get another 5,000 miles from his Hillman Minx engine if he turned off his hearing aid when he drove it.
.

ear plugs and gel pants eh

Yeah it was a bit stupid I guess but I've since managed to find a pair of old cycling gloves that fit for temporary use. I must find some decent gloves
I've got very big hands with long fingers and I now have 5x pairs of gloves XL XXL size bought online that don't anywhere near fit. The missus is getting suspicious of the post now.

Vicarious .... lovely word ...I had to look it up

 

[whynot2]

Well, have you fixed it yet? If your cam chain and valves are in spec then I suspect the special washer that acts as a cushion in the cam chain assembly is missing. For my 1981 XS650 it is #15, 2HO-12232-00-00.
WN2

 

[peanut]

mmmm thats very interesting! Thanks for the tip

I've removed and replaced the tensioner assembly so many times now to get my carbs off,.. that washer could easily have been lost . I'll check the tensioner assembly very carefully when this damn rain stops here in the UK .