Help!...Unique Engine Squeeling Noise

[soxfanscott]

Started her up today and followed Whiskerfish's suggestions. Put her in gear with on centerstand. Had same squeel in first gear with wheel rolling. Varied in pitch with RPM. Clutch in or out had no effect. Sound seems to be coming from starter side of engine. Perhaps even in starter itself. I am loathe to run it too long with it in it's squeeling state.

Am going to more investigation tonight.

Thanks to all

[Cookie]

Funny about that, I haven't had cables or myself scream in the cold since I moved here either. Just in the rain lately.

[soxfanscott]

Warmer weather time to ride...........

Started it up today, had the same squeel. Not tach line, Not head gasket. Coming from clutch / starter area. Shut off engine.

Repositioned myself with a stethoscope listening probe and restarted engine.....no noise! Hmmmm.

Took bike through several engine starts and stops, not a squeel!

Packed on the riding gear and took her for a ride. Nary a sound except for the familiar ones.

Will still investigate and be cautious......

[Whiskerfish]

Noise like that going away is worriesome. Before riding any distance I would do a good engine flush just as a precaution. "If" it was the starter clutch not releasing that would be very bad happening away from home and almost guarantee a engine pull if it was run for any length of time. Drain a quart of oil then add a quart of MMO and ride it easy for 100 miles or so. Make several start and shut off cycles during that time with the engine hot. Then do a regular oil change.

[phillip0123]

i once thought i had spoiled the engine. it was a awful screaching sound. turned out to be the alternator bolt had backed out and was digging into the plug. ofcourse i did not discover this until the engine was on the bench and the heads were off.

[soxfanscott]

Will do the MMO flush as soon as the weather turns again. Another 6" of snow on Monday! Global Warming my A**. I am loathe to believe it "fixed itself". But one never knows.

[WingerDave]

I don't wanna rain on anyones parade but it sure sounds like it could have been metal on metal.

Check the oil for metal shavings and the oil screen for same. I remember seeing what can be ripped off if the clutch basket gets shaved, somewhere on the site.

Hope it isn't, though.

It shouldn't make sounds like that.

Dave.

[soxfanscott]

Will pull filter, screen etc when I dump oil for flush. Thanks for the advise..

[randakk]

I recently resolved a similar mysterious squeal on my '75 show bike.

The noise had 2 elements:

"squeal" at the front (like bad timing idlers)

+

"clanking" in the starter area.

Turns out it was a failed water pump bearing. The bearing started howling all of a sudden. When I dug into it, I thought I would find a bad idler, but they were perfect. Rotating the pump by hand revealed "harshness" + a slight "catch."

Apparently the "catch" in the pump was putting stress on the driveshaft which in turn was creating havoc with the drive chain causing it to snatch and lash about.

Anyway, replacing the pump solved both noises. I believe ignoring such a problem might actually take out the shaft or chain. That would be a bear of a repair!

[soxfanscott]

Will investigate your recomendations as well. There has always been low rpm "rattle" from the starter area, which if I am not mistaken I had read on your great site, was a common sound from these wings. The Primary chain if i recall.
Will start the quest to check out the water pump bearing.

[soxfanscott]

That Squeel is gone!

Followed Whisker's Advice and did a drop quart and flush, Changed out filter, Then a Fresh change.

Prior to that I took Randakks advice and checked the water pump. When Turned by hand no detectable catches, or flat spots. Idler pulleys were okay as well.

I am not sure what the cause was...perhaps the long winter lay brought a gremlin?

I have a small oil leak that has started near the Fuel Pump / Tach Cable. That's next on the agenda. Will post a new entry on tips for that task.

[Roady]

Congrats on the now gone squeal. Amazing what lubrication and regular use can do for a machine. (Reminds me ... gotta get out the chain saw and loosen it up a bit )

Some good pics and tips on the tach/fuel pump oil leak can be found in this thread. Just click here.

[soxfanscott]

In a completely different development.......as i was replacing stator....... I figured out what this was........A magnet in the magneto has de-laminated. and a very thin sliver of it was touching my stator coil, acting like a baseball card against the spokes of a bicycle. there were several of them in the assembly. I could see where it had worn against the stator. Will post a pic