Topic: How often do you adjust your valves ?

[smpls70]

I chased a ticking valve on my '72 750 for awhile before I got it to stop, 2-3 hundred miles ago, then all of a sudden it came back while coming home from a friends house, just wanted to know if theses thing can loosen up that quickly or maybe there is some underlying problem? Ill check em tomorrow and see if they are in spec ( kinda excited to do it as I picked up one of them double sided , angled feeler gauges from motion pro)

[Gordon]

What did you do when you got the ticking to stop?  Was it just a tappet out of spec?  Definitely shouldn't need readjustment after a couple hundred miles if all is working properly.  I check the valves on my K1 once a year and they rarely need adjustment. 

[Danno]

you might want to check and see if the tappet shafts are starting to drift up in the cover a common problem on the 550 and I am told it can happen to the 750 as well when it started happening to me I had to adjust it about three times in a month which is unusual and usually it does not get loose and need adjustment they get tight so if it is getting loose I would bet on the drift problem if you get it fixed before the tappets hit the top it is an easy repair if you don't then plan on buying valves for it and possibly gaulling a cam

[TwoTired]

How long since the oil change when the ticking came back?  What oil are you using?

[smpls70]

TT its been about 800 - 1000 mi since last oil change, early summer . Im using Castrol Actevo x-tra 4t 10/40. Couple other things I was wondering that could cause this , the bike has  been idling on the high side, I need to get this thing synched , so on a couple of start-ups it has reved almost to the red line. Ive also been mostly doin city driving, no freeway, tires are in bad shape, but that is on the docket later this week ! ( anyone have a good sugestion for tires, cause I cant make up my mind which ones to get !) Other then that , the bikes been runnin great, Ill take a look at the valves later this afternoon and see whats what.,wouldnt mind doin an oil change, and on that note, summer is over here in Minnesota, and it will be getting cooler starting this week lows in 40's highs in the 60's , would it be a good idea to run a heavier oil ?

[andy750]

10-40 is fine for cool temps. The ticking sound may also be an exhaust leak (sounds like tappets) so check the spigots for tightness and the collars.

Tires -cant go wrong with Bridgestone BT-45s. Great in all weathers, all speeds and any corner

[TwoTired]

TT its been about 800 - 1000 mi since last oil change, early summer . Im using Castrol Actevo x-tra 4t 10/40.

The oil worked well when new.  But, as it gets used, the long chain molecules that make it behave like a thicker oil get chopped up and the oil then behaves as a thinner oil.  Perhaps that is why it no longer provides the "cushion" for your tappets, as it can no longer achieve it's 40 wt while hot?  Essentially your oil can wear out, and some multi-vis oils wear out faster than others, particularly if they've been overheated or stressed (chopped up by transmission gears).

Do check the tappet clearances to see if they have changed.  But, maybe, just maybe, new oil will quiet things down.

I'll put in my usual high recommendation for Metzeler tires in the stock or very near stock Inch sizes.  Even on my 750, swapping out the oversize tires for stock size, made the bike handle less like a truck and gave it far more neutral and agile handling.  3.25x19 front and 4.00x18 rear Lazertec.

Cheers,

[smpls70]

Check the valves , change the oil , im on it ! Ive always done the valves buy turning the nut under the points cover, cant remember what ya call it, ive heard that its not a good idea to do it that way ?? I just got this nice lift so i can get the bike off the ground ( there is no center stand on my bike ) just want to try rotating the tire method , im assuming the bike needs to be in gear ? and the plugs need to be takin out ?

[MCRider]

Have you ever removed the tappet and inspected its contact point? They can wear into a channel, and or pit very badly, which once started never stops and will frustrate a valve adjustment to the point of it being impossible.  They are cheap to replace.

I got a handfull from a salvage yard once and about 1 in 4 were unusable. Could be that way in your motor.

Using the ignition nut (17mm) is SOP. Pulling the plugs removes the worst of the resistance. If you don't manhandle it and force it at an angle, everything is fine.

[smpls70]

Yikes !! Ive read somewhere about this happening..........the #3 is a perfect round indentation right in the middle , # 4 is all chewed up, was kind of hard to get a decent pic, they are both on the intake side , is it from being to loose ? Just wanted to post these real quick, havnt checked the clearances yet.

[smpls70]

Valves are up to spec , so either I have the covers on way to tight , if that is even possible ? The gasket is flatened. Or as Danno was saying ( see above ) something along those lines, I'll have to look into that a little more , I'll have to wait till Monday or tuesday to get to the oil change , kind of curious to see if there's any thing in the oil

[smpls70]

you might want to check and see if the tappet shafts are starting to drift up in the cover a common problem on the 550 and I am told it can happen to the 750 as well when it started happening to me I had to adjust it about three times in a month which is unusual and usually it does not get loose and need adjustment they get tight so if it is getting loose I would bet on the drift problem if you get it fixed before the tappets hit the top it is an easy repair if you don't then plan on buying valves for it and possibly gaulling a cam.   Danno/ or anyone else elaborate on this?Was trying to find more info on " drifting " search is not coming up with anything.

[KingCustomCycles.com]

Before each ride.  I also replace my tires, replace all the light bulbs new, and do a title search with the BMV to make sure it is still registered to me. :-) Seriously, every 3000 miles or 10 years, wichever comes first.

[Tanqueracer]

If you are using a modern 10w-40 oil without a zinc/phospate additive your cam lobes are probably going round causing an increase in tappet clearance after only a few hundred miles. This is a common problem in small bore engines as well as high HP engines using flat tappet cams and on overhead camshafts engines that come in direct contact with a follower or rocker arm. Once the damage is done, the only way to repair it is to replace all the worn parts.

There are several "oil threads" throughout this forum discussing this very topic. Please search them out for more information.
As I have stated elsewhere in this forum using any modern oil that begins in a 0, 5 or 10 without a zinc/phosphate supplement will ruin a flat tappet or overhead cam motor in short order. If the problem persists I would measure the cam lobes against the standard and see where you are at.

Disclaimer: I am NOT trying to turn this into another "oil thread"

[smpls70]

Ya got my attention there Tanqueracer , so I was lookin on my oil and it does not say if it has "zinc/phospate" , so I went on the trusty old interweb , found the MSDS , and it says it has 1-5 % Zinc alkyl dithiophosphate . Im going to have to read up some more on this topic.

[WarwickE36]

Is Torco ZEP zinc additive JASO friendly?  I run valvoline for motorcycles and its only 1% zinc.  I would like to add a zinc additive.  If ZEP is no good what are people using?

[Tanqueracer]

I'm not sure based on a percentage basis. However if we use the parts per million numbers from Mobile1 15-50 and Redline 15-50 (both have the highest ppm zinc/phosphate of any of the oils rated) as a guide you will need to find an oil with at least 1200PPM that is wet clutch compatible.

There are several out there including Brad Penn, Comp Cams and Roush Racing, but I don't know if those 3 are wet clutch compatible. I'm sure their tech people would know.

I use the Amsoil 20w-50 part number ARO-QT. It is wet clutch compatible, and has the required zinc/phosphate levels.
I'm sure there are other oils out there that have high zinc content and are wet clutch compatible. In have no personal experience with Torco additive, so I can't comment on it.

[KingCustomCycles.com]

I just looked it up, my Shell Rotella 15W40 has just under 1200 ppm zinc, is clutch friendly, and cheap at the Rural King Farm store.  Wha ho!

[chickenman_26]

Valves are up to spec , so either I have the covers on way to tight , if that is even possible ? The gasket is flatened.

Are there a lot more threads showing on that particular adjuster screw than the others? If so, maybe someone installed an incorrect length screw. But if not, there's no way the rocker arm should be able to rotate far enough to touch the cap. The cover being tight or the gasket flat has nothing to do with this. If the rocker arm is hitting the inspection cover, you have damage under the valve cover that needs to be repaired.  Maybe a bent rocker arm, damaged rocker shaft, loose or worn cam caps... And don't get all wrapped around the axle with oil chemistry. The oil you're using is one of the best motorcycle-specific oils out there.

Stu

[chickenman_26]

I just looked it up, my Shell Rotella 15W50 has just under 1200 ppm zinc, is clutch friendly, and cheap at the Rural King Farm store.  Wha ho!

King,
Have another look. That Rotella is 15W40, not 15W50. And all you need to know about it is printed right on the label - meets JASO MA. Great oil for motorcycles at a reasonable price.

Stu

[smpls70]

Problem solved ? Im being cautiously optimistic  Put in new o-rings on the caps, backed off on tightening them down, just snug , fresh oil , maybe it was a fluke, dont know , ill give it a few more rides , keep my eye on those caps ... of course . once one problem is solved , another presents itself , clutch rattle !!!!  Maybe ive been listening to to much Coast to Coast, its a conspiracy,  shadow people are sabotaging my 750four

[754]

 I got one repatedly loosening off , #1 exh. loosens in a few days.
 I will pull the adjuster out today and check it and end of stem..hope that fixes it..

[crazypj]

If you are using a modern 10w-40 oil without a zinc/phospate additive your cam lobes are probably going round causing an increase in tappet clearance after only a few hundred miles.

 'Round' cam doesn't increase clearance, worn rocker pads will though.
There shouldn't be any pressure on cam base circle so cleaance stays constant.
Lift gets lower and you lose power.
 I check valve clearance when I think of it, don't do high miles any longer and it could be a couple of years before tappets need ajusting (having multiple bikes helps)

[Danno]

if you put new orings under the inspection plugs you are just shimming them out for more room if anything has hit them recently you have shaft drift and it must be taken care of pronto it only took one after noon for it to go from ok to not ok on mine so if it is hitting now and you continue to ride with it you may not be riding for long

[754]

 Hah, I had a BAD adjuster bolt, it was pitting on the end... valve stem had a small crater, not as bad as the adjuster..

 I should check a few others..