Valve clearances, vtec, tensioner and noise

Valve clearances, vtec, tensioner and noise

Hi All,

My VFR has 90k on it, start making noise mostly when warm at idle, went away increasing the revs. I have a week now to look at it (Half gone now though). I am struggling to find anything to be making the noise.

Thought it sounded like a cam chain tensioner (specifically the rear one judging by noise location)- but valve clearances had not been done for a while too.

Seems I was wrong about the CCT's, they are fine, inspected the spring inside both CCT's and was fine too (had a VTR that broke the spring inside the CCT).

I am doing the valve clearances now, but have advice from a local bike shop and just wanted to check here. The valve clearances are within spec of the manual - but my VFR is a 09 and my manual is a 02. Have the spec's changed at all?

According to manual, clearances (non vtec) should be:
Intake: 0.20 (+-) 0.03
Exhaust: 0.35 (+-) 0.03

Mine are:
Intakes: 0.18, 0.20, 0.17, 0.19
Exhaust: 0.38, 0.37, 0.36, 0.36

Firstly, I am surprised that the exhaust seemingly may have increased in clearance, usually I thought it should decrease - this is why I would like to check if the 09 clearances should be the same.

Secondly, I took these figures to the local bike shop (local is 20km's away), the mechanics there said that because they are still in the limits, they would not bother to replace them, furthermore they said modern bikes like the vfr often never require any shim replacements. However on the Intakes I was going to swap them, even if they went a bit over the 0.20 specification (but not now with the bike shop advice). I mentioned it had a noise in which I got told they had heard plenty of noises from VFR's that were not a concern.

Thirdly, I asked the bike shop about the slide pin stopper tool for the vtec, in which I got the reply that they don't even have the tool as it is too expensive to check those - and they don't really need checking. Given my clearances on the non-vtec are within tolerances, does this sound ok?

I am really posting, because I had a noise, have found nothing and don't want to put the bike together and find the noise is still there. Any advice?

 

Vtec clearanced

My vtec valve clearances were too small at 40kkm, also 4 nonvtec were too small. That vtec tool is very ease to make by cutting it from a steel bar.
However, I do not think any of the clearances would cause the noise unless they would be extremely large like > 0,5mm.

 

thanks veijoess, interesting to know clearances should not be causing the noise. I also have a ticking sound, could this be clearances?

I have the measurements for the tool, but do not have the equipment to cut bar that accurately.

 

When the bike is together check if the noise occurs with the clutch engaged or disengaged. In gear or out of gear. Could be a lot of things.

I had a wise old friend tell me once that "If your bike makes noise that is a good sign. Its when it stops making noise you're in trouble!"

 

Thanks Maggot,

I have not put it back together yet, really deciding if to do the vtec check, and get second opinions on if this is worth it at 90,000 km's.

However, my clutch has always changed the "tune" the engine sings when I pull it in right from new. This noise though is more of a knock. When the bike is warm and the noise appears, it is loud enough that I cannot hear the difference of engaging the clutch any more.

It did not matter if in a gear or not. Your right it could be a lot of things, if I cannot find it now I will need to put it in a shop, but $$ are tight right now and this is my only form of transport to and from work.

Used a screw driver as a listening device before pulling it apart, the top of the rear head on the camchain side seemed to be where the noise was, bottom and front heads seemed fine.

One thing the 2002 service manual seems to lack is inspection of the camchains - and how to replace. I noticed the front head intake cam is about 3mm out (the FI line is about 3mm below being inline with the top of the head).

 

Given your shop's recommendations and my own ( i worked as a perfessional motorcycle service manager for a week before i was canned !) leave the bike as it is and stop fretting about small within-tolerance differences and relax !! Some bikes suffer from too little maintenance while others from too much maintenance ! :confusion: vtec makes changing valve clearances just too much damn work ! :topsy_turvy:

 

Thanks everyone, probably being a bit of a perfectionist given the noise problem - as squirrelman pointed out.

Just putting it back together now without doing the vtec clearances, partly because another bike shop also advised they do the same (dont check them), partly becasue I am probably being over cautious and finally because no one could make the slide pin stopper tool for me (took the specs to the local engineering place but they didn't seem confident in doing it - as they are really just a welding shop - different to engineering in my mind.

Thanks to everyone for the responses, keep them coming if any more - as I am expecting the noise to still be there when I put it back together.

 

It's back together now, except fairings, ran the engine until it got over the temp to start the fan, then ran for another 10 minutes. The main sound I heard is not there at the moment. Will need to take it for a good ride to be sure. Likely the tensioner was stuck I guess - but didnt seem to be when I pulled it out (took notice of the camchain looseness and the turns the tensioner was out).