[illini_bri]

Hey all,

Partly out of sheer boredom and cabin fever living in Michigan, I tore apart my '06 Wee with 10k miles, cleaned and adjusted everything, then put it back together. One of the things I did was a valve adjustment. 6 of the 8 were either out of spec or on the low (tight) end of the range. Also did a TBS (turned out not really necessary), chain adjustment, radiator flush, brake bleed, etc.

Now everything is back together and the bike is running great. BUT - the rear cylinder makes a pretty loud clicking noise which I assume is the cams banging up against the buckets. I only hear it when I'm idling or on the gas, and not when I close the throttle to slow down. This is definitely from the rear cylinder, where I changed the intake shims to go from a .102mm clearance to a .154mm clearance. I checked and double-checked the clearances before buttoning everything up. The rear exhaust valves were the only ones not adjusted.

To my mind, the noise is what a loose valve would sound like. But since the clearances are in spec, I know it's not loose. Has anyone experienced anything like this? I'm thinking I'll just leave well enough alone, since the valve clearances will eventually tighten up. But the clicking is pretty loud and annoying. There's no noticeable loss in power or fuel efficiency (though I haven't ridden through a whole tank yet so efficiency may be suffering a little). Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Brian

 

[brianjonesphoto]

Are you 100% sure the timing what set correctly? I'd crack it open again and check everything. I'd also double check the cam chain tensioner on the rear. Hopefully it's nothing major, but could be. I've seen engines out of time where the valve was just brushing the piston as it came up to TDC. It wasn't enough to bend the valve but it did make a slight noise.

 

[10guy]

Are you 100% sure the timing what set correctly? I'd crack it open again and check everything. I'd also double check the cam chain tensioner on the rear. Hopefully it's nothing major, but could be. I've seen engines out of time where the valve was just brushing the piston as it came up to TDC. It wasn't enough to bend the valve but it did make a slight noise.

Even if the valve just "brushed" the piston they need to be changed, it takes very little to weaken the weld join on a valve. It probably wouldn't separate immediately but it will come apart and do major damage to your engine.

As to the OP, I'd agree that you should open it back up and double check on things just to be safe.

 

[illini_bri]

It's an interesting prospect. I hadn't thought of looking at the timing. I believe the timing is fine - I certainly checked it when I did the adjustment - but I'll dig around in there this weekend and post my findings!

 

[Brock2Saws]

At 11K mls my 06 developed a tapping in the front cylinder. Over the next 10k mls it got faster but not louder. Without comparing the sounds I don't know if we're talking about the same thing. I hear mine all the time and not just at idle. I had the valves checked and everything was fine, but the ticking is still there. No loss of power or efficiency.

 

[HappyWanderer]

It could be the sound of the looser valves. But tear it down again and check like the others recommend.

 

[illini_bri]

OK, I tore it apart and took a long look in that rear cylinder. My findings:

1. The timing is perfect.

2. The valve clearances are indeed within spec. Just to clarify, a .154 shim fits easily while a .176 shim will not fit. So the intake is within spec. Exhaust was in spec when I did the adjustment in the first place.

3. The cam chain seemed a little loose to me when I first opened it up, but the tensioner is properly installed and could not be bumped forward for another "click". After rotating the cylinders by hand to get the valves in to their proper places for checking timing and clearance, the chain seemed tighter than at first.

4. The clicking noise is still there. Brock - I hear it at idle and when I'm on the gas, but not when I close the throttle to slow down. So in a sense it's there all the time.

I'm satisfied that the clicking is the sound of the looser intake valve at this point. Nothing else looks amiss, and everything checked out. Guess I'll just have to get used to it.

Cheers,

Brian

 

[Gravehunter]

The valves set to the looser side of the spec do make noticably more noise than tight(to the spec) valves do. Its amazing what a couples thousandths will do.
When i checked mine i ended up adjusting 5 of them from too tight or on the tight end of the spec to looser settings. After reassembly the engine was noticably noisier. I'm talking you just notice it, not like.. OMG that noisy now.
So if you not talking excessive noise thats probably what your hearing. But nearly impossible to say over the internet of course.

If your confident in your timing and clearances i wouldn't worry about it.
They will quiet down as they tighten with more miles.

The old saying is: "Slappy valves are happy valves"

 

[MikeB]

I haven't done valves on the Wee yet, but the received wisdom among BMW oilhead owners was to open them up until the damn thing sounded like the anvil chorus. People stared, children cried and dogs howled, but the bike seemed to be happy that way. Sometimes I thought I had gone too far, but one day a guy pulled up next to me at a stoplight and his was about twice as tappy as mine. I felt better then.

One respected BMW guru actually recommended doubling the recommended clearances. I didn't quite have the balls for that, but I've never heard of anyone going wrong with too much clearance. When I do mine they will be at max clearance or a smidge more, noise be damned.

 

[fmehrtens]

valve noise

you just made me feel a whole lot better. Just bought an 04, and the gentleman had a receipt that the valve adjustment was done last year, but I hear a loud tapping noise (valve). I will still check it when the weather gets colder, but now I don't have to lose any riding time.

 

[OydnaR]

because shim under bucket valves tend to tighten and never loosen, the common wisdom is to adjust them to the loose side of spec, that will give you longer time between adjustment intervals than if you put them in the midle of spec.

if valves are out of adjustment, when you adjust them, they will get noisier

I disagree with any recomendation to double the recommended clearance, it won't open the valves as far, that would be like putting shorter lobes on your cams= loss of performance , also increase clearance means more force between valve & cam lobe when they come in contact, = faster cam wear



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[aldntn]

I honestly think Suzuki sets valves at the tight end for the government required sound tests. When adjusting more to the middle of the spec, you start hearing the valves. I'm inclined to stay within the spec. I'm assuming the Suzuki engineers know more about the engine than I do.

 

[gir]

This thread is very helpful. I haven't adjusted the valves on my wee but I have done the first valve adjustment on my KLR 250. They desperately needed loosening and were quite a bit tappier afterwards.