[Speedbird]

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Hi all.......my first post here. A nice place for WingNuts.

I have an 84 Aspencade, with approx 150,000km on the clock. I'm getting a loud ticking sound from the valve cover area on both side of the bike. I mean LOUD. Very noticeable. This is my 3rd GL1200 so I know they all tick somewhat, but I have never heard it this loud before. Could this be an oil pressure situation?? Maybe no oil going up to the valve covers?? Goes the GL1200 have an OIL PUMP?? May sound stupid, but if it does, where is it located and what does it look like??
After a few minutes the sound goes away, but it returns when slowing quickly from high speed, like going from the hiway to an offramp.

P.S one valve cover does leak oil, but only a few drops now and then. I have bought new gaskets and will replace then shortly.

thanks

Speedbird

 

[exavid]

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Possibly a bad lifter?

 

[PatinIdaho]

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I am by no means an expert as my recent trials will attest to. BUT i have read that there is a small oil passage from the block to the head that can become clogged on each side. Might be something to look at.

Pat

 

[englishted]

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This can happen on the GL1200. Sticky lifter. Flushing with engine flush often clears this up. There have been topics about it posted here in the past. Welcome to the forum btw Speedbird. :waving:

 

[twisty]

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Speedbird wrote:

Hi all.......my first post here. A nice place for WingNuts.

I have an 84 Aspencade, with approx 150,000km on the clock. I'm getting a loud ticking sound from the valve cover area on both side of the bike. I mean LOUD. Very noticeable. This is my 3rd GL1200 so I know they all tick somewhat, but I have never heard it this loud before. Could this be an oil pressure situation?? Maybe no oil going up to the valve covers?? Goes the GL1200 have an OIL PUMP?? May sound stupid, but if it does, where is it located and what does it look like??
After a few minutes the sound goes away, but it returns when slowing quickly from high speed, like going from the hiway to an offramp.

P.S one valve cover does leak oil, but only a few drops now and then. I have bought new gaskets and will replace then shortly.

Speedbird, you could have any number of problems from an actual oil pressure problem (not likely if the oil light isn't on),, to a plugging oil filter (worth a look),, to plugging cam area oil restrictors, to the oil being thin & diluted (try an oil change),, to the exhaust rocker center collar not being centered (Honda had a big problem with this),, to worn cams,, to mis-shimmed valve adjusters,, to well about anything in the cam or valve train.

Twisty

 

[Speedbird]

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Thanks for all the help. I will try the engine flush. Is this done by adding some sort of cleaning agent to the gas??



thanks



Speedbird

 

[Speedbird]

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thanks Twisty, I will try the cheap fix first. I know it has clean oil. I dont know if the oil light works as when I bought this couch a month ago, the instrument panel malfunctions, ie no neutral light, and the LCD panel is shot. :X



Speedbird

 

[RedWinger]

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[axelwik]

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Speedbird wrote:

Thanks for all the help. I will try the engine flush. Is this done by adding some sort of cleaning agent to the gas??



thanks



Speedbird

It's not put in the gas, it's mixed into the oil just before you change the oil. It's a solvent that breaks down the accumulated gunk that's been building up inside the engine through the years.

There are several products on the market, but the one used most on this board is Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO). The standard practice is to drain about a half-quart of oil from the engine, then bring the oil level back up to full with the MMO. Ride the bike for a few miles to give the stuff a chance to work, then change the oil and filter as you normally do.

 

[axelwik]

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Looks like Mr.1200 and I were typing at the same time!

 

[RedWinger]

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[Speedbird]

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Ok, thanks Guys. I will look for the MMO at the local supply store. Yes it is a loud clacking sound, intermittent not the normal ticking associated with the GL1200. I want to try the easy stuff first before I start taking things apart. Im not very mechanical and always seem to have parts left over



Speedbird

 

[Patch]

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You know, I am having a loud intermittent tapping noise on the right side of my GL1200. I have been trying to figure out what it was but could never seem to zero in on it. After reading this thread, I think I will give the MMO a try. My oil is very clean but I wnated to change it anyway because I don't know what the former owner was using in it. It looks to be a little thin for my liking. I am going to run Castrol Syntec 10w40 synthetic oil in it.

 

[Speedbird]

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Chris

I just did an oil change and the clacking seems to have gone away. As with you, I just bought this couch and I didnt know what the previous owner had in it for oil. I put in the recommended 10W40. The old oil did seem rather thin to me as well, since we are having very high temps in this part of the country. Its been above 30C for the past 2 weeks. When I bought this bike a month ago, the previous owner handed me a "spare" oil filter. I though this kinda strange, but since I had so much trouble with the oil filter bolt, I suspect he never changed the filter, just the oil.



Speedbird

 

[GWNorman]

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Hi Speedbird. The boys are all on the button about doing the flush first. The only thing that concerns me about this is that the tapping is there all the time on your bike. This might indicate wear instead of sticking (sticking lifters tend to see the noise come and go as the gummed oil gets moved about). But a good fluch might just work.

 

[Speedbird]

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The tapping/ticking is there all the time. What I had wasa very loud clacking sound from the valve covers when going from high speed to quick braking as in coming off the highway to an off ramp. I mean, yes there was/is a tapping sound, but thats pretty much normal for a GL1200. Im still gonna get that mystery oil though and do that as well. Trouble is I live in a one horse town. Hicksville. Gotta make an out of town run for this special oil if its even available in Canada.



Speedbird

 

[twisty]

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Speedbird wrote:

The tapping/ticking is there all the time. What I had wasa very loud clacking sound from the valve covers when going from high speed to quick braking as in coming off the highway to an off ramp. I mean, yes there was/is a tapping sound, but thats pretty much normal for a GL1200. Im still gonna get that mystery oil though and do that as well. Trouble is I live in a one horse town. Hicksville. Gotta make an out of town run for this special oil if its even available in Canada.

Speedbird, one thing I forgot in the first post.. Make sure your oil level isn't too high (over-filled) if your oil level is too high the oil will foam at high speeds then possibly aerate the lifters as the engine slows down. Remember your oil level is checked wih the bike on the CENTER STAND, not the side stand.

I have my doubts that Mystery oil will help your problem. In the old days of non-detergent oil that would crud up from poor crankcase ventilation & low quality oil,, using a crankcase flush or thin oil like MMO would show some improvement. Todays motor oils contain many cleaners, suspenders, dispersant's, & have a thin base viscosity so I would believe that modern motor oil will actually clean better than that ancient MMO would.

Twisty

 

[Patch]

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My nocking noise sounds a lot like a lifter rattling. It seems to do it the loudest when I float the throttle. I do not hear it when accelerating or decelerating, just when I float the throttle. It doesnt do it all the time, just occasionally. That is what had me so confused. Looking at the oil, it looks a lot like 5w and is very thin. I am going to put in some MMO tomorrow and run it for a while and then do the oil change with the synthetic oil. I will post back once I have done this with my results.