6th gen Oil vs. Clicking sound

after the 600 mile service, I switched to mobil 1 Racing 4t 10w40 synthetic moto oil in my 2008 vfr. I recently changed the oil due to very old gas gumming up injectors and (somehow) causing one to stick open and drain fuel into the oil. I bought the same oil, but noticed they added a new rating to the bottle - no big deal, but it doesn't smell the same so they likely changed the composition a fair amount. Seam foam and throttle have seemed to clear out the fuel system quite well and I have been watching my oil level like crazy - it has not changed.

Since the oil change/ cleaning, the bike is running pretty great (although the idle is a bit low and rough when cold) except there is a metallic clicking sound (sharp clank maybe?) at idle when the engine is hot. Every time I stop and take off my helmet, it catches my attention. Clutch position does not change sound and it is not the normal "rattle" the VTEC hondas always have.

I searched around a bit and found one other person saying they now get a similar sound, when warm, after switching to the mobil 1 4T synthetic. Has anyone else experienced this? My best guess is that 75% chance it is CCT not getting as much lubrication as it used to, 15% i have a REALLY screwed up injector, and 10% that it is a valve issue (there is only a couple thousand miles on bike).

Obviously, changing oil is the easiest test so that is what I will do.... what should I try? Some guys say use regular auto oil (which seems odd to me given the gears in the transmission), some say dino oil, and others say hybrid synthetic blends. I know there are at least a handful of VFR riders out there who have fought off scary noises by switching oils - what works??

I am not trying to start another oil vs oil vs oil thread, but the damage may have already been done

Thanks!

 

Do NOT use regular auto oil as it contains additives that will kill your clutch rather quickly. The Moly anti-friction material does exactly what you don't want your clutch to do and it will slip. As far as the CCT goes.... I've replaced a bad one and it isn't that bit of a deal. It was most certainly shot when I pulled it out and no amount or type of oil can fix a spring that is unbound and coiled around itself causing loss of tension. Changing oil to fix your CCT problem is like adding motor honey to fix your smoking engine. It is just something to cover up the problem.

 

I don't think it's fair to say I am "covering up a problem" by switching to a different oil type and/or viscosity. I am not even positive that it is the CCT making the noise that bugs me. With 2000 miles on the bike, I seriously doubt it is in need of replacement anyway. I've ridden hondas for a number of years and every one that had a hydraulic CCT made annoying noises with certain oils and not with others. I have replaced CCTs before and had the sound return a few weeks later. They require certain oil properties to offer any sort of quiet service. My hope was to find someone with experience with different oils and to hear their impressions. If I believed the CCT was damaged, trust me - I would not hesitate to replace it.

 

Any further info on this topic? I also have a 2008 with 3000 miles on it running Mobil1 4T and have the same ticking noise. Would love to know what oil you switched to and any luck you had with the noise.

 

I just changed the oil (using the Mobile 1) a few hundred miles ago. Seeing as that stuff is $10 a quart, I'm going to go a bit further before I swap to something else - will update with results when I do though! I don't recommend waiting on my oil switch if you feel that something is wrong on your bike, however! Each bike has its own personality and each rider will notice different internal engine noises (when is the last time you sat on top of you car's engine driving down the road? ). It is really hard to determine what is "normal" based on a description. Have other riders noticed the noise? If so, you may have an issue! If not, you may just be obsessive like me haha