Loud ticking: GL1100

[Toehead]

I have a quick question:

I got a Gl1100 motor with 18,000 miles. It ran, badly, on two jugs when I got it (The bike was a mess and had been outside for 20 odd years)

We cleaned it up, painted it, checked the oil screen and valve clearances, and installed a new2u kit.


It is now running very well, but has a ticking out of the right head over 1000 rpm. Lower and it doesn't make the noise. It sounds almost EXACTLY like my other 1100 did when the belt was off a tooth, but not as loud.

Valve clearances have been double checked. Cam timing has been double checked.


What else can cause this noise? Bent valve? Is it possible for the cam sprocket to have a sheared pin or something? I can't see any obvious problems with the valvetrain externally. The valves seem to close alright and don't blow back much when you crank the motor over.

We have a used right-side head off of the same year 1100 that is available for use. I was thinking about taking it down, cleaning the valves and seats, and swapping the head onto the current motor.


Suggestions and advise would be welcome.

[Oldewing]

Cam sprocket is on a woodruff key, hard to mess up alinement on. If you can do a leak down test it might help pin down your trouble. As if you have a slightly bend valve, it won't seal complety and will show up in a leak down test.


Or be safe and swap head, lap valves, new oil seals and go man go...

[CYBORG]

i would ck the exhaust gasket at the head. a small leak there will sometimes sound like a valve tick. and it will often go away with increased RPM's ck that the nuts are tight

[Toehead]

i would ck the exhaust gasket at the head. a small leak there will sometimes sound like a valve tick. and it will often go away with increased RPM's ck that the nuts are tight

I didn't change the exhaust crush doughnut when I swapped this motor into the frame. Bolts are definitely tight, but maybe there is a leak.


What if I use some hight-temp silicone as a proof-of-concept? It won't last long, but should seal long enough for me to tell if the noise goes away.

[CYBORG]

if you did not use new crush washers, i would install some. even if it is not the problem, which it could be, its always a good idea to replace them when re-installing an exhaust system

[Red2trike]

Agree with the crush washers. Might even re-torque those head bolts & the little 6mm bolt down there. Just cause. Mmm, might jsut tighten all those bolts up there around the carbs/tubes, etc, etc...........just cause.

One other thing I'd look into: since the bike "set" for so long I'd take the valve covers off and then take some of the hold-down for the valve rockshaft out. Check to see IF the oil returns are clogged with crud and IF needed swap the clamps to the other hold-down post (more for wear factors). The GL1200's have a ticking problem if oil is not getting to the valve rockershafts. Might be somewhat the same issue.

Throw some baby powder at the exhaust pipes around those joints....might see the powder "blowing in the wind".

RT2

[Roady]

My best best goes to the exhaust crush washers.

From the Crossover Parts List:

Copper Squash Gaskets (exhaust header) - (1000, 1100)

• NAPA; Fel-Pro part number 60567 or 12-1002.
  The automotive applications are 1976-84 Honda 1.3, 1.5, 1.6 and 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engines. May also fit some 1991-95 Nissan 4 cylinders. $1.49 each. Thanks to sunnbobb in this thread.

[Toehead]

I'll be replacing those washers tomorrow!


I'll also try a leakdown test to narrow it down.
If that doesn't do it, I'm planning on pulling the valve springs and rocker arms and inspecting everything. If no-go, i'll have to swap heads!

[Toehead]

found it:

A drastically bent exhaust valve on number 2.

[Tugboat]

Bummer! But, at least it's mystery solved?

[CYBORG]

i would be wondering how it got bent

[Toehead]

Bummer! But, at least it's mystery solved?

I think so!

I haven't pulled the heads off yet, but I narrowed the noise down to number 2, and I took the valvesprings off of the intake and exhaust on that cylinder using the air compressor trick. When I spin the intake valve it looks pretty concentric. However, when spinning the exhaust valve and looking at the valve head through the intake, it is very obviously bent (probably 10 degrees off of perpendicular).

I have my fingers crossed that that is it.

I really don't know the history of the motor: The PO must have screwed up the valve timing or something. When we got it it was running so poorly that it was impossible to hear any sort of valve noise.

-Brendan

[CYBORG]

before pulling the head take a compression ck on that cyl. that seems very strange that valve is bent. but stuff happens i guess

[Toehead]

The verdict is:



Some minor impact marks on the piston that were filled in with carbon. Based on the wear marks on one side of the valve stem and the level of carbon on everything, it looked to have run this way for a while. it even wore itself a new "seat" on the valve head, which explains why it passed compression testing and only had very minor leakdown.

I suspect a broken belt at idle, or some other mishap. The impact on the piston is really minor and I don't think it will hurt anything. Maybe this is why it was parked 20 years ago

I'll order the gaskets and start fixing up the spare head I have.

Thanks for the help guys!

[Toehead]

Edit: For future reference, the CX500 and the Gl1100 use the same valve stem seals. I have a spare engine gasket kit laying around for the CX500 that includes these seals, so i'll be using them.