Subject: Help! 99 Suzuki vz800 making clicking sound! Tue Dec 04, 2018 7:17 am
Hey everyone, I just picked up a 1999 suzuki vz800 and am having some problems with it. It wouldn't start at first so I removed and cleaned the carbs which looked pretty good already, added some fresh gas, new battery, new spark plugs and she started right up and sounded good. After letting it run a little while, I decided to take it for a ride. It rode it around the block and it seems to switch gears just fine and sounded good, but then it starting clicking from the top right side of the engine. At first the clicking was kinda random but now it seems to be clicking non-stop VERY loudly. At first it was only clicking when accelerating but seems to click when idling after the engine warmed up. The guys I got it from said before he stopped riding it was overheating and cutting off. It has oil and coolant in it but im wondering if its stopped up because the temp and oil lights are both on. I have checked that its not a loose bolt on exhaust or spark plugs. It's coming from the top end of front right side of engine.
Here's a short crappy video but hopefully it helps:
From what I saw other people saying was that it might need/have a new chain/cam tensioner, spun rod bearing, valve adjustment?... Would I need to take it to a shop or is it something someone with a little experience(ME) could fix?
Thanks for the help!
Also if you guys think it worth the money to fix let me know, I basically have no money into the bike so Im willing to spend a little bit if i need to.
peardrop3 Very Valued VIP Member
Subject: Re: Help! 99 Suzuki vz800 making clicking sound! Tue Dec 04, 2018 4:40 pm
Sounds very suspicious, might be a cam chain or even the tappets needing adjusting but if I were you I'd try to get it to a proper local suzuki mechanic asap!
abrown Prospect
Subject: Re: Help! 99 Suzuki vz800 making clicking sound! Mon Dec 17, 2018 10:52 pm
Somewhat of an update....
So I took my bike to a mechanic and let him listen to the sound, he said it sounds like a loose valve noise which gave me a little hope. He said the bike would not start and run so easy if it was a loose cam chain...
My first attempt at adjusting the tappets did not go so great. I had never done one before so I took my time. Getting the feeler gauges in there was the hardest part. After I put everything back together I realized I set them wrong. I did have the engine set to TDC like your supposed to, but I didn't realize till after that the exhaust tappet clearance was different than the intake. Heres how it sounded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPSgJkS2qjA
My second attempt went much smoother...sort of. This time I set them using the method where you turn each screw out a calculated amount. It was much easier and quicker than using the feeler gauges. Im pretty sure I set them right this time but the noise is still there. heres how it sounds now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGsV1tuLYv8
The last thing I did was check the front cam chain to see if it was loose. I removed only the front cylinder head cover, which is where the noise is coming from, and messed with the chain to see if it was loose but it felt pretty good. Here's a few videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94AJE-xFe_8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27TW8ijGN-s
So now im stumped! Assuming I set the valve tappets right and the cam chain is fine, what else could it be? I know these bikes are known to be noisy but this is pretty bad. Could it be that it needs better oil? Also I still haven't figured out the over heating issue which im assuming caused the clicking noise to begin with. I think I already mentioned it but the previous owner said it would overheat and the engine would cut off. Im assuming there is something wrong with the radiator? How do you know if it working properly?
Before I pay a mechanic to actually look at instead of just listening, ill probably try changing the oil(which looks decent as is) and coolant and see if anything changes. Not really sure what else I can do besides letting a pro look at but I hate to spend money when I can do the work myself! If it ends up being something serious it might be cheaper to just get a new engine? Ive seen a few for under 700 which doesn't seem too bad!
as always any help is always appreciated!
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Subject: Re: Help! 99 Suzuki vz800 making clicking sound!