Tick

1986 maximX
Hey guys .Since I did my valves and carbs .This year my bike on the left side seems to be a bit louder then the right .Small tick but noticible. Gets louder when warmer. Just wondering to leave it .Or go back in and adjust again . Everything was in spec when I closed it up .

 

I know it is a pain but checking them valves again will give you peace of mind....so to speak. If there is a noise, you would think something is too tight or too lose. Sure is fun taking those cams off to change out the shims (Just Kidding).

 

I dont mind now that ive done it enough. Maybe 3 hours. But least I got it down now haha

 

tick is the nature of the beast when it comes to shims and the design of the valve train


I always miss the X but I'm just an airhead.

 

Should sound like a sewing machine, ticking is good on these motors. Banging/loud clacking not good.

 

Ticking on an airhead is good.
Ticking on a watercooled head is likely an exhaust leak (the water passages muffle the valvetrian noise, and shim-under bucket makes a lot less noise than shim over bucket does).
I would pull the valve cover to re-check the clearances, just because that was the last work done before the noise showed up.

 

Just messuered. And one intake and one exhaust valve are little loose on same cylinder. Id say thats where my tap is.

 

Has a person ever took a shim down in size at a machine shope.. I need a 165 and the lowest I got is a 178. Can the machinist bring it down to a 165?

 

Do that and it looses it hardness. I highly recommend getting in touch with hogfiddles or Chacal to get you the proper parts required.

The dealership or eBay could be another avenue. However, I’m sure that the earlier mentioned folks can get them to you the quickest.

 

X right (With the shim under bucket)? Shouldnt be any problem to resize the shim at all. The shim act as a spacer, the bucket take the beating. If you dare and with a lot of patience you might do it yourself.. Took hvis route a year ago With my X and after 3000km - flawless.
The best is of course to buy the correct ones, Did that also and found 1 of 15 shims to be out of spec (original shims With printed number not to be the stated/actual size). Was the reason why I resized one of my shim, No option to wait additional 2 week for a New one.

Anyway, measure the shims beføre putting the parts together. Might save you additional cam removal hazzel. Learned the hard way..

A

 

BTW; I also have a louder TICK coming from the left side. The ticking noise was present prior to I checked and replaced the shims (15 out of 20 shims needed replacing, and the gap on almost every intake valves was not measurable..)

My best guess for the tick sound is NOT valve related, at least not a valve gap realated issue. Have read a couple of posts - from X owners - experience the same.
Perhaps a few of us lucky X owner have to struggle with - or embrace - this certain X personality

A

 

Yes, shim exchange w/ Hogfiddles! Been there, done that, recommend it!

 

Yes another happy shim pool member here as well, Hogfiddles is great to work with.

 

Those shims fit several brands of bikes from that time period.The dealers and shops that have been around for a while
will usually exchange shims or sell you a few used ones. pick up a caliper at Harbor Freight so you can measure the ones
with the numbers worn off

 

Valves are in spec. Everything else looks like it has good wear ...bike works awesome just the tick is annoying .Bike dont tick untill it gets to operateing temp .

 

listen to the tic, become one with the tic, the tic is your friend. if the tic stops, you got problems.

 

My FZ750 (similar motor right?) also ticks - I've chosen to ignore it - those water buffalos scare me a bit.

 

Even if it sounds like a sewing machine when im doing 100kmph lol

 

Camshaft end float??, not sure if the XJ' series ever suffered from this, per se, (some Kawasaki's did) but I suppose it's possible..in which case it's nowt to worry about !!

 

86 maxim X
Well. Took the last ride yesterday. 40 minutes on hwy. Got off the hwy, bike sounded funny. So i continued to gas station. Bike still seemed to have all its power.
Then heading off again could hear a knocking noise under low rpm load as i give it gas.
Cant tell where the knock it coming from. But the bike sound like its fireing on 3 cylinders . Checked fire it was fine on all four.
Could it be a rod bearing .Im lost .

 

Is/was there (enough) oil in it? How long have you had the bike and known it's history? Crank bearings don't usually 'just go'.

 

Oil was changed regularly . Had the bike 2 years .My father had it before me.
I just cant tell where the noice is coming from. Only hear it when riding. But kinda sou d like a vtwin at idel and take off .

 

check the header pipes see if they are tight or leaking exhaust

 

Try a new set of plugs

 

Remember, plugs need blue or purple spark to fire. Orange or yellow spark is a fouled plug.
Fouled plug can cause a misfire, therefore knock

 

Merged so we can all re-read the whole history of the machine.

 

Not always the case with a TCI ignition.
Color tells you the temerature of the plasma that's is formed, and that is dependamt on the discharge voltage, and that is lower in a TCI system. XJ spark is typically more orange than blue.

 

My last post has nothing to do with this thred .

 

Then what bike ARE you talking about

 

Talking about my 86 .But why merge threds when this is a hole new topic.
My bike was great all year .Now has power loss sounds like a vtwin .And has a rattle .

 

Not the plugs .

 

Ok, so below is your previous post.....

Ok..... So you have 2 '86's? Cuz it sure sounds like you had 2 different threads going about the same bike. THAT would be why the threads were merged------so we could keep track of ONE bike.

 

Sound like alot of work to me. Anyway dont seem like theres any help here.
Well done .

 

So, since everything is right here in this single merged thread, I was able to read through the whole thing.


Check valve clearances.....you said you did it

Suggestions made:

Recheck valve clearances.....you said you did it
Check your exhaust pipes for leaks......did you do it?
Try a new set of plugs.......did you do it?

Have you done a compression test?
What clearance chart did you use for your clearances:
Do you have a video that you could post so we could actually HEAR what you're talking about?

 

Rattle happens on take off and when you let off. Sounds like metal hitting metal .
Did it more when it was cold less when warm. Collars are tight on pipes and tried new plugs .

Compression test is next .
Ill try a vid next as well .

 

Broken valve maybe?

 

That's why we need a compression test.... and also to hear

 

Ill get to that next. Bike is an hour away now at my fathers..
Just out of curiosity . Would a burnt valve make a rattle.
It does seem to have the burnt/broke symptoms. But dont get the rattle part.

 

I agree, had the same rapping sound that went away when I installed the missing exhaust gaskets.

 

Burnt valves don't rattle.

What can rattle (in addition to loose exhaust headers, and the other suggestions) are the chrome shields on the exhaust collector. They are spot-welded on, and the welds can crack.

 

Now you know why I want to see and hear a video

 

Thanks guys i do aprecaite.
The rattle sounds like its one of the sleevs in the header .I thought mine had them. Put wood on motor and to my ear. Not coming from engine .But cant pin point it. Yet
But i did check the compression today.
Cyl 1 90
Cyl 2 50
Cyl 3 90
Cyl 4 90
So tim to do a tear down to see whats up.

 

Oh, I already knew why

 

Make sure that your compression gauge is working correctly first. We've seen more than a few faulty gauges.

If the gauge is reading correctly, then do a leakdown test. Teardown should be put off unttl you have a full data-set to work with.

 

Guage is fine. Leak down test next then.

 

Curious if the valve springs are the same for intake and exhust.
Got valves out. Lot of carbon built up so giving them a good clean .