guzzista Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Just as I was getting to the 600/1000 miles service and about to check valve clearances, I heard a loud tappet noise on the left side cylinder. Removed the valve cover , and sure enough the clearance on the exhaust tappet was about 12 thou.(.30mm).Ajusted it back to .15 and it sounded fine ( the intake was close to spec so I left it alone.) After warming up the engine and riding home ( 20 miles) the tappet noise is back. Have not rechecked it yet, but after all the Guzzi cam stories( MY Cali PI was the recepient of a new MotoGuzzi issued cam kits) makes me wonder a bit.Any feedback out there? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldini Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 I've heard of no issues with V11 cams. Guzzis have noisy tappets. Always have done - I'd worry more if things went quiet. I run clearances at 0.25mm (10thou) Exhaust & 0.20mm (8thou) inlet as rec'd by Raceco in UK. (Always ran Tontis at .22mm (9thou) both). They ran em looser still racing. I think US specs are tight cos of noise/emmissions regs. Most people run em looser I think. Was your Cali hydraulic actuation? There were problems with them - V11 isn't. KB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wick Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 My loud "tappet" sounding noise turned out to be a bad connecting rod bearing. This was on my '03/02 V11 Sport naked bike at a thousand miles. It got really loud before the repair. Wick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jim fordham Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 My 2005 V11 has quite bad top end noise, dealer says its fine? 1400 miles Its louder than my 97 1100 sport 18,000 miles. makes you think!! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchbob Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 My 2005 V11 has quite bad top end noise, dealer says its fine? 1400 milesIts louder than my 97 1100 sport 18,000 miles. makes you think!! Jim 78981[/snapback] When warm, my Tonti top-end at about 50,000miles rustles [valves set at 10 thou inlet and exhaust] whereas my V11 at 6000miles or so [valves set 6 thou ex and 4thou in, which I believe is Europ spec] has to be really warm on a warm day not to clatter! But then, there's a difference in oils used: Tonti 20/50 mineral, as always; V11 5W/40 fully synthetic: again, the latest Euro spec recommendation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzista Posted February 18, 2006 Author Share Posted February 18, 2006 Well, there is loud (after 29 years with Guzzis I can say I am familiar with the tappets "normal" noise level,and then there is... LOUD!.... the Raceco clearance settings, although a great idea (thanks!) could not make it nearly as loud as as what I was hearing. The second adjustment( I was hoping I had screwed up and set the clearance too loose) revealed 86 thou! at the left exhaust .To reset it back to 10/11 thou. I had to use up almost all the tappet adjustment stud thread available.The right side of the bike is set at 6 and 10 thou( have not had to touch it) and is very quiet compared to the other side..... If I was a gambling man I would place bets on the cam lobe(s).... any feedback from the trenches? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ratchethack Posted February 18, 2006 Share Posted February 18, 2006 Sounds a lot like y'er past the surface hardening of the cam-face to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldini Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 Problem's only on exhaust? Could be cam. Or follower. Check top down. Is valve seating? Any damage on rocker arm or pushrod. You can get to them first then head/valve & w/barrel off you can get follower & see cam. Is it still under warranty? KB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete roper Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 I had heard whispers, but nothing concrete, on some of theV11's having soft cams. Certainly to me it sounds like a dead cam and follower to me. Get to it quick, as it's wearing away it will be flinging case hardened shit up the bores and every which way. A lot of the Hydro Cali's that went tits-up ended up needing new *everythings* Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbikerrick Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 Well, there is loud (after 29 years with Guzzis I can say I am familiar with the tappets "normal" noise level,and then there is... LOUD!.... the Raceco clearance settings, although a great idea (thanks!) could not make it nearly as loud as as what I was hearing. The second adjustment( I was hoping I had screwed up and set the clearance too loose) revealed 86 thou! at the left exhaust .To reset it back to 10/11 thou. I had to use up almost all the tappet adjustment stud thread available.The right side of the bike is set at 6 and 10 thou( have not had to touch it) and is very quiet compared to the other side..... If I was a gambling man I would place bets on the cam lobe(s).... any feedback from the trenches? Cheers 79232[/snapback] I saw a 2003 lemans, at the moto guzzi dealer in prescott Az, with the jugs removed, I went into the shop with the wrench as we were trying to determine if a certain cafe fairing they had would fit my naked. I asked the wrench, what happened to the goose, he said one of the cam followers wasnt hardened properly and wore down, with the valve clearance getting huge ,and very noisy to say the least! It was still on warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzista Posted February 21, 2006 Author Share Posted February 21, 2006 [Thanks for all the info, guys. Just drained the oil and dropped the pan.Picked up a few shiny flakes with my trusty magnet... next its time to carefully cut the oil filter with some snips() dont want to generate too much metal dust with a hacksaw) then we'll see if the paper pleats reveal any more surprises... funny how Guzzi somehow possibly felt that Ducati should not be the only Italian manufacturer with wear on cams/ rockers etc so they put some bum ones of their own... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzista Posted March 12, 2006 Author Share Posted March 12, 2006 With the pan off (in search of metal flakes on the bottom and in the screen), I stuck my hand an tried to get a feel of the cam lobes ( hard even with small hands) I felt what seemed to me grooves deep enough to be perceptible with my index fingernail on one lobe... so its time for my Coppa to take its winter vacation at the Guzzi dealer for warranty work...heck, my Ducati 998 just had about 6 weeks of that due to a bad cylinder base gasket and an oil weep problem on the Ohlins forks....sure seems like in the old days my italian bikes spent less time off the road even though they were already more road worn and I did all my own work... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beauchemin Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Oh shit. Just saw this thread. Today I noticed an ugly intermittant metallic noise from my left topend - more than the usual valve noise. I have checked the clearances and they are not very loose (.18 inlet and .22 exhaust). The right hand side makes normal sounds. It sounds like a piece of metal rattling around, but I have looked outside the motor and nothing is loose. The noise definitely feels like it is coming from under the left side valve cover. What is the easiest way to check the cam? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beauchemin Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 My loud "tappet" sounding noise turned out to be a bad connecting rod bearing. This was on my '03/02 V11 Sport naked bike at a thousand miles. It got really loud before the repair. Wick 78979[/snapback] Hey Wick, was it a constant noise, or did it come and go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helicopterjim R.I.P. Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Hey Wick, was it a constant noise, or did it come and go? 81981[/snapback] Chris. I'll be seeing big Gord this afternoon. I'll ask him what he thinks of the symptoms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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