Camshaft Top End Rattle

[Suzuki_Don]

Hey there Don. Glad to see you got it back together. I am beginning to wonder if all the noise is coming from the clutch basket. I was checking out 2 old GS1000 baskets that I have sitting around the shop the other day, wanting to fix one of them up for a spring rebuild project. I placed them on a wooden table with the gear up and gave them the twist test. One of them had a little more play in the spring/backing plate than the other. After looking a little closer at it, the rivets were actually moving around in their holes in the cast part of the basket.....Imagine the noise this would make in a motor with straight cut gears..idling in neutral.....Try loading the clutch in gear, sitting still and see if the noise gets quieter. I agree with you, it's a bit quieter.....Billy

Billy, I did find the springs in the clutch basket to be loose and tightened them up by inserting a screw driver between the coils and twisting to spread the coils a bit. The rivets were secure as far as I could tell. I will probably do a clutch basket repair at some time in the future after the motor is run in. Might even try to pick up a spare clutch hub and ring gear and do the mods on that and then it a simple swap over one weekend. Although these baskets with the straight cut gears are a bit like hen’s teeth here in Australia and they are heavy on postage due to their weight. Wonder where I could get new springs from?

Ian (49ER), thanks for the help, it’s been a long journey since the first email I sent to you about camshaft end float. I have dropped the idle down and it sounds not too bad. I think maybe the noise was not as bad as it may have sounded in hind sight. I could have had the camera too close to the source and it depends how high anyone viewing the video has the volume on their computer. But the knock was definitely there.

Anyway I am relatively happy with it now. And plan to put plenty of miles on it now as we are in the last month of spring heading into our summer. Good riding weather for the next 6 months or so, although we can ride all-year 'round over here.

EVERYONE: Thanks very much for all the help that everyone has offered. I don't really know what the solution was in the end, was it the clutch, was it the carbs out of synch, was it the piston height kissing the head; who knows!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just something I did notice on one of our two lane highways when running the bike in: when I snapped the throttle shut at 85 or so it shakes it head a bit and makes me nervous just for a second or two until it straightens up again. I did notice when doing the chain adjustment before my last ride that there is a small amount of play/movement in the back wheel when it is held for and aft (9 o'clock & 3 o'clock) and rocked back and forth. I have replaced the swing arm bearings and the three wheel bearings. Could this cause the head shake that I am referring to when snapping the throttle shut at speed. When it is closed more gently there is no problem.

[gearhead13]

Billy, I did find the springs in the clutch basket to be loose and tightened them up by inserting a screw driver between the coils and twisting to spread the coils a bit. The rivets were secure as far as I could tell. I will probably do a clutch basket repair at some time in the future after the motor is run in. Might even try to pick up a spare clutch hub and ring gear and do the mods on that and then it a simple swap over one weekend. Although these baskets with the straight cut gears are a bit like hen’s teeth here in Australia and they are heavy on postage due to their weight. Wonder where I could get new springs from?

You dont need new springs, just take it apart by grinding off the rivets, and shim the springs with washers. Unless your springs are broken. Then clamp it back together and get it welded back together. I did this on my 750 basket and it worked great.

[Nessism]

I did the shim the spring thing on one bike and the clutch quieted down nicely. On another bike I bought the clutch hub was rebuilt with a HD backplate and stiffer hub springs, and that clutch is quieter still. Not sure where to come with those springs but it's worth the project I think.

[Suzuki_Don]

I did the shim the spring thing on one bike and the clutch quieted down nicely. On another bike I bought the clutch hub was rebuilt with a HD backplate and stiffer hub springs, and that clutch is quieter still. Not sure where to come with those springs but it's worth the project I think.

OK thanks, looks like it will be washers, grinding and re-welding then at some stage. I am sure they don't make a HD backing plate for the 550.

[49er]

OK thanks, looks like it will be washers, grinding and re-welding then at some stage. I am sure they don't make a HD backing plate for the 550.

I didn't know that Harley made any 550's Don!

Enjoy your summer rides mate.

Just did a 1000 km charity ride with some mates, on Saturday. Lots of twisty country roads between Wairoa to Wellington and back to Napier. Took us 14 and a half hours, including breaks. Had a mix of rain and some slippery roads along with some excellent DRY tight twisty sections. A pretty good day in all.

I was pretty stuffed yesterday.

[Suzuki_Don]

Thanks Ian, your Kiwi sarcasm was not wasted on me. Glad you had a good ride. I am looking forward to some time in the saddle myself. We currently are enduring a hail storm here with much thunder and lightning. But I'm sure we will get some good weather soon. Thanks for the help.

[pete]

Dunno Don, according to the doom and gloom tonight (the news), we're all in for storms and rain and floods and all those pestilent things we just deserve to get coz we're such an evil race of beings this summer.

Oh, sorry, did I say that out loud?

[Suzuki_Don]

Dunno Don, according to the doom and gloom tonight (the news), we're all in for storms and rain and floods and all those pestilent things we just deserve to get coz we're such an evil race of beings this summer.

Oh, sorry, did I say that out loud?

Thanks Pete, you're such an encouragement.

[hampshirehog]

I always thought you guys looked upon a single fluffy cloud as being bad weather and if it ever passed in front of the sun the end of the world must be nigh....

Good job Don and a great thread to follow for anyone else seeking that 6th gear. Just a shame you had the pain in the first place.

[Suzuki_Don]

I always thought you guys looked upon a single fluffy cloud as being bad weather and if it ever passed in front of the sun the end of the world must be nigh....

Good job Don and a great thread to follow for anyone else seeking that 6th gear. Just a shame you had the pain in the first place.

Hey Wally we had more than a fluffy cloud here last night. See the result -- a tree fell on my house. We had a huge electrical storm, hail and strong wind. I could have done with a good forester to help saw up the tree -- do you know where I could find one.








Now this thread is almost at it's end I feel I can get a bit social and include a picture of two of non technical content.


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[pete]

That's a bit of a bugger Don! Glad it didn't seem to do much damage though.

We had a huge storm November 2008 that you probably heard about on the news (The Gap and Keperra).

We were ok, but in the space of about 15 minutes, the street out the front was flooded, the manhole cover up the road blew about 10 metres in the air, house across the street was flooded, and our pool (that we were swimming in half an hour before) was chock a block full of trees and other crap.

We got off real light, our CTO at work had a tree through his roof, several other people at work had tiles busted and stuff, wasn't a real fun day... lucky it was a Sunday and we were all home! Had no power for something like 36 hours either.

As for my doom and gloom comment... my sarcasm censor was malfunctioning a touch there I hope you get lots of great weather to get your 550 well and truly run in

And Hampshirehog... lately the old Sunshine State here has been more cloudy one day, pouring the next, rather than beautiful one day, perfect the next I'm sure it will all go away soon enough...

[tkent02]

That's not a tree, that's a shrubbery. Now get to work on that old dirt bike with no motor or gas tank.

[Suzuki_Don]

That's not a tree, that's a shrubbery. Now get to work on that old dirt bike with no motor or gas tank.

Tom, That dirt bike is a Bultaco SherpaT of 1978 vintage. Don't think I will ever do it up as I have nowhere really to ride it. I won the local trials competition for the bike club I am in for three consecutive years on that bike.

[GabrielGoes]

That's not a tree, that's a shrubbery. Now get to work on that old dirt bike with no motor or gas tank.

lol sigged

[Suzuki_Don]

Project Finished (I Think)

I took the 550 out for a ride this afternoon. I am very happy with the power, gear changing, clutch operation, and I stopped a couple of times and selected neutral without any problems. The Honda/Kawasaki front brakes are powerful and predictable. In fact I was coming down a gentle slope before turning into my driveway and heard a squeal coming from the front end, I leaned over the bars to see what it was and realised the front wheel had locked up with only gentle pressure on the brake lever.

The bike is how i want it now, it has GOOD power, GOOD handling, GOOD brakes and can be thrown through the twisties. All aspects of the bike are very predictable, brakes, handling, power, etc. I guess the only thing that is not predictable is the acceleration.

Here are a couple of pictures of the finished product for those to view that have helped me with their knowledge and advice over the many months and engine rebuilds.







The only other task I have to complete is to fit a volt meter to monitor the battery condition and charging rate.

Then some longer rides are in order.