Adjusted valve clearances. Now it's clicking...

[Jurlie_imp]

Hey all.

Today I've assembled my bike after replacing valve clearance shims; and was pretty unhappy to hear distinct clicking in the head around 4th cylinder when I've started the engine (intake I guess, but I'm not pretty sure).

Here is the data:
Clearance before (shim size) clearance after (shim size)
1.
ex1 0.31 (200) 0.25 (205)
ex2 0.33 (198) 0.28 (202)
in1 0.18 (202) 0.17 (205)
in2 0.19 (202) 0.14 (208)

2.
ex1 0.30 (192) 0.29 (195)
ex2 0.33 (192) 0.29 (198)
in1 0.18 (202) 0.15 (205)
in2 0.20 (198) 0.13 (202)

3.
ex1 0.32 (190) 0.28 (195)
ex2 0.32 (190) 0.26 (195)
in1 0.19 (198) 0.14 (202)
in2 0.19 (195) 0.14 (200)

4.
ex1 0.30 (190) 0.30 (192)
ex2 0.30 (190) 0.29 (192)
in1 0.21 (195) 0.13 (202)
in2 0.21 (198) 0.12 (205)


As you can see intake clearances of 4th cyl are on tight end. Might it be the reason of clicking? Do I disassemble it again and put thinner shims?
Is it possible I've done something wrong during assembly?

I've got a copy of service manual, I was doing everything just as written (except of I used just motor oil instead of molybdenum oil solution and molybdenum grease for camshafts and shim buckets respectively), but it is possible I could do some mistake...

Any ideas are welcome!

[max]

Jurlie i wouldn't inmediately panic, first have a good listen to the engine, most produce a tick that seems to come from the RIGHT lower crankcase.

Not sure exactly what produces it but it's there, take a screwdriver and use it as a stethoscope by holding the handle against your ear and push the steel end against the engine, see if the ticking comes from the head or somewhere else
Sometimes a video camera can be of help as you record the sound around different parts of the engine.

Understand that you put the shims on top of the valves in their recess with the text facing up and then lowered the buckets on top of them, aligned the sprockets correctly ( easy to mix in and out markings up ) tighten all the bolts on the camshaft top covers, put the chain guard back on and tighten it, released the chain tensioner ( so the chain does not jump a tooth ) and then back the tension one quarter turn ( to relieve the downward tension of the camshafts ) before checking all valve clearances for the last time?

I find it hard to believe that the valves tick when the clearance is too tight, especially with a cold engine.

Wait and think it through whilst other members ( with more experience than me ) give their opinion, in the mean time don't ride the cb yet, i guess in a pinch you can undo the cover, lift it enough to check the fourth cylinder clearances.

[Jurlie_imp]

Thanks for your comments,

Jurlie i wouldn't inmediately panic, first have a good listen to the engine, most produce a tick that seems to come from the RIGHT lower crankcase.

Not sure exactly what produces it but it's there, take a screwdriver and use it as a stethoscope by holding the handle against your ear and push the steel end against the engine, see if the ticking comes from the head or somewhere else
Sometimes a video camera can be of help as you record the sound around different parts of the engine.

Understand that you put the shims on top of the valves in their recess with the text facing up and then lowered the buckets on top of them, aligned the sprockets correctly ( easy to mix in and out markings up ) tighten all the bolts on the camshaft top covers, put the chain guard back on and tighten it, released the chain tensioner ( so the chain does not jump a tooth ) and then back the tension one quarter turn ( to relieve the downward tension of the camshafts ) before checking all valve clearances for the last time?

I find it hard to believe that the valves tick when the clearance is too tight, especially with a cold engine.

Wait and think it through whilst other members ( with more experience than me ) give their opinion, in the mean time don't ride the cb yet, i guess in a pinch you can undo the cover, lift it enough to check the fourth cylinder clearances.

I've done exactly by this instruction (including shim marking towards bucket, I paid special attention to that)

Jurlie i wouldn't inmediately panic, first have a good listen to the engine, most produce a tick that seems to come from the RIGHT lower crankcase.

Not sure exactly what produces it but it's there, take a screwdriver and use it as a stethoscope by holding the handle against your ear and push the steel end against the engine, see if the ticking comes from the head or somewhere else
Sometimes a video camera can be of help as you record the sound around different parts of the engine.

Understand that you put the shims on top of the valves in their recess with the text facing up and then lowered the buckets on top of them, aligned the sprockets correctly ( easy to mix in and out markings up ) tighten all the bolts on the camshaft top covers, put the chain guard back on and tighten it, released the chain tensioner ( so the chain does not jump a tooth ) and then back the tension one quarter turn ( to relieve the downward tension of the camshafts ) before checking all valve clearances for the last time?

I find it hard to believe that the valves tick when the clearance is too tight, especially with a cold engine.

Wait and think it through whilst other members ( with more experience than me ) give their opinion, in the mean time don't ride the cb yet, i guess in a pinch you can undo the cover, lift it enough to check the fourth cylinder clearances.

No... I measured clearances without releasing tensioner at all (I mean the tensioner was in work position. How does it affect?

I'll listen to it carefully tomorrow, where exactly it ticks, but I'm pretty sure there was no that distinct ticking before...

[zirconxi_imp]

Could it be before this the engine is noisier hence you can't hear the tick sound? After you reduce the valve clearance the camshaft made less noise and now you can hear the ticking sound? I agree with max here. I always thought tighter clearance made less sound.

[Jurlie_imp]

Could it be before this the engine is noisier hence you can't hear the tick sound? After you reduce the valve clearance the camshaft made less noise and now you can hear the ticking sound? I agree with max here. I always thought tighter clearance made less sound.

That's totally could be possible. The suspicious thing is that ticking can be heard on just one side of engine.

[max]

Jurlie i also left my tensioner in the "work"position, normally the valve springs push the camshaft up against the top journals, but with the small tolerances and with some wear over time it may be that the chain tries to pull it down far enough to influence the readings if you don't have a lot of experience adjusting valve clearances, in short you're ok.

just had another thought; are all your spark plug caps on properly? could be a spark tick.

[Django]

Hey all.

Today I've assembled my bike after replacing valve clearance shims; and was pretty unhappy to hear distinct clicking in the head around 4th cylinder when I've started the engine (intake I guess, but I'm not pretty sure).

Here is the data:
Clearance before (shim size) clearance after (shim size)
1.
ex1 0.31 (200) 0.25 (205)
ex2 0.33 (198) 0.28 (202)
in1 0.18 (202) 0.17 (205)
in2 0.19 (202) 0.14 (208)

2.
ex1 0.30 (192) 0.29 (195)
ex2 0.33 (192) 0.29 (198)
in1 0.18 (202) 0.15 (205)
in2 0.20 (198) 0.13 (202)

3.
ex1 0.32 (190) 0.28 (195)
ex2 0.32 (190) 0.26 (195)
in1 0.19 (198) 0.14 (202)
in2 0.19 (195) 0.14 (200)

4.
ex1 0.30 (190) 0.30 (192)
ex2 0.30 (190) 0.29 (192)
in1 0.21 (195) 0.13 (202)
in2 0.21 (198) 0.12 (205)


As you can see intake clearances of 4th cyl are on tight end. Might it be the reason of clicking? Do I disassemble it again and put thinner shims?
Is it possible I've done something wrong during assembly?

I've got a copy of service manual, I was doing everything just as written (except of I used just motor oil instead of molybdenum oil solution and molybdenum grease for camshafts and shim buckets respectively), but it is possible I could do some mistake...

Any ideas are welcome!

I don't think, the sound comes from the valve drive. Idea: check the fit of the PAIR valves. Does the sound change when opening/closing the throttle while riding?

[misterprofessionality]

i was wondering something similar to this, though I don't have even 1/10th the mechanical knowledge of the OP. I noticed i could hear a more pronounced sound that I assumed was the sound of the valves while idling after i opened up my exhaust and removed the 'cat. It's a noise i could hear on videos of other bikes with open exhausts, though, so i determined it was normal. maybe it's time for a valve check...

[max]

Missed the part where you mention moly assembly lube, although recommended i think if you oil the three points that rely on oil; both sides of the shims, outside of the buckets and under the cam lobes ( and of course all the camshaft bearings ) then rotate the engine a couple times by hand to let the new parts settle and squeeze the excess oil from the gaps under the cams you set the engine up in no different way than every time you shut it off normally and then measure the clearances that should be just fine, by the way 0.12 mm. is within spec so no worries there

[dave]

Any ideas are welcome!

Could this possibly be an injector clicking?