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Author Topic: 73 CB500 Ticking Noise  (Read 829 times)

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Offline LastChancer88

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73 CB500 Ticking Noise
« on: September 05, 2019, 09:34:29 AM »
So my bike is finally keeping the large majority of it's oil inside haha.  After I buttoned up the valve cover with new gaskets and fixed a leak out the side cover of that I discovered a new problem.  Cylinder 4 has a new ticking noise that happens as soon as I start the bike and doesn't go away.  If I pull the spark boot off the tick stops.  I've replaced the spark plug with different ones that are known good.  I cut the spark plug wire and reattached the boot to make sure that was all good.  The spark is good when I place the plug against the engine. 

Two questions.  Could a bad/lack of exhaust gasket cause this?  I recently pulled off the exhausts to clean them and noticed there aren't any gaskets behind the collar.  They are on the way.  What else could cause this that I can test? 

As always, and I don't think it's said enough, I love this forum and I appreciate all the help y'all provide for those of us on the newer side of learning. 
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1973 Honda CB500 Four
1973 Suzuki TC125

Offline bryanj

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Re: 73 CB500 Ticking Noise
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2019, 10:05:36 AM »
Simple answer YES so fit proper exhaust gaskets
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Offline Tracksnblades1

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Re: 73 CB500 Ticking Noise
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2019, 06:30:26 PM »
No exhaust rings....I'm surprised you don't have a quartet of ticks, instead of a solo performance.

😃
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Offline LastChancer88

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Re: 73 CB500 Ticking Noise
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2019, 07:12:22 PM »
Quote from: Tracksnblades1 on September 05, 2019, 06:30:26 PM
No exhaust rings....I'm surprised you don't have a quartet of ticks, instead of a solo performance.

😃

Ha!  For the record I do think there's a (bad) ring in there, but I've been simultaneously working on my car so I haven't had the exhaust off far enough to confirm that.  I have no idea what else it could be though as everything in that cylinder is up to spec.  The mistake I think I made was loosening the exhaust a month or two ago to clean it all after it had been covered in oil/grime for the last two years.  Maybe the gasket is now misaligned or broken. 
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1973 Honda CB500 Four
1973 Suzuki TC125

Offline RAFster122s

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Re: 73 CB500 Ticking Noise
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2019, 12:09:49 AM »
The exhaust gaskets are a copper ring that is tubular in section and it deforms to seal the two surfaces. Often they are overlooked if they are covered in soot people will think they are part of the head, common new owner mistake. See if your gasket is there or is truly missing.
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Offline dave500

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Re: 73 CB500 Ticking Noise
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2019, 02:53:12 AM »
im with raf,theyll be crushed and invisible,they can be hard to pick out with a tool let alone see them if your unfamiliar.
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Online Deltarider

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Re: 73 CB500 Ticking Noise
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2019, 11:53:23 PM »
Quote from: dave500 on September 06, 2019, 02:53:12 AM
im with raf,theyll be crushed and invisible,they can be hard to pick out with a tool let alone see them if your unfamiliar.
This ^.
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Offline LastChancer88

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Re: 73 CB500 Ticking Noise
« Reply #7 on: September 14, 2019, 03:43:08 PM »
Well I was able to pull out the old exhaust gaskets (they were indeed very difficult to see and were all in there) but they were not the cause of my issue.  While the exhaust was completely off I was able to see a crack in the exhaust pipe where it meets the head on cylinder 4.  I sealed that up with some exhaust sealer that I had recently acquired while replacing my Subaru's muffler.  After I cleaned a bit I buttoned it all up with 4 new copper gaskets voila!  No ticking.  This poor bike has been through some serious neglect in it's 36,000 miles (mostly not from me) so I'm not surprised at these issues.  I am one by one tracking them down and fixing them as best I can. 

Thanks again for the tips! 
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1973 Honda CB500 Four
1973 Suzuki TC125
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