Lb3

are you sure man? I dont think you can get to the caps on the rods unless you split the bottom case on the gixxers. I am almost positive.

f4rider

i'm still paranoid as hell now, cause that's not what i've heard other people say that bad tensioners sould like.

955iDisastar

not 100% positive on the gixxer motor, but I have done it on other models. Usually its going to be the #2 cylinder which I am a good 99% positive can be pulled out without spliting the cases. Its 1&4 that are a bit tricky. Use the magnet method before anything, this will usually find a loose con rod bearing.

2cent.

955iDisastar

huh?? ticks loud at idle goes away as you rev? after warm up it stops ticking? thats exactly what a bad tensioner sounds like, would you like me to explain why it goes away after you rev and warm up???

although a "slight " tick at idle could just be "slightly" loose valve clearances

sprocketz

sell it asap that biatch is about to blow!

01GSXR-600

Found a motor for a good deal with 4500 miles on it, so I think I may just drop that in and call it good for a while. I mean with just about 40,000 on the motor I'm sure it is getting weak.. Fix the old one over the winter and be set for next season.

f4rider

yes, pleased explain. I want to believe you

catach42

i had a bad tensioner on my f4i, it was quite on idle but if u slowly rev the bike from like 2k to 2.5k to 3k and so on and some point u will prolly hear a nasty rattle (atleast mine had one) thats the cam chain tensioner, pretty common f4/f4i problem

catach42

its much cheaper to replace a motor than to rebuild one

Got2josh

I'm surprised that no-ones pursued this but it sounds just like valves that need to be adjusted. When was the last time you had the valve clearances checked? They should be done every 15k or so.
I just did mine at 17k on my 00 750 after they started ticking a little bit, ticking went away as soon as I adjusted a couple of them. It started out ticking just alittle bit and then going away after a while, but especially at low revs I could here a slight ticking, but once the engine revved I couldn't here it anymore, although it was probably just cause of the engine noise. I'd say to start there, it's pretty easy, just get a shop manual and order the new valve cover gasket and the other little o-rings BEFORE you start so you don't have to wait a week to get them in.

Schwartz

[QUOTE=955iDisastar]if it goes away past say about 2.5rpms or after it warms up then 99% sure its the cam chain tensioner. Check your oil level as well. Althouogh if the small end of the con rod is bad it will tick without robbing alot of HP's. It will end up snaping the con rod in half and grenading the cases.... I would take it to a qualified tech just to be sure.[/QUOTE

Sound right.

FYI the small end is called wrist pin.

Schwartz

WHAT!?!?!

Armchair tech!!!

Magnet on an aluminum piston? Hummm. Ok special magnet, or some composite piston with ferrous metal in it????

Eyeballing it????

There is no way to use calipers or mics to accuratley mesure this clearence.

Plasta gauge.

Oh....... I get it your joking.

Don't need to replace the rod cap bolts, torque specs are different however you can re-use these bolts and nuts.


I'm a %100 on this...

955iDisastar

The magnet attracts to the grudgeon pin not the piston which will help in determining if the "so called Wrist Pin" is siezed, bent, or loose.
If a bearing or surface has been "spun" ie, lack of oil, you will be able to see it with the naked eye
Read you manual, you use a mic to find the standard and service limit size for each specific part... using plastiguage will only give you the clearance it wont tell you which part is out of spec... this method is used for many parts not just cranks..
And yes read your manual the cap nuts are capsulated and always need to be replaced, they deform when tourqed down....

Instead of hating you could ask a more reasonable "well how does that work"

F4RIDER the chain stops ticking above a certain RPM becouse of centrifugal force... and also after warm up on spring loaded tensioners cuz Heat causes metals to swell...

I'm done here as I an see there a bunch of haters just trying to be billy badasses. I have helped a lot of people on this site as well as others but I guess my time here is done...

N/A

Personally.. from my experience I would start with the valves. Valves need to be adjusted and with 40k miles I don't think you adjusted your valves regularly. I have built many motors for cars and almost all of them were 400+ hsp so I've been around motors for a while now and understand how they work, even if it is a bike motor vs a car motor. I had to adjust my valves on my chevelle all the time b/c of ticking. I know that bike motors are clearly different from a standard car motor but symptons are usually the same... so from my knowledge, and easiest way to fix it I'd start there.

Then if that doesn't help, you should move to tensioner, then to the possible spun bearings. From my experience and from what I've read on the internet and been told by a couple close friends of mine who are certified techs at Interstate Honda, a spun bearing does happen but the condition deteriorates quickly so you'd know in about 700-1500 miles if you had a spun bearing especially riding it the way we all ride on this site. (and 700-1500 is a generous guess... it will probably be sooner b/c of the way we ride)

955iDisaster.. thanks for the other info, I'm sure it will come in handy when Im checkin' out my motor considering it has about 13k on it now.

01GSXR-600

Thanks to all that have posted up on this matter..

Schwartz

I am not hating that isn't my goal here. I just don't understand a few things in your post and I would never recommend to some one that taking the head off is an easy job.

Drop the oil pan and 2 bolts to take the rods out???? I don’t' get it.

To adjust the valves is a big task on these bikes too. Under bucket shims are in no way for the inexperienced mechanic. Measurements must be accurate both cams come out. Measure all the out of tolerances shims do your math right and replace with the correct tolerance shims. Replace cams and check clearance again. Big pain!!


So what upsets me is when people shoot out advice that may have some guy tearing down his motor when it could be something as simple as a cam chain tensioner. $60 part and 20 min and this problem will probably be fixed.

my

The Mad Hater/German

955iDisastar

Understood, my first post was posible cam chain tensioner then the subject went off on another tangent. I also realize that there are diferences in what I consider extansive from other peoples perception.

Also there is a very easy way to test the cam tensioners on most late model hondas with spring loaded tensioners.... I posted this up on another site...


First of all this is for most late model hondas and other models with spring loaded tensioners. (not hydrolic or manuals)

The ticking from cam chain tesioners is usually caused by the spring losing tension and the threaded stop wearing loose. If you have the symptoms of ticking at idle but goes away as you rev and warm up then this test might save you a headake.

1. Take of the 10 or 8mm head bolt out of the end of the tensioner. Only the one on the end not the mounting bolts!
2. Start the motorcycle and let it idle, as you hear the tick, and only when you hear the tick, take a small flat head screwdriver and stick it down in the hole of the tesioner and lock it into the flat head grove inside the tensioner.
3. As the bike is ticking "slightly" put pressure on the screwdriver in a clockwise direction (righty tighty) and listen.

If the ticking stops you need to replace the tensioner. Simple test but relives the pain of the guessing game.

hope any of this helps..

Lb3

Tick.. comparable to tapping a pencil on a glass table = valves.

knock or tap... sounds kinda like tapping a wrench against your stator cover = spun rod bearing.

rattle... sounds like a bicycle sized chain rubbing agains metal.. cam chain tensioner.

Got2josh

to just check the valves you don't need to tear down too far, just the valve cover and then go in there with a feeler guage. If you have to take the cams out and then do the math to adjust the clearances then that means that the clearances were OFF to begin with, which is most likely the problem.
If it turns out the valves aren't the problem then at least they were checked, which they should be anyways after that many miles unless it was done recently. but if they're fine then it's not that big of a deal to put the valve cover back on, through the airbox back on and button it all up.