Tick, tick, tick

[OB_Falconer]

Am I the only one with a noisy valve? It's driving me bats -- I can even hear it with my earplugs in.

I complained to the dealer, their response was that they weren't planning on checking the valve clearances until the 15,000 mile check.

 

[OB_hayabusa]

Falconer, I ride around all the time with no fairings/headlight/windscreen etc. because I am always doing mods.

The tick, tick, tick, you hear may be similar to mine. However I am leaning toward it being the cam chain making the noise because it it coming from the extreme right of the engine.

Can you hear where your tick is coming from?

 

[OB_Falconer]

No, I can't tell where it's coming from, though you are voicing my worst fear -- that it is the dreaded cam chain tensioner disease.

It can only be heard at part throttle, say at 30-45 MPH in 4th or 5th gear, at steady velocity. If you "get on it" at all, the noise is drowned out by all the other sensory input (like the whooshing sound of the countryside going by at warp speed ;^) ).

Any ideas of how to diagnose it further? Or perhaps I should just let it go, even though it bugs the heck out of me.

 

[OB_hayabusa]

Voice your concerns at your dealer and tell them what happens when a cam tensioner fails at speed. Ask whether Suzuki would like to fix a minor problem or get sued because you were injured and they knew about it.

Remind them about a particular car manufacturer and a faulty fuel tank design.

 

[OB_Bob]

Falconer--I hear the same sound, i believe. Problem is I can not tell you what or where it is coming from. I also was forced to reuse my exhaust gaskets, guess why??, when i out the Micron system on, so i have a very small exhaust leak, which may be source.
I will listen closer now.
Bob

 

[Guest]

Have you ever tried using a stethascope to isolate the source of the sound. A stethascope is the thing the doctor's on TV wear around their neck. A cheapo only costs $15 and it's useful for isolating bad bearings/weird noises on anything.

 

[Frank Adams]

checking your valve lash is really a pretty easy thing to do...the hard part is taking off your body panels and valve cover.. noisey valves should be taken seriously. to much could happen if something is really wrong. don't take them lightly.

 

[OB_Jeremy]

I had the same ticking sound, in mine it was the valves. I had the dealer adjust them at my first service which was at 1300 miles. I did do everthing the owners manual said to do at 600. Anyway, now they tap slightly at idle. At anything but idle I can't really distinguish between them and exhaust pulses entering the headers. My opinion for what it's worth is if you think it's the valves I wouldn't worry about it. Better to have the valves a little too loose and tapping, than too tight and burning up. However if they seem to get louder over time I would definately tighten em up to spec. I have a Ford Ranger with the same problem, and it has been running for years with no problems. I've heard on a Ranger discussion board that using synthetic oil has been known to quite them down. Don't know if it applies here.

[This message has been edited by Jeremy (edited 04 August 1999).]

 

[OB_gsx1300rguy]

I have the same problem it`s like the noise resonates through your bones and doesn`t get any quieter when you have in ear plugs.I put the stock cans back on and it still was there.I think it`s some kind of injector noise.I tried the windshield thing and that didn`t do it.The only thing that is really baffling is that it doesn`t seem to change frequency at different rpm.

 

[OB_R PRYOR]

My bike has some ticking at cruising speed or under slight load, pretty sure it's the valves. My last bike GSXR1100 had the same sound, would go away after valve lash adjustment and then gradually come back. Have not run the valves yet on this bike so not positive it's the valves.

 

[OB_gsx1300rguy]

Hey I checked my injectors with the tank up and I`m pretty sure thats where my noise is coming from.