Man I love this thing, but am I about to blow it??

[snowbeard]

I have to say this has been a great first bike, from basically unrunning I got to play in the tank, the petcock, the carbs (multiple times), the tires, etc!!

finally got it running decently and thought it might help to get a professional's opinion, so I took it to the local salvage/shop to have them take a look. ken listened to it, then ripped off down the alley and back, really givin 'er hell, more than I even do, only to return beaming and said "man, you ain't gonna get that bike to go any faster unless you sell it and buy a new one, that thing runs great!" didn't even want me to waste my money on a tune-up!!

so that said, I'm afeared that it may be time to mess with things a little deeper... when I come to idle (finally found that!! instead of cranking out the throttle cable ) there's a regular tapping noise, it kinda goes away with a little rev, but may just get so fast I can't distinguish it. it's pretty consistent in it's rythm to the engine, and comes and goes from loud to soft, like it's in the valves and they're progressively more "out" then back "in", then back out.

so does this sound like anything to worry much about?? am I about to throw a piston? blow a valve? what the hell is a tappet anyway? Thanks to anyone who may recognize this description, I'd hate to lose this now that I finally got it all together!!

[Pete's GS]

This sounds like you need a valve adjustment though, honestly, when people say they hear "valve noise" I'm perplexed. How the hell can you hear anything on a running motor ripping along at 3 or 4000 rpm?

[HiSPL]

Its probably your cam chain. Try grabbing your cam chain adjuster and turn it (barely!) while the engine is running at idle. When you turn it CCW the noise should get louder or more obvious. If it is the same noise you've been hearing then at least you know what it is. Its probably nothing to worry about. Just remember to barely turn the adjuster. Just enough to hear something chatter.

[Joe Nardy]

From your description I would guess you have one or more valves out of adjustment (loose) which is much better that being tight. This will probably not hurt your engine but it would be worthwhile to check and adjust the valves. First, get a shop manual, either the genuine Suzuki item or a Clymer manual. You might be able to get someone here to scan the valve adjustment pages and send them to you but the manual will come in handy for future problems. You'll need to remove the valve cover to access the valves and the ignition cover to enable you to turn the engine over manually. It helps to remove the spark plugs so you aren't fighting engine compression when turning it over manually. The manual will tell you where to position the crankshaft and which valves to check at what position. You'll need some small feeler guages to check the clearance between the cams and the valve buckets/shims. Write down the clearances (the back cover of the shop manual is a good place so you'll have them for future reference). Any valves that are out of adjustment will need the shim that sits in a recess on the bucket replaced/swapped for a thicker or thinner shim. There is a special tool for compressing the shim/bucket/valve assembly so you can remove the shim or you can CAREFULLY compress it with a screwdriver. You'll have to locate shims. Your dealer may let you swap shims with their stock in the shop. Otherwise you'll pay $10 or so for each shim you need. You could get lucky and be able to swap the shims within your engine to get all the clearances correct. IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT turn the engine over with any shims removed. This will result in damage to your cams!

Although this sounds complicated, it is very easy and can be accomplished by anyone with resaonable mechanical skills. The most important tips are:

1. RTFM (Read The F***ing Manual!)
2. Take notes or pictures during disassembly so you'll know how to get it back together.
3. Take your time!

Also, search this site for "Valve adjustment" and you'll find lots more great info.

Good Luck,
Joe

[snowbeard]

cool, thanks guys. I have the clymer, so I guess I'll dink with the valves one of these days when I have nothing else to do... :roll: nice to hear if that's it it's not about to kill me..

so once I find the cam tensioner and turn it ccw and it does get worse, should I turn it back to original and then a touch more to make it go away? or should I just turn it back and get over the noise... I don't want to over torque something and do more damage than what wouldn't have happened anyway!!!

[earlfor]

The cam chain tensioner is spring loaded and self adjusting. It is not advisable to turn the knurled knob in either direction. The knurled knob is not an adjustment knob. Its purpose is to enable you to visually check the automatic cam chain tensioner for correct operation. (the knob will wind and unwind if you turn the crankshaft with a 19 mm wrench, forward, and then back it up)

A low rpm tapping like noise from the camchain is not uncommon if engine rpm is low enough to identify distinct ignition pulses. Both of my bikes will do that if I turn the idle down low enough.

Earl

so once I find the cam tensioner and turn it ccw and it does get worse, should I turn it back to original and then a touch more to make it go away? or should I just turn it back and get over the noise... I don't want to over torque something and do more damage than what wouldn't have happened anyway!!!