Ticking / clicking sound after oil change

[simplest2remember_imp]

Skip down to the last paragraph if you have no time to read about annoying cowboy mechanics.

Well, besides the oil, the garage also changed the clutch on my 40,000km, 2013 CB1100 (it didn't really need it, but I thought it will be ready for one soon anyway so why not? - the clutch plates are pretty standard parts). They also changed the head gasket, which was leaking tiny amounts of oil, but made it look a little dirty.

Note I'm in Vietnam so labour costs are really small. but parts can take a long time to arrive and be costly.

Anyway, now it clicks when I accelerate - it seems to be related to the speed of the vehicle, rather than the engine RPM. The volume isn't too bad, just noticeable at low revs before it gets drowned out by engine noise at higher revs (loud exhaust mandatory for Vietnam).

I took it back and they (say they) checked it over and they think the cam chain is a little loose/worn. I searched this site and found a few possibilities (e.g. http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread....=Clicking) - which suggests: 1. the cylinder head might not have been screwed back on very well, 2. fuel pump, 3. oil

The oil that was in it was Motul 10W50 synthetic - it's a hot country
He's taken out this (almost new) oil, and replaced it with 10W40
And they say they checked everything they had touched, including reseating the head again.

Does anyone want to guess that this is the most likely reason for the clicking noise, in combination with the cam chain being worn perhaps? How far do these suckers travel before things like this need to be changed? Who's winning the ODOMETER marathon? Surely we are seeing many on 100,000 miles by now - perhaps even 200,000? I'm on 40,000, and until now, have been very happy with reliability - marvellous comfy bike. My daughter also uses it to pick up boys as you can see in the picture.

[Houtman_imp]

If it did not make a clicking sound BEFORE you took the bike to the shop than something must have gone wrong with the "repair"

[Lord Popgun]

Since it seems speed related and not RPM, is it possible that the rear wheel is out of alignment and you are hearing the chain? IIRC we had a member have a chain click due to that. Wheel being cocked and chain made the noise as it went around the sprocket.

[Jfro5687_imp]

Hi, by taking the head off many things have been disturbed. The 10w/50 does seem a bit heavy TBH even in a hot country so changing that seems like a good move. Can you narrow down roughly where it’s coming from? If you are riding along and you pull the clutch in does the noise go away? With the bike on a stand do you get the noise when you spin the back wheel?

[GoldOxide_imp]

Since it seems speed related and not RPM, is it possible that the rear wheel is out of alignment and you are hearing the chain? IIRC we had a member have a chain click due to that. Wheel being cocked and chain made the noise as it went around the sprocket.

This initial theory I like.

[j3gq_imp]

Mechanics have a long history or making mistakes (like all humans), including forgetting tools etc. inside the engine. It's hard to believe that the problem is NOT mechanic induced. If you have to go on a test ride, make sure you do it, where there is no traffic. if sth has been left inside the cyl head which doesn't belong there, it may break a cam or valve, leading to engine stop and an accident. Be careful !

Next, check the basics
- chain tension, oil level, etc. followed by
- speed or rpm: carefully check at different rpm/s while on main stand (do yo hear it at all, etc. is there a cut-off rpm, or do you just don't hear it less and less (still on the stand),
- temp: engine cold or warm
- hold a metal stick or tube against the engine housing and your ear (I am not joking), can you tell if there is a place where it's louder, left or right, etc.
- if you don't hear it at higher rpm/s (on the stand): is it really acceleration or just high rpm/s, in which gear ?

There is a lot you can do before you return her to the shop - unless you trust them a lot, or you don't care about the cost. Good luck

[max]

Three things;
1 when you say the head gasket do you mean the camshaft cover gasket ?

2 is the sound there when the bike is running in gear on the center stand?
( you could present a load to the engine by using the rear brake whilst running on the stand )

3 if the sound comes from the engine it would be there even when the bike is stationary, which seems not the case according
to what you mention, and i have learned that the engine runs best from the factory, any work done will go downhill from there, the amount of downhill would depend on the quality and care of the work done.

And i'm with popgun's assessment.

Lovely photo by the way!

[simplest2remember_imp]

Thanks guys!!
1. @max - yes, the cover gasket at the top of the engine covering the camchain - I thought it was called the head gasket
2. @max - when I finish work I will get it on centre stand and try and repeat that clicking sound using the brake (there needs to be load on the engine)
3. @Houtman - there was no noise when I took it, but they gave me a 1yr guarantee against it stopping working (which of course it won't)
4. @j3gq - I will test how the temperature relates to it - it seems to get worse as it warms up, but I will confirm this
to be continued...

[Tev62]

If there was ever a case of "don't touch it" unless absolutely neccessary this is it. On the oil, stick with what Honda say for your geography. A dealer who only has a big drum of "whatever grade" will make any argument for what he has got. Make sure it is motorcycle oil and not car/truck oil he has used.

Replacing the valve head gasket, OK, reasonable if there is an oil leak.

Clutch plates? Whatever possesed you to relace them ahead of time, you might of had another 60k-100K Km on them? If this was me I would have this stripped back out to look for a loose bolt, missing washer etc that could be ticking away. You should of just left this well alone.

Cam chain, unless the previous owners never changed the oil and left it in for 40,000km it should be perfectly fine. There would be no reason this thing has stretched beyond a serviceable limit.

If this is the only work that was carried out on the bike, and they removed nothing else, e.g. wheel, chains, sprockets, I would ask them to stip the clutch once more and confirm all is in order. If not take it somewhere with a better reputation and tell them exactly what was done by the previous mechanic.

[GoldOxide_imp]

Yeah, like Tev62 mentioned, clutch plate replacement under normal riding behaviour seems strangely premature - anyway, surprising to me too and is likely the most laboured activity.