Clutch and Ticking noise

[fuentes956]

Hello, i bought my first bike a month ago a 2005 gz250 with 10,000 miles, and after riding the gz in the neighborhood for the last two weeks i notice a ticking noise and i thought it was a valve adjustment. I went to a friend who works on a motorcycle shop, and he told that he would do a tune up oil & filter change, spark plug, adjust and lube the chain and valve adjustment, The bad: when he drain the oil it only had 1 quart of oil inside, the good:he check the oil with a magnet and there were no metal shavings. So he put (2 quarts of oil) and when i drove it home the cluth started slipping almost all gears but mostly 5th. So i put the bike straight and check the oil level in the window and the oil passes the F line. I called my friend and he says that probaly the clutch is bad because the bike was driven with out to much oil and now that it has oil it is making the clutch slipping. The ticking noise is still there he told me it was probably the cam chain tensioner or the cam chain that is to loose and he also told me that i need to change the head gasket. This is my first bike so i did not know nothing about motorcycles. The guy that i bought it from told me it was in excellent conditions. I will try to make a video of the ticking noise, any help from the experts i would appreciate.

Thanks

[Water Warrior 2]

There is far too much oil in the bike. It only needs 1300 ml of oil. It is now overfilled and probably causing the oil to foam up and not actually lube the important parts like it should. Drain the oil out and start over by adding until the level is at the full mark with the bike completely vertical. I would question the mechanic's advice after he got the oil change capacity wrong. It is clearly marked on the side of the engine if I remember correctly. 1300 ml without a filter, 1400 ml with a filter.

[fuentes956]

ok i am going to the suzuki dealer to buy new oil and drain the oil, do you thing that is why the clutch is slipping? or the ticking noise? Thanks.

[Water Warrior 2]

You can probaly just use the same oil, just less of it. As for the ticking it may be in need of a valve adjust by now with it's accummulated milage. Do the oil first and get back to us. Keep in mind that there will always be certain engine noises that will always be there.

[alantf]

Clutch slipping?........... Let's hope he didn't use "energy conserving" oil. That's the death knell for wet clutches. If I were you, the first thing I'd do is ask him what oil he used. :??:

[fuentes956]

I bought the oil from the Suzuki dealership it was a 10-40 4 stroke oil Suzuki brand.. And I took evreything to him..

[Rookie Rider]

My goodness, he put that much oil in. This is my first bike and i did my own tune up and got the oil done correctly. Hmmm !!

[alantf]

Like someone said earlier - the correct amount needed is stamped quite clearly next to the filler hole......Makes you wonder??????????

[Road_Clam]

Hello, i bought my first bike a month ago a 2005 gz250 with 10,000 miles, and after riding the gz in the neighborhood for the last two weeks i notice a ticking noise and i thought it was a valve adjustment. I went to a friend who works on a motorcycle shop, and he told that he would do a tune up oil & filter change, spark plug, adjust and lube the chain and valve adjustment, The bad: when he drain the oil it only had 1 quart of oil inside, the good:he check the oil with a magnet and there were no metal shavings. So he put (2 quarts of oil) and when i drove it home the cluth started slipping almost all gears but mostly 5th. So i put the bike straight and check the oil level in the window and the oil passes the F line. I called my friend and he says that probaly the clutch is bad because the bike was driven with out to much oil and now that it has oil it is making the clutch slipping. The ticking noise is still there he told me it was probably the cam chain tensioner or the cam chain that is to loose and he also told me that i need to change the head gasket. This is my first bike so i did not know nothing about motorcycles. The guy that i bought it from told me it was in excellent conditions. I will try to make a video of the ticking noise, any help from the experts i would appreciate.

Thanks

Even down a quart of oil (while obviously not good) I highly doubt your clutch got smoked from low oil. Did you at any time see the oil light come on ? What's the history on this bike did you buy it from a dealer ? Private sale ? It's extremly odd that "all of a sudden" your clutch started slipping. Clutch slippage usually gradually occurs over many miles. I have seen rare cases where full synthetic oil is added to a high mileage bike, or a vintage 25 year old bike and the clutch immediately started slipping, but i don't think this is your case. A GZ250 with 10K should NOT have a slipping clutch even if you did add some synthetic oil. Do you have the cable adjusted correctly ? There should be about a 3/16" gap of free play between the lever and the perch. I'm a little confused on this one. Need more exact occurance details. I'm curious how come the clutch did'nt slip when the mechanic buddy serviced the bike and took it for a test ride (at least the machanic SHOULD have taken the bike for a test ride) ?? :??:

[alantf]

Did you at any time see the oil light come on ?

I think you're getting confused. The GZ doesn't have an oil light. :)

[Road_Clam]

Did you at any time see the oil light come on ?

I think you're getting confused. The GZ doesn't have an oil light. :)

Oops, our GZ actually belongs to my wife, so i've only driven it a few times, thought the GZ's came with a low oil light !

[Water Warrior 2]

[quote="Road_Clam":2ovwlge8] Did you at any time see the oil light come on ?

I think you're getting confused. The GZ doesn't have an oil light. :)

Oops, our GZ actually belongs to my wife, so i've only driven it a few times, thought the GZ's came with a low oil light ![/quote:2ovwlge8]
It does. It's called a flashlight aimed at the sight glass.

[Rookie Rider]

WW you kill me man. Lol

[dentheman]

I am curious why not to use synthetic in a high mileage bike, since I just changed to synthetic in my Shadow?

[fuentes956]

Ok I drain about .5 quarts of oil, and the oil line in the little window or the oil light as water warrior wants to call it is just below the F line. I adjusted the clutch cable I thing it had to much play, after 2 day from when i draing the extra oil and adjusted the clutch cable I been riding it after school, and the shifting is getting better and the slipping is a lot less. like I said this is my first motorcycle maybe is me,I thing with the help from this forum and the how to's I'm going to be making the tune up my self. It look like the previous owner did not maintain the bike that good. The ticking noise is still their I'm going to try to make video of the noise this weekend. Thanks

[alantf]

waste warrior :crackup :crackup :crackup

[bonehead]

10,000 miles, ticking in the engine, no records= I'd have the valve adjustment checked. And not just a listen, actually guage them.

[Water Warrior 2]

waste warrior :crackup :crackup :crackup
I find that quite funny too. I was a water warrior for clean water and there are certainly a few waste warriors dealing with the waste end of the equation.

[fuentes956]

Sorry Water Warrior I was typing with my iPhone, and my iPhone auto corrected to "waste warrior" don't know why. :2tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

Sorry Water Warrior I was typing with my iPhone, and my iPhone auto corrected to "waste warrior" don't know why. :2tup:
Not a problem in my books. A little added humor goes a long way. :2tup:

[Road_Clam]

I am curious why not to use synthetic in a high mileage bike, since I just changed to synthetic in my Shadow?

Reason #1 is high mileage clutch drive plates have reduced thickness vs new, and that reduced overall thickness allows the clutch spring pressure to be less preloaded, thus less friction effective. Clutch plates eventually obtain a "glazed" surface which also reduces grip against the steel driven plates.

Reason #2 is that high mileage clutches means the clutch springs have been through a lot of heat cycles and they tend to get "laxed" (laxed means the spring looses some of it's "free height") thus also offering less preload on the clutch plates vs, new. This scenario also is an issue with vintage 25+ year old bikes that still have the original springs. They also get "laxed" from being prelaoded compressed for such a long period of time.

[Water Warrior 2]

I am curious why not to use synthetic in a high mileage bike, since I just changed to synthetic in my Shadow?

Reason #1 is high mileage clutch drive plates have reduced thickness vs new, and that reduced overall thickness allows the clutch spring pressure to be less preloaded, thus less friction effective. Clutch plates eventually obtain a "glazed" surface which also reduces grip against the steel driven plates.

Reason #2 is that high mileage clutches means the clutch springs have been through a lot of heat cycles and they tend to get "laxed" (laxed means the spring looses some of it's "free height") thus also offering less preload on the clutch plates vs, new. This scenario also is an issue with vintage 25+ year old bikes that still have the original springs. They also get "laxed" from being prelaoded compressed for such a long period of time.
Never heard anyone explain that before. Makes a lot of sense. Here's one for the other side of the coin. Using synthetic oil the engine may not develop quite as much heat in the oil and the clutch and springs may last a bit longer.

[fuentes956]

ok it took me a while, but today i had time to make the video of my gz250 ticking noise i posted on youtube because i did not know how to posted here, so here is the video let me know what you think thanks.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z324YaZEw0&feature=plcp

[blaine]

Sure sounds like a valve adjuster backed off,or something similar.You need to take your inspection covers off & have a look.
:) :cool:

[fuentes956]

Thanks Blaine I'll check the valves during the week. Do you know how to take off the generator cap off (type of tool) a friend told me that I can use a big washer, what do you thing? Can I ride the gz with that noise? Thanks

[blaine]

I wouldn't leave it as it sounds pretty noisy.I use a large flat screwdriver or a small pry bar works well.
:) :cool:

[Road_Clam]

Never heard anyone explain that before. Makes a lot of sense. Here's one for the other side of the coin. Using synthetic oil the engine may not develop quite as much heat in the oil and the clutch and springs may last a bit longer.

22 years of racing 125cc motocross I got to know fried clutches pretty well. LOL :roll:

Purchased a original '82 GS1100E and the clutch would slightly slip in 4th and 5th when I would pin the throttle. Dissasembled the clutch and all the plates were right in spec, but the springs were permanantly compressed (loss of "free height") beyond the spec. Did some research, and laxed clutch springs on 70's and early 80's bikes is an issue.

[fuentes956]

[]

[fuentes956]

I went to the suzuki dealer today so i can have a quote to check the ticking noise, and they said that is about $120 just to check the engine noise. So i show the video to the guy in front of the office (don't know if he is a mechanic) but he was in the service department and he told me that it sounded like rod knocking, piston slapping or cam chain. i havent lost engine power i can easily go 55 with wind and 60-65 with no wind i weight 225 so i thing is not bad. What do you guys thing any help info i appreciate thanks...

[Water Warrior 2]

If it is a rod knocking it will knock until the engine turns into a grenade. You need another opinion to confirm the first opinion. If it is knocking you'd be best off buying an engine on Ebay.

[fuentes956]

New symptoms on my bike: I have been having trouble starting my gz this week. I recharged the battery fully and no luck I have tried moving the kill switch button because it has work for me in the past and nothing. The starter and the engine sounds like they are turning good, but it won't start. Sometimes it does start and sometimes it doesn't . When i tried to started you can smell the gas and sea foam. So I check the air box drain plug to check if it had fluids in the air box, and to my suprise when I remove the plug ( a lot of oil came out off the tube )i know that allitle of oil in the air box is ok but it was a big puddle. can this be because the oil was to full ? Or bad piston rings? Bad valves? Any ideas thank you. I went to autozone and bought a compression tester so I'll be checking the compression this weekend...

[blaine]

Sounds like you may have been a little over full on the oil.Have you adjusted the valves lately.Tight valves can cause hard starting.
:cool: :??: