[turborob]

G'day all.



Over time the TW has developed a ticking noise coming from the front of the engine. It is most noticeable when the idle's low and whilst decelerating in gear.



A ticking noise when idle's low and rattling noise during decell.



It's got around 22k (kilometres) on it and the cam-chain is manual type and correctly adjusted.



Before going further, I seem to deduce that it's the cam-chain - any easy way to check or alternate opinions?



Cheers,



Rob.

 

[elime]

Mine had a ticking sound. I adjusted the valves and it went away. I think it was the intake valve had excess clearance. Also, you can adjust the valves without removing the tank but it is so much easier and faster if you do. This was a lesson I learned the hard way.

 

[abyssdncr]

I'd second the valve adjustment. At 4500 miles my intake was .009" and exhaust was .006". Set them both to .004" and she sounded much better.

 

[turborob]

Thanks for the responses.



Valves were checked perhaps 4000k's ago and were adjusted. I might have a look in there though wouldn't have suspected it was them.



Correct me if incorrect; if your valves were loose the 'tapping' would be consistent with each revolution. Slow tapping low RPM, faster at higher RPM.



Perhaps I didn't explain it all that well - it's intermittent and most audible when at low RPM idle and when decelerating in gear. There will be the occasional 'tick' whilst idling too.



Any other thoughts? I will get to the valves soon - but I sure didn't pick them to be the culprit.

 

[abyssdncr]

Perhaps I didn't explain it all that well - it's intermittent and most audible when at low RPM idle and when decelerating in gear. There will be the occasional 'tick' whilst idling too.

You got it. I started noticing the tick again a couple days ago having just "set" the valves last week, mostly audible upon deceleration at low speed. Sure enough the exhaust had opened up to .006" when I thought I set it at .004" (the .002"-.004" range was a booger to maintain as I tightented the lock nut, so I called it good when it was torqued up at .004"). The lock nut was quite a bit stiffer than I torqued it to, but somehow that doesn't surprise me.



Reset it again to .0025" and voila! Super easy procedure and with a keen ear, the bike will always let you know when you need to look at them again...regardless of how recently you've previously adjusted them.



Good luck!

 

[turborob]

Checked the valves this evening.



Haven't done it the 'proper' way in a while (removing timing holes) but I did so tonight.



Was it correct lining up the timing with the scribe next to the T?



Intake seems to have no clearance (0.002" won't fit) and exhaust was a touch tight (about 0.003").



Will the put the bike back together over the weekend.



I'm still not convinced the engine noise was indeed the valves; but we'll find out next week.



'Till then.....

 

[turborob]

Set the valves correctly and the odd 'ticking' is still there - anyone got any other ideas?

 

[triple3jrb]

I too have noticed a sound as you describe. I also thought it was the valves and practically drove myself insane. Checked them two or three times and would always be the same. I have just come to deduce that it is just the sound the engine makes. After talking with several others they have said the same thing.



I have just closely monitored everything looking for signs of something being wrong but have found nothing (checked valve clearance, looked for shavings in oil, looked into the cam casing for wear, popped open the valve covers time after time to see if anything was out of wack).





Let me know if you find anything cause I have been constantly worried about it! But am going to just chalk it up to being a noisy engine!

 

[turborob]

I too have noticed a sound as you describe. I also thought it was the valves and practically drove myself insane. Checked them two or three times and would always be the same. I have just come to deduce that it is just the sound the engine makes. After talking with several others they have said the same thing.



I have just closely monitored everything looking for signs of something being wrong but have found nothing (checked valve clearance, looked for shavings in oil, looked into the cam casing for wear, popped open the valve covers time after time to see if anything was out of wack).





Let me know if you find anything cause I have been constantly worried about it! But am going to just chalk it up to being a noisy engine!

That's reassuring Johnny B.



Thing is though, it never used to make that sound. I had another TW which did make that noise too....sold that one.



See how we go - got a 3000k trip planned over Christmas on it and a nearly 1000k trip on Friday week.



Keep you posted if you wish.



Cheers,



Rob.

 

[triple3jrb]

That's reassuring Johnny B.



Thing is though, it never used to make that sound. I had another TW which did make that noise too....sold that one.



See how we go - got a 3000k trip planned over Christmas on it and a nearly 1000k trip on Friday week.



Keep you posted if you wish.



Cheers,



Rob.

How did your trip go? Are you still experiencing the noise? I was thinking of taking mine to the dealer this weekend to have them have a listen ( Warranty is up in December) Will let you know if they think its anything out of the norm!



Johnny

 

[triple3jrb]

Took it to the dealer yesterday and he gave me that look that I was crazy. Explained to him that it never use to make that noise and it just started. He noted that I probably had the idle turned to low and he turned it up and for the most part i could not hear it anymore. He said that everything sounded good and he couldn't hear anything out of the norm. He made a point that these tw's are pretty much "bullet proof" and the biggest thing was to check the valves frequently.





Just wanted to keep you posted!





Good luck!





Johnny

 

[turborob]

Hi Johnny.



Trip was without fault. I think I've worked out what the decelleration noise it...sadly I think it's the chain hitting perhaps the case around the countersprocket. Feel a little daft, didn't think of that before. Might be time for a new chain and sprockets.



It still 'ticks' every now and again at idle - still can't work out why.

 

[phelonius]

I have noticed tha many Jap bikes have the propensity to make this noise after enough miles.

I too have religeously adjusted valves and cam chains to no avail.

I have a theory, Most chain driven overhead cam Jap engines do not have a separate bearing for the cam to ride in.

The head is machined to be the cam bearing at least on one end. There is sometimes a roller bearing on the other end.

I think that as the engine wears, it gains a little slack in the bearing surface that supports the plane end of the cam.

This could result in the valve clearances changing up and down as the engine runs. It would not take very much slack for this

to happen. As one end of the cam wobbles about in the slack space, your carefully adjusted valve clearance may change a couple of thousandths.

This would also account for the intermittant nature of the noise and the fact that it changes with engine temp.

Does anyone have a way to check for this?



Phelonius

 

[turborob]

I have noticed tha many Jap bikes have the propensity to make this noise after enough miles.

I too have religeously adjusted valves and cam chains to no avail.

I have a theory, Most chain driven overhead cam Jap engines do not have a separate bearing for the cam to ride in.

The head is machined to be the cam bearing at least on one end. There is sometimes a roller bearing on the other end.

I think that as the engine wears, it gains a little slack in the bearing surface that supports the plane end of the cam.

This could result in the valve clearances changing up and down as the engine runs. It would not take very much slack for this

to happen. As one end of the cam wobbles about in the slack space, your carefully adjusted valve clearance may change a couple of thousandths.

This would also account for the intermittant nature of the noise and the fact that it changes with engine temp.

Does anyone have a way to check for this?



Phelonius

Phelonuis; I certainly still believe it's cam-chain related. My old CB750 did it when the idle was low too (but much louder).



To test, could you not just check the cam for play? Or is there more to this than there sounds.....



Thought that said; (as my mind is ticking over) you may be right.



I used to be lazy and simply adjust the valves anywhere away from the lobe; thinking the distance should be similar all the way around the 'non-lobe' (check out that terminology)! portion of the cam. Well, last check I did it properly and one was way out. Therefore, perhaps if the non-lobe part of the cam isn't equal; there's play or some sort of imperfection which makes the valve clearance change slightly.



Someone more mechanically apt, feel free to shoot me down if that doesn't make sense.

 

[sinophilia]

My experience... I have noises on both my TW200 BUT they both run very well. In contrast to what you say about decelerating, the ticking is especially audible and fast when I start turning the throttle, then it disappears (maybe it's just drowned by the engine sound at higher revs but I don't think this is the case). When the bikes idle there is the normal TW valve noise - had that on my 125 too. I used to worry a lot about this but now I'm tired of checking valve clearance and cam chain tension all the time, so I decided I will just ride and if they break, to hell with it!

It is certainly something to do with the cam chain or camshaft, but as long as there are no scratches inside the head from a loose chain I will just try not listen to this noise.

 

[Woofhound]

Mine has been making noise since it had 400 miles on it. Dealer said it didn't sound normal, but he didn't know what it was. he also stated yamaha doesn't pay for exploratory warrantee work. If i wanted to pay him he would figure out what it is. My best guess is cam chain. I'm thinking this will be my first and last Yamaha product I purchase.

 

[qwerty]

Mine has been making noise since it had 400 miles on it. Dealer said it didn't sound normal, but he didn't know what it was. he also stated yamaha doesn't pay for exploratory warrantee work. If i wanted to pay him he would figure out what it is. My best guess is cam chain. I'm thinking this will be my first and last Yamaha product I purchase.

Your dealer doesn't interact well with customers.



Every air-cooled bike I've ever had with an overhead cam makes lots of weird ticking sounds. It's the nature of the beasts. The only exception is a Nighthawk 750, but it has hydraulic followers and never needs valves adjusted.