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Major engine problem need any advice

3K views 20 replies 7 participants last post by  BoomerX 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys. I have a really annoying, really alarming noise coming from my engine. The whole scenario goes like; I don't know if it matters much but it started soon after I changed my oil. I changed my oil and filter, and than went to start it. It made a clunking noise like it wasn't getting any oil, I gave it gas like i have done before an the noise usually went away but this time it didn't. I thought if I just let it idle for a few minutes it would circulate or something. I know, very stupid of me.

Than a week or less after that I started hearing this clunking noise like something swinging and hitting metal on metal. It would do the noise when I went over bumps and I could make it do it when I was stopped on flat ground by moving it forward and hitting the front break and than moving it backward and than hitting the front break again. It only would do it once in each motion(as in you couldn't make it do it going forward twice in a row) It slowly started getting worse and louder. And than lately I got it above 10k and it seemed to pretty much redline, I'm not positive. Other than that there is no performance malfunctions. I have attached two pictures where I am 75% positive where I think the sound is originating from. ANY help would be appreciated, I would really not like to pay a shop $150 an hour to figure it out.

****A video I recorded of the noise**** It is of me going back and forth on the bike and lightly pressing the front break so everyone here the noise.
 

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#4 ·
Well, if it truly is a metal on metal sound it could be your cylinder head hitting your valves. I *think* the sound would be coming from that general area.

Or you cam chain tensioner is going. If it got out of adjustment somehow that could also cause your valves to hit your cylinder head.

But the CCT being off would cause a performance loss. You could try a compression check, too. Sometimes cam chains are just noisy (was a problem on CBR600RR's for a while).

Or you could take it to a dealer and have the tech confirm if the noise is an issue worth looking into or not. It's difficult to really understand from your post what you're hearing.

(P.S. I'm a girl ;) )
 
#5 ·
Ya, it is a metal on metal sound. I am 95% positive about that. Its not a vertical sounding clanking noise like the object is hitting up and down, more-so a front to back clanking noise. What do you think my first thing I should check is? An thank you ma'am :-D
 
#10 ·
getting a yamaha??? dude whats wrong with you? haha
ok there are a couple options to try next, there is a thread on here about setting your CCT out one more tooth to tighten up the slack by backing off the two 8mm bolts very slowly until you hear a "click" type noise meaning the tensioner has pushed out to the next tooth, then retighten. OR just do a valve clearence check. not a bad idea to check your clearence anyway if its never been done.
 
#12 ·
"I started hearing this clunking noise like something swinging and hitting metal on metal. It would do the noise when I went over bumps and I could make it do it when I was stopped on flat ground by moving it forward and hitting the front break and than moving it backward and than hitting the front break again. It only would do it once in each motion"

This sounds more like steering head bearings to me than an engine related problem- I think you need to do more diagnosing, before exclaming the engine is at fault.
 
#15 ·
i was only joking about the yamaha comment. i wanted an r6 before buying my ja.
and 07zzr i think your right i didnt even read his complaint throughly haha

a quick way to check those is lever the bike on its kickstand so the front wheel is in the air and turn the handle bars try to feel for any type of looseness.
 
#16 ·
Ok, for one Slapstick: it isn't the "kawi tick" and I respect and like Yamahas but please get the **** out of my thread if you have nothing to contribute. Do not come on here and talk shit on kawasakis. THIS A KAWASAKI FORUM NOT A YAMAHA FORUM. Thank you.

acidburn: thank you for the info, I think I will try to mess with my cct. But isn't the cct on the right side of the bike and not have anything to do with the left side where my noise is at? I could be totally wrong, I don't know much about the engine.

07ZZR: I have spent soooo many hours diagnosing problems and trying to figure it out. I have done everything short of ripping about my engine, and I don't think I have the expertise to just dive into that. And I already had thought that the steering head bearings were faulty before all of this and took apart the triple tree and did all the checks to the steering before that and they are fine.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I would not mess around with your CCT. If it's already tight and you try to let it out another click you could do damage and that would be another big problem.

If it's not running and you are moving the bike back and forth, then it's not in gear and nothing is turning in there so it's probably not a cylinder hitting a valve.

I would definately do a compression test on all cylinders. also you can take off the cover on the right side in front of the clutch and manually turn over the engine. see if it makes the noise or if it's hard to turn...
 
#19 ·
dude did you check your rotors? the engine is off and it only happens when you apply the brakes. the big rivet buttons that hold the rotor to the hub could have some play and its knocking when you change direction. thats what i would check judging by your vid and you said you checked the steering head bearings.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Well I already notched up the cct and it didn't fix it. I think I will get a compression test done. I don't really know what you are talking about though when you are talking about taking the cover off in front of the clutch and manually turning it over.....

An no, I haven't checked my rotors yet. It doesn't quite happen only when I apply the break per-say, it just only seems to do it when there is inertia in one direction(forward or backward) and a quick stopping force. I will check my rotors though asap. What do you mean by "the big rivet buttons that hold the rotor to the hub"?
 
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