Topic: Oil Light then -clackclackclack- then Dead! (help please)

[70CB750]

I prefer to offer knowledge or opinion only on things I already busted my knuckles on.

[Nik-bot]

I'd like to see what was in the BOTTOM of the oil pan as well.

Here's a pic of the bottom of the pan. In the upper-left, near where the drain plug is sitting, is where I poured the oil from the pan - that's the loose detritus.   The gunk in the middle of the pan seems to have been there for a while (I have to scrape it up).

[70CB750]

That does not look bad, did you pull the valve cover?

[Nik-bot]

Under the breather cover, there should be some more bolts, and the end caps have to come off...
...I'd like to see the rod caps? Any chance you can grab some pics in between those? And especially of your top end as you remove the cover

Ah, I'd not removed the screws under the breather cover.  I will do that tonight after work and report!

I had to ask google what the rod caps are  . I will get pics of those and the entire top end and come back.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful contributions!

[billingstitan]

Just for reference ... this is what an oil pan looks like when you've spun a bearing. There's no mistaking a catastrophic failure.

[lrutt]

Yea, that pan doesn't look bad at all.

I'm starting to guess a loose jam nut on a valve and that what might have been clattering. Pull those valve caps and just check for an uber loose rocker first.

[scottly]

I'm starting to guess a loose jam nut on a valve and that what might have been clattering. Pull those valve caps and just check for an uber loose rocker first.

I was just thinking the same thing: one time my 750 suddenly started clacking. One of the valve adjusters broke off above the rocker, allowing the remaining part that contacted the end of the valve stem to unscrew.

[RJ CB450]

I also like to pull apart oil filters.  I do it all vehicles, every oil change just to be sure.  Pretty noticable if something is being eaten with the fine metallic sheen.

[calj737]

I'm starting to guess a loose jam nut on a valve and that what might have been clattering. Pull those valve caps and just check for an uber loose rocker first.

I was just thinking the same thing: one time my 750 suddenly started clacking. One of the valve adjusters broke off above the rocker, allowing the remaining part that contacted the end of the valve stem to unscrew.

That would explain the noise, but not the "...then nothing" for a restart. I'm leaning towards cam chain.

[billingstitan]

That would explain the noise, but not the "...then nothing" for a restart. I'm leaning towards cam chain.

+1 -

I'm not versed enough to speculate what the damage might be - and I sincerely hope you get away with it being something simple ... but I'm not too optimistic.

I've seized a two-stroke and brought it back to life w/o too much heartache. Odds are a lot less in your favor w/ a four-stroke tho 

But I'll be happy for ya if I'm wrong!

[scottly]

Was riding home in a traffic jam (crawling) and the oil light came on and stayed on. I’d come to not trust the oil pressure light (see below) so I continued. After a few minutes, a ‘clackclackclack’ sound started and I pulled over.  The engine died on its own before I was off the road.  Oil level is fine, but smoke of burning oil poured out when I removed the cap to check. It seemed that the kickstart would not rotate the engine.

While pushing it home, I let some good Samaritans talk me into push start.  It started, but the clackclackclack noise convinced me to shut it down after 10 seconds and continue pushing towards home.

Not sure where you got "then nothing", Cal?
Nic-bot, will the kickstart rotate the motor, now that it has cooled off? Regarding the oil light, I was really expecting to see much more aluminum flakes in the pan on a motor that has an oil supply issue...

[calj737]

Sorry, remembering from a different thread. I stand corrected.

[Nik-bot]

I'm starting to guess a loose jam nut on a valve and that what might have been clattering. Pull those valve caps and just check for an uber loose rocker first.

Drats. I'd already loosened the nuts and started removing the cover - but I am pretty confident none of them were loose. They actually felt tighter than when I'd adjusted the valve clearance"

[scottly]

That's OK. How about rotating the motor with the kickstart? (with the rockers off you should remove the spark plugs)

[Nik-bot]

Nic-bot, will the kickstart rotate the motor, now that it has cooled off?...

Yes! I can kick the motor all the way through. It was only my first attempt after the shut-down where it felt stuck. After the push-start, it kicks through fine.

OK, here are the pics of the cam (more in the next post). I don't see anything obviously wrong... Do we dig deeper?  I have most of Saturday to dig in! 

NOTE: The 6 bolts securing the cover that were to have copper washers (not all of them did) did not come out normally.  Some were loose (like almost hand tight), others would unscrew easily for 1/2 turn and then resist the other 1/2, as if they were crooked?  And one of them simply broke off right where the threads start. Don't know how I'm gonna get that outta there. 

[Nik-bot]

rest of the pics

[Tews19]

I'm driving through and wish to watch the broken down bike if that is cool with cal? CoocooCal?  Possible new niickname? If the pic from below is indeed below,  where is the cam tensioner?  Unless my eyes are that bad at night I don't see it.

[scottly]

I don't see any catastrophic damage in the pics?

[Nik-bot]

...where is the cam tensioner?  Unless my eyes are that bad at night I don't see it.

Sorry, man - by the time I'm done each night it's dark out and I haven't got a garage - so the pics may not be very 'illuminating'. Tommorow I have most the day so if I can take another pic or check anything out to verify cam chain tensioner, I'll do it - point me in the right direction.   When it was running, I've tried the auto-adjustment of the cam chain tension (I had a lot of noise in this bike) previously but didn't notice any improvement...

[calj737]

The only thing from all those pictures that seems "off" at all is the #1 exhaust rocker is more worn than the others. But not enough to indicate catastrophe?

Many of the rocker cover screw holes into the head look pretty buggered up, Nik, you likely need to tap those holes carefully to clean them.

While you're out today in the light, kick the motor slowly and watch the cam rotate. See if there is any point at which it feels crunchy or hung up. If so, pictures. Without the rocker cover on, your valve train is disconnected, so those will need to be investigated manually.

Look carefully at the retainers and seats of the springs. Anything out of the ordinary?

And a last idea, what's going on with your exhaust? Any chance you've got a wicked hole or gap near the head stud and it's come loose? (Could explain the loud noise, which may be unrelated at all to the oil light).

I'm with Scottly, this may all be good news in terms of nothing internally wrong, something just funky. Could turn out to be more an investigation gone cold. But still got look some other places.

[calj737]

I'm driving through and wish to watch the broken down bike if that is cool with cal? CoocooCal?  Possible new niickname?

Tews - that was the other thread with the guy in FL. Cuckoo Cal? I've been called that lots...

[Tews19]

Lol Cal, coo coo Cal ! Not what you typed. There is a rapper by the name of that. You help everyone one in here with great detail and process. Coo coo is like cool cool... Ehh kinda hard to explain on a forum. It's all positive though.

[calj737]

Now I'm embarrassed. Showing my age  Growing up when I did (Jesus was still a Lt Col then) the only definition of a (w)rapper was Saran or Reynolds. Maybe name for a new group/act? Puff Saran? Ice Reynolds?

Think I'll stick to bikes, pop culture isn't my thing-

[Tews19]

Hey this thought just hit me! I put on a dyna ignition recently. Went riding to test it...... After about 30 mikes I was at a light..... I heard your sound kind of. A higher tinging. I opened the points cover and the nut holding the ignition came loose. I had to re time but that was my issue. Might want to check.

[Nik-bot]

While you're out today in the light, kick the motor slowly and watch the cam rotate. See if there is any point at which it feels crunchy or hung up. If so, pictures. Without the rocker cover on, your valve train is disconnected, so those will need to be investigated manually...

Ok, the rotation feels the same all the way through - no hangs or crunches.  Here are some videos anyway, in case you see something:

Cyls 1-2 http://youtu.be/OWA_jEeT47k

Cyls 3-4 http://youtu.be/klGsVDI_c6Q

Without the rocker cover on, your valve train is disconnected, so those will need to be investigated manually...

How do I do this investigation?

Many of the rocker cover screw holes into the head look pretty buggered up, Nik, you likely need to tap those holes carefully to clean them.

OK, and the one that broke off inside of the hole?  Should I remove it and if so how?

I will check the other suggestions you and others gave as well..