Developed Odd Engine Noise

[Guest divey]

 

I hope this Youtube link works. First time I've tried it.

 

2008 RSV (triked) with 69,000 kilometres. Have a listen to the slight knocking sound that has developed in my engine. You can hear it clearly over the rumble of the mufflers, it's kind of like three rapid knocks together with a break and then three together and so on. The knock does not show up until the engine is warm (after a run on the highway), is most noticeable on the left side of the engine, does not change sound when the clutch lever is engaged and the engine oil is fresh and showing properly in the sight window. I just synced the carbs which made no difference to the knock. Obviously I can't hear the knock at highway speed but presumably it doesn't go away. Fuel mileage and performance has not changed at all since developing the knock. Otherwise, the engine is running as smoothly as it ever has.

 

Would appreciate some suggestions from you 2nd Gen experts as to what the cause might be.

 

Thanks....Doug

[DaNetFlunky]

Yes, my 08 venture does that sometimes. I would be very interested to know why. [emoji848]

 

Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk

[cowpuc]

Wowzy wow wow wow Son-shine,, you sure enough came up with a good one here.. Good on ya!! With all this craziness going on about virus's and riots and stuff,, kind of good of you to get your old Dad to rack his brain some about bikes.. Almost sounds like your fuel pump coming on momentarily to fill the carbs maybe.. Then again, it almost sounds vacuumish or something.. I think I would pick up a cheapy stethascope from HF (got one hanging in the basement,, wish you were here,, we'd figure it out) or somewhere and see if I could pin point exactly where its coming from.. IMHO, it is way to consistant to be a dry bearing or one spinning a race,, those tend to be more random.. You DEFINITELY gotta let us know what it is when you find it!!

Dad

[MiCarl]

I think you've got something a bit loose (external to the engine) that is resonating with the engine vibration. How does the sound change if you change the engine RPM?

[Marcarl]

I'd be all over the stethoscope idea to pinpoint the noise, and would start with listening to the stator cover, and yes there could be something loose elsewhere maybe (Carls got to stick together). There has been instances where the stator bolts have come loose.

[Du-Rron]

I would do the stethescope thing as well. I would also crack open the oil check-bolt (oil-gallery bolt) which easy and only takes seconds to make sure you are getting oil to the top end.

 

 

[DaNetFlunky]

The sound puts me in mind of the sounds a hollow tube and plunger would make. Hmmm, now keep in mind I'm not an engine mechanic, but would a non firing cylinder be capable of making that noise? If so, how could you tell/test?

 

Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk

[Guest divey]

Wowzy wow wow wow Son-shine,, you sure enough came up with a good one here.. Good on ya!! With all this craziness going on about virus's and riots and stuff,, kind of good of you to get your old Dad to rack his brain some about bikes.. Almost sounds like your fuel pump coming on momentarily to fill the carbs maybe.. Then again, it almost sounds vacuumish or something.. I think I would pick up a cheapy stethascope from HF (got one hanging in the basement,, wish you were here,, we'd figure it out) or somewhere and see if I could pin point exactly where its coming from.. IMHO, it is way to consistant to be a dry bearing or one spinning a race,, those tend to be more random.. You DEFINITELY gotta let us know what it is when you find it!!

Dad

Thanks for the reply Dad. Fuel pump clicks are consistent with the pump activating correctly when the key is turned on. No change in the clicks and pump seems to be fine. Stethascope was a great idea but unfortunately when I took it out for a run to get the engine warmed up, the knock was not as noticeable as on the video and I couldn't seem to get it to replicate the sound. Despite that, I placed the stethoscope all over the various engine parts and I couldn't isolate the knock sound in any one area of the engine. Specifically, holding it on the stator cover didn't indicate any better or worse sound.

 

I think you've got something a bit loose (external to the engine) that is resonating with the engine vibration. How does the sound change if you change the engine RPM?

That's a good suggestion Carl. I checked the obvious areas that I might have something loose but I don't think that's the problem. As I mentioned to Puc, I couldn't seem to replicate the knock today but sitting in the driveway and increasing the rpm didn't make any difference.

 

I would do the stethescope thing as well. I would also crack open the oil check-bolt (oil-gallery bolt) which easy and only takes seconds to make sure you are getting oil to the top end.

 

 

https://www.venturerider.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=119072

Thanks for the suggestion on the oil-gallery bolt. Question about that though. Is the oil-gallery bolt the small screw with the Phillips head (it's also an 8mm bolt) or is it the large bolt that sits on top in the picture? I tried loosening the small 8mm bolt and can only get it to turn less than a quarter turn. Dead stop indicating that it's not intended to unscrew any further. I tried with a Phillips screwdriver first and couldn't get it to budge so I put the 8mm socket on it and was able to make the small turn. I was hesitant to put too much twist on it which makes me wonder if the large top bolt isn't what they refer to as the oil-gallery bolt. I searched the various manuals and it doesn't clarify it other than the picture and description you sent me. Have you loosened yours off and if so, small or large bolt?

 

The sound puts me in mind of the sounds a hollow tube and plunger would make. Hmmm, now keep in mind I'm not an engine mechanic, but would a non firing cylinder be capable of making that noise? If so, how could you tell/test?

 

 

Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk

Not sure about a dead cylinder but all 4 of mine are firing and pipes heating up evenly suggesting all 4 are good. Carb sync confirmed that.

 

I'll take it out again tomorrow for a good run and see if I can replicate the knock again and try again with the stethoscope. Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

Doug

[M61A1MECH]

My 98 Tour Classic had a noise like that that turned out to be the water pump, I had an issue where the oil was getting in the coolant, turned out it was bad seal on the driven shaft on the water pump. Once the water pump was rebuilt the noise went away. Take your stethoscope and check on the lower right side at the water pump cover and see if you can hear it there.

[Guest divey]

My 98 Tour Classic had a noise like that that turned out to be the water pump, I had an issue where the oil was getting in the coolant, turned out it was bad seal on the driven shaft on the water pump. Once the water pump was rebuilt the noise went away. Take your stethoscope and check on the lower right side at the water pump cover and see if you can hear it there.

Thanks Steve for this. I'll give that a try tomorrow hopefully.

Doug

[grubsie]

I had an 06 RSV several years ago that developed a sound like that only not as loud. I even posted about here way back then. I checked all over the engine with a stethoscope many many times and did notice the noise was present at the water pump like M61A1MECH mentioned, but the again, the noise was present at the clutch. There was no oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil though. I rode it countless miles like that. Ran great. Finally sold it after getting a super great deal on a low mileage 08 RSV. Never did find out what the problem was.

 

You got me curious now. Can't wait to see what you find out.

[Du-Rron]

Would appreciate some suggestions from you 2nd Gen experts as to what the cause might be.

 

Thanks....Doug

 

The oil check bold is the phillips-hexhead screw.

[sldunker]

Hi Doug how are you doing? Hope the carb synch tool is working for you.

That is a strange noise. Could be water pump bearing, not sure. Don't think I have ever heard that noise on any of my Ventures. Good luck finding it.

[Guest divey]

Hi Doug how are you doing? Hope the carb synch tool is working for you.

That is a strange noise. Could be water pump bearing, not sure. Don't think I have ever heard that noise on any of my Ventures. Good luck finding it.

Thanks Steve. Doing well here and staying healthy. Hope you are too. The carb sync tool is great. Can’t believe I’ve paid dealerships that much money for such a simple task. Yes it’s a strange noise but hopefully will get to the bottom of it eventually. Doug

[VentureFar]

My first impression is external to the motor. My buddy and I were on our first IRON butt and he heard a sound like that and it was not rpm connected. He has a Harley. Turns out it was the rear exhaust manifold rubbing against the cylinder.the bolt(s) holding exhaust pipe had rattled loose and dropped off somewhere on the freeway. Unfortunately the exhaust heat burned up some wiring which ended up costing him $1000’s to fix. With a thick glove hold on to parts connected to the engine and see if the sound disappears.

Good luck

VentureFar...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guest divey]

My 98 Tour Classic had a noise like that that turned out to be the water pump, I had an issue where the oil was getting in the coolant, turned out it was bad seal on the driven shaft on the water pump. Once the water pump was rebuilt the noise went away. Take your stethoscope and check on the lower right side at the water pump cover and see if you can hear it there.

 

I had an 06 RSV several years ago that developed a sound like that only not as loud. I even posted about here way back then. I checked all over the engine with a stethoscope many many times and did notice the noise was present at the water pump like M61A1MECH mentioned, but the again, the noise was present at the clutch. There was no oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil though. I rode it countless miles like that. Ran great. Finally sold it after getting a super great deal on a low mileage 08 RSV. Never did find out what the problem was.

 

You got me curious now. Can't wait to see what you find out.

 

Hi Doug how are you doing? Hope the carb synch tool is working for you.

That is a strange noise. Could be water pump bearing, not sure. Don't think I have ever heard that noise on any of my Ventures. Good luck finding it.

 

My first impression is external to the motor. My buddy and I were on our first IRON butt and he heard a sound like that and it was not rpm connected. He has a Harley. Turns out it was the rear exhaust manifold rubbing against the cylinder.the bolt(s) holding exhaust pipe had rattled loose and dropped off somewhere on the freeway. Unfortunately the exhaust heat burned up some wiring which ended up costing him $1000’s to fix. With a thick glove hold on to parts connected to the engine and see if the sound disappears.

Good luck

VentureFar...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Took it out for a long ride this morning. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, there was no knock noticeable during the ride or when I got back home and into the garage. I did once again use the stethoscope, focusing on the water pump area but nothing significant noted. I'm at a bit of a loss but it's possible that it's something loose underneath (exhaust or otherwise) as Neil mentioned. I'll continue to diagnose the knock (when and if it returns) and post a reply.

 

Thanks to all who offered up suggestions......Doug

[cowpuc]

@divey ,, Son-shine,, just for clarity sake I wanted to give your thread a bump here.. I know,, I am old nnd often confused easily in this old age thing,,, it's a fatherly thing Son

The water pump thought, as mentioned by Steve, was actually the first thing that popped into my mind as I have heard a very similar noise from my 1st Gens water pump thru the years on more than one occasion.. Matter of fact,, the original Tweeks actually did that for thousands of miles,, I called it her water pump chirp.. I carried a spare water pump assembly in her maintenance dept. for years just in case but that day of need ever came but it didnt..

Anyway,, the reason I did not double think it in your case was you mentioned being on the left side of the bike with the left side noted as the side the sound was coming from.. Son,, right or wrong, in my world,, I have always considered the left side of a motorcycle being mentioned as meaning the left side as if one were sitting on the bike.. Is/was this what you were/are to? Left side meaning the noise was/is coming from the same side of the bike as where your shifter/stator/driveshaft are located?

 

Always something ain't it

 

Dad

[Guest divey]

divey ,, Son-shine,, just for clarity sake I wanted to give your thread a bump here.. I know,, I am old nnd often confused easily in this old age thing,,, it's a fatherly thing Son

The water pump thought, as mentioned by Steve, was actually the first thing that popped into my mind as I have heard a very similar noise from my 1st Gens water pump thru the years on more than one occasion.. Matter of fact,, the original Tweeks actually did that for thousands of miles,, I called it her water pump chirp.. I carried a spare water pump assembly in her maintenance dept. for years just in case but that day of need ever came but it didnt..

Anyway,, the reason I did not double think it in your case was you mentioned being on the left side of the bike with the left side noted as the side the sound was coming from.. Son,, right or wrong, in my world,, I have always considered the left side of a motorcycle being mentioned as meaning the left side as if one were sitting on the bike.. Is/was this what you were/are to? Left side meaning the noise was/is coming from the same side of the bike as where your shifter/stator/driveshaft are located?

 

Always something ain't it

 

Dad

Yup, that’s my left side definition as well! I had it out again yesterday for a good run in the heat but no knock. I did put the stethoscope on all engine parts after I got back home, including the right side water pump but nothing. I’m just going to have to wait till the knock reappears before I can try and isolate where it’s coming from. Still want to get underneath and check for obvious loose parts in the exhaust system. Thanks for checking in Dad.

[RedRider]

I usually call it 'clutch side' and 'throttle side'.

 

Never heard these noises on my Gen2. I too am very curious as to the cause.

 

RR

[Guest divey]

I usually call it 'clutch side' and 'throttle side'.

 

Never heard these noises on my Gen2. I too am very curious as to the cause.

 

RR

That’s a good reference to avoid confusion. Except maybe for the folks “down under.” Seems I recall a motorcycle pic once of their controls opposite to ours. Or maybe that was the time I was looking in the rear view mirror while trying to dodge all the cars driving on the wrong side of the road, lol 😳

[DaNetFlunky]

Hey divey! Any progress on tracking down that noise?

 

Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk

[Guest divey]

Hey divey! Any progress on tracking down that noise?

 

Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk

I’ve been out a couple of times but the noise has not returned. We’ve been having 40 days and 40 nights of rain so I’ve had limited opportunities to get out. Actually I’m hoping I can get the noise back again so I can check things underneath.