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top end noise

  • Thread starter Thread starter rgierer
  • Start date Start date
R

rgierer

Guest
I have a 1978 GS550E that I piked up last winter and am trying to get road ready. It had sat for 14 years. When I strted it up it had what I thought was cam chain noise. I replaced the tenisoner but the noise is still there. When I pull off the valve cover I know to check the valve clearance but what else could this be?

What would a long rest in the garage bring about?

Thaks

Robin
 
Interesting, how long have you had the engine running so far? I don't see how there could have been any oil left on the cams 14 years after it's last run so they would have been noisey due to that. Heck, I whiped the oil off one of my VW diesel cams after looking under the valve cover and it made a bad noise for a second after starting up.

Steve
 
I have driven it around the block. I checked some thing with the timing chain and I am confident it is working. I am thinking I must just have lots of clearance on those lifters.
R
 
Re: top end noise

If the bike had sat for that long, you should have removed the valve cover and oiled the camshafts, put a few squirts of oil into each spark plug hole and then removed the ignition cover and turned the engine over with a wrench on the crank end to get the oil into everything.
After that, its a good idea with the spark plugs removed, to spin the engine over a few times with the starter to oil and flex the camchain and check visually if it is being tensioned properly and tracking smoothly.

With the top end of the engine running unoiled/dry, I expect it would be very noisy. Also, if the engine had not been turned over for 14 years, the cam chain could very likely have frozen/rusted links.

Do you have a service book and did you follow the proceedure for removal and replacement/resetting the tensioner? If set incorrectly, it will not function.

Earl

rgierer said:
I have a 1978 GS550E that I piked up last winter and am trying to get road ready. It had sat for 14 years. When I strted it up it had what I thought was cam chain noise. I replaced the tenisoner but the noise is still there. When I pull off the valve cover I know to check the valve clearance but what else could this be?

What would a long rest in the garage bring about?

Thaks

Robin
Click to expand...
 
I did indeed follow the instructions in the book regarding the tensioner.

Would it still be worth pulling off the valve cover for oiling?

It has been started many times for short periods. Never run 5 minutes

R
 
If It was me, I would still pull the spark plugs and remove the valve cover and spin it with the starter. With the valve cover off, any unusual noise is going to be very noticable and you can watch the cam chain to see if it is jerking or running smoothly. Probably being started "many times" the valve train is oiled by now, but it never hurts to look and listen. You probably will need a new valve cover gasket though if the old one has been on for 14 years. LOL Its going to be a wee tad brittle methinks. :-)

Earl


rgierer said:
I did indeed follow the instructions in the book regarding the tensioner.

Would it still be worth pulling off the valve cover for oiling?

It has been started many times for short periods. Never run 5 minutes

R
Click to expand...
 
May or may not help but...My bike was sitting for a while, no where near as long as yours I'll admit, and the guy at the shop who inspects my bike told me to put a little Marvel Myster Oil in the fuel tank. It queted down the top end alot.
 
Well I pulled off the valve cover, pulled the plugs and ran the starter. There were no odd noises and the cam chain liked good. After I find a new gasket I will squirt some oil in the plugs and give it a shot.

I think the noise may be help by a little top end oil from the other side.

Any suggestions on where to find a vavle cover gasket for a 1978 GS550EC?
 
Since you had it running before you opened the rocker box, did it look like oil was getting up there at that time?
Also was the sound a squeak rather than a rattle.

No No not a mouse rather than a baby :lol:
 
The top end was bathing in oil. It all looked very good. I did not check clearances on the valves but will do so while it is open.

With the cover off I saw absolutely no reason I would be have clatter (so squek) and if I back of the cam chain tensioner when it is running I get a new noise added to my environment.

R
 
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