Ticking noise?

I have noticed a faint ticking noise on my 1985 XJ700N and wondering what it may be. This is my first bike and only had it a week and I really don't know much about bikes. Its not a loud noise and can only really be heard when you are idling. The bike has 8900 miles on it. I checked the oil and it was fine so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Might be valves.
Before you check clearances lets get an expert in here.
Just that I had a simmilar issue with valves

 

The design of the Valve Train and its being so close to the Fuel Tank makes the opening and closing of the Valves somewhat amplified in the small void between the Tank and the top of the Cam Cover.

As I have said many times before:

"Some noises are GOOD noises!"

Check your Valve Clearances. Very easily done. If you find some Valve NEAR the Wide LIMIT ... you are probably hearing them open and close.

The Valves NEAR the Close Limit won't be as noisy.
You have the option of adjusting the SHIMS on the loose ones to reduce Valve Train noise.

But, rather than adjust a Valve Tight ... you are actually better off leaving it alone ... within the Limit ... rather than making the adjustment.

If you find TIGHT Valves ... you'll have to Re-Shim those to have more Clearance.
Do so might increase the Tapping Noise you hear in the Valve Train.
But, some noises are good.

Do a Cam Chain Tensioner Manual Re-set ...
That might help.

 

Cool thanx. I really have no idea how to do any of this so i'll go have it checked out. Like i said its a very faint noise so it may be nothing but then again it could be the start of something that needs to be taken care of now before it gets worse.

 

Search: Probe

Try to pin it down.

 

i'm kind of having a similar problem. I redid the valves on the bike, rode it and they all checked out well. When i first start it from cold and let it warm up and ride a little she sounds pretty good but after 15-20 minutes of good riding, there is a ticking noise coming from the #4 valve area. Any possible ideas.

 

Quick question: what oil are you running in your engine?

 

10w 40 i think, i know it's something 40

 

Reason I ask is this: a while back, after reading suggestions here that 20-50 might be good in these bikes, I got some at Wally-Mart, I think it was, and it seemed to work fine. When some name-brand Castrol went on special at the local Kragen, I jumped and bought a case. Put it in, and I get the same symptom as you are.

So, after only 500 miles or so on 3 quarts of 20-50, I drained it and went to 10-30 High Mileage stuff that I picked up at Wally-Mart. Had to get that particular brand, because it was the only 10-30 I could find that didn't have "Energy Conserving" on the label anywhere. I haven't taken it out on a long run yet, so I'll do that today and see what develops.

 

Unless you live at the north pole 10-30 is too thin.

 

You need an Oil that will protect the Cam "Bearing Surface" and the Lobes of the Cams at all times.

There are NO Bearing Shells on the Cam Bearings. The Journals spin on a close tolerance naked aluminum machining that has NO renewable surface.

20/50 is the Racers Choice for protecting the Cam Lobes and Cam "Bearing" surfaces.

Think of is as having the best insurance policy instead of just having minimum coverage.

 

Ummm... no.

Let me see if I've got this right. 10-30 says that an oil that starts out at 10 weight cold will thin out to no more than 30 weight once it warms up. Remember, oil gets thinner as it gets hotter.

Switching from 20-50 to 10-30 means that the oil is 10 points (or is it CentiStokes?) thicker when it's cold, and 20 thicker when it's warm.

Plus, my engine seems to like it. Better still, I think 10-30 is what the Clymer manual calls for. Until I can dig up an oil cooler, I'm sticking with this stuff, and the other 9 quarts of 20-50 will just have to gather dust in the trunk of my car.

 

You got it backward. 50W is thicker than 30W. Your are 10 points thinner cold (good when it's cold and the heavy oil won't pump) and 20 points thinner when hot (bad).

 

I second that. What carl said.
Lemme have that 10w-30 and I will put it in da car.
My owners manual says 20-50

 

All the articles I've read trying to explain what the numbers mean are confusing as hell, uncluding this one. Nevertheless, if what you say is true -- that the 20-50 I was using is actually thicker after being warmed up than 10-30 -- can you explain:

1) Why, given a warm engine, did the oil come gushing out of the crankcase like water? (Hint: 10-30 doesn't do that.)

2) Why the ticking noise present with a warm engine went away?

3) Why the engine doesn't suddenly get louder on the freeway and feel like it's straining?


Long and short, something ain't right here. Either someone needs to come up with a better explanation, or I'm tempted to call shenanigans.

 

No? It always does for me. Also, not sure the difference in viscosity is necessarily apparent to the naked eye.

Coincidence? Or maybe that thin 20W50 got gasoline in it somehow?

Engine will work LESS with lighter oil (that's why the car manufacturers want you to use 5W30, gets better EPA mileage than 10W30). Until one of those bearings starts to fail, then it will work much harder.

EDIT:

I understand seeing is believing. Go back up to wally world and get yourself a quart of straight 30 weight and a quart of 80 weight gear oil. You'll be able to easily see the viscosity difference.

Don't let the fact that it's labeled gear oil fool you. Other than the viscosity the major difference from engine oil is it doesn't have the detergents to keep combustion byproducts suspended.

 

"Oil weight, or viscosity, refers to how thick or thin the oil is. The temperature requirements set for oil by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is 0 degrees F (low) and 210 degrees F (high).

Oils meeting the SAE's low temperature requirements have a "W" after the viscosity rating (example: 10W), and oils that meet the high ratings have no letter (example SAE 30). An oil is rated for viscosity by heating it to a specified temperature, and then allowing it to flow out of a specifically sized hole. Its viscosity rating is determined by the length of time it takes to flow out of the hole. If it flows quickly, it gets a low rating. If it flows slowly, it gets a high rating.

Engines need oil that is thin enough for cold starts, and thick enough when the engine is hot. Since oil gets thinner when heated, and thicker when cooled, most of us use what are called multi-grade, or multi-viscosity oils. These oils meet SAE specifications for the low temperature requirements of a light oil and the high temperature requirements of a heavy oil." (SAE Quote)

And this is why I use 20W/50

Thin enough to let the engine crank when it's cold. Thick enough to coat cylinder walls and not drain-off the gears, cam lobes, cam chain and all the other surfaces that need maximum protection from metal to metal, metal to alloy ... REPEAT ... Metal to Aluminum Alloy ... protection.

I ride the bike like it's a Jet Aircraft with my name painted under the Canopy. I want the BEST available protection.

I love this ride something fierce!
I push it way up to 7,000 ~ 8,000 rpm ... alot.

So, I do at least 3 Oil Changes per season.
Oil and filter.
2,500 Miles is all I expect from the Oil I use in my bike.
Castrol Brand GTX 20W/50 is all she knows.

If it's on sale. Great!
If it ain't ... I pay full price.

She loves me for taking such good care of her!

 

I have no explanations I can tell you that the higher the number the thicker the oil period.

 

All fair questions Schmuck.
I can only offer my experience from engine teardowns.
I pulled a Pontiac 305 that had run Pennzoil religiously and was horrified at the coking evident through out the engine! 1/4" in the upper end around the valves...I about choked.
I've torn down a few dozen VW air and water cooled engines, some of which I had torn apart and re-gasketed a few years earlier. Each that I had run the Castrol in had no noticeable wear and retained beautifully seated piston bores that still had the original cross-hatch hone patterns (unlike most V-8s I've torn down). Bore cylindrical consistency was spot on and taper was +/- .001 top to bottom. Minimal piston scuff on the skirts and tight rings coupled with the above symptoms equals a very happy engine (compression specs were always on the higher side of tolerance). I've been sold on Castrol since my first experience with a VW air-cooled 1.6L.
I ran Castrol 30 weight from the start and just love what it did for engine temps and the condition it was in at oil change. I found that the oil appeared and behaved as new at 2,500 miles (recommended servicing interval for the air-cooled VW). I experimented and started pushing the change interval back. 3000, 3500, 4000... I got out to 5000 miles before I noted any viscosity breakdown, and this is running through AZ, NV, and southern California year round. This process took about 2 years and I was impressed.
Couple this with the information that Castrol furnished me with and I have no problems hawking their product. I believe in it. I've tried Quakerstate (good stuff for V-8s), Pennzoil, warehouse cheapie brands, and Redline, just to name a few. Based on performance and cost (Redline isn’t cheap), I'll keep coming back to Castrol.
Schmuck, in the central valley, your seeing temps right now about 85+ right? For the temps your seeing right now, Haynes shows 20-50 weight as the correct weight for temps above 40F. You should not need the thinner 10/30 (recommended for 60F and below), this will impair the lubrication system from optimal performance.
Your oil gusher at oil change is a concern for sure. Multigrade oil will behave like lighter weight when it is warmed up but it should not be the consistency of water. This indicates that you might have fuel diluting the oil (float needle/seat or petcock diaphragm) or your oil has taken a beating (reads: waited too long to change or over-temp). Take a look at your plugs and see what the scoop is on the mixture.
As far as the ticking is concerned, was there a change in brands between the weights?
I confess I didn't quite understand #3 but it is important to note mechanical behavior for diagnosis so good on you. Being as dense as I am, could you elaborate on the behavior you experienced?
Hope this helps.

 

Wonderful, Rick. I'm sooooooooooooo happy for you. That's exactly what I was just using -- and apparently, my engine hates it. Which is odd, because as I mentioned in another thread, I seem to recall putting in another brand of 20w/50, and it had no problems whatsoever. Put in the Castrol, and the engine seems to run hot, I get the ticking when it's warm, and if I stop somewhere and try to use the starter when I get back on the bike, the starter clutch won't stay engaged. Grinding starter gears is not a good thing.

I also do NOT "ride it like I stole it". 65 on the freeway. 5000 rpm.

Central Valley? No, I'm out on the coast. Near San Diego, if you must know, although I was hoping not to be that specific about where I'm at.

I don't think it was too long of a wait -- again, I had put that oil in 500 miles ago. Petcock diaphragm *might* be an issue, as it does appear to be dribbling fuel again after replacing the stock spring with what appears to be a stronger one. I'm not certain if it does it with the vacuum line still plugged in, but I can check. Possibly order one of Chacal's rebuild kits as well.

Brand change: As stated before, the 20/50 I was just using was Rick's beloved Castrol GTX. This time, it's WallyMart store brand High Mileage 10/30. The 20/50 I used before Castrol might have been WallyMart store brand as well, but I honestly don't remember.

Noting mechanical behavior? What can I say... it's all part of my job.

Explain #3? I thought the description was fairly straightforward.

 

Straining on the Highway would be:

Main Jets too small for your weight.
Pilot Jets a shade too Rich for the Set-up. (Plug read would be Very, very dark brown ... almost black)
Sticking Diaphragm Pistons
Plugged-up Ports on Emulsion Nozzles.
Air leaking under Diaphragm(s) causing incomplete opening.
Foreign objects blocking flow of Intake air into Airbox.
Incorrect Sync (way-off ... you'd feel that)

If the Nozzle Ports are plugged ... the Fuel entering the Intake isn't atomized for POWER ... and that would cause you feel like the Bike isn't pulling or making full power.
The Nozzle is dependent on a free and clear Main AIR JET Passage. Blow out the Main AIR Passage with Carb Cleaner.

 

Well my bike just seems to have a slight ticking noise all the time regardless of if the bike is warm or not. I live in Indiana so its not really cold yet but i bought some castrol 20/50 today and i'm gonna change the oil tonite so we'll see what happens.

 

What was the previous weight btown?
That is if you know

 

I don't know i just bought the bike last week so i'm not sure. I'm geting ready to do the oil change right now so i'll let you know if it helps or not.

 

Sorry Schmuck, I'm a little red faced right now. I thought you were up in the valley, must have mistaken you for someone else. I am still trying to understand an engine getting louder on the freeway. An engine is supposed to make more noise with more load, I've got that part but....oh well, never mind. You found something your happy with right? That is the desired goal and if your there already, no need to rock the boat.

 

(shrug) I remember a time when it seemed like I was always being mistaken for someone's brother...

Okay, let me rephrase. How about "suddenly gets noticeably louder than normal"?

In any event, I'm about to drain the tank again (went out tonight and got a bigger gas can) and possibly pull the petcock to see what the devil's going on. Maybe it is a case of gasoil...