Valve Ticking

[ian0615]

I am sure there are a million of these on here..anyways..i just put in an 11:1 piston and hotcam stage 1 cam, i followed some expert advice and used HT Silicone on the base and xr400 head gasket to bring compression close to 11:1..anyways the question, after i installed everything i adjusted the valves to hotcams specs .005 intake and .006 exhaust, during my break in period i noticed a very loud tick from the valves, i mean louder than stock...is this normal with the new cam? i havent checked the clearence yet after break in to re-adjust, but the tick is loud and noticable. everything is good as far as the timing chain and ect. am i worried to much? whats your thoughts? or advice!! the rockers are tick tick tick tick tick, and it gets louder with throttle advanced!hmm i know they tick anyway but it dosent seem normal ticking

[slightlybent47]

That depends on your idea of loud. They do tick though and that’s normal.

[rob_990]

yea thats normal for a cam.thats how mine is to

[ian0615]

i appreciate the replys ...man i swear its ticking too loud, i used to be able to faintly hear it, ya know the normal ticking, but since that cam it is ticking way way louder, i dunno i know when i put a cam in my car you could hear more of the valves and rockers...is it due to the lobe change? i dunno i hate to break a good motor ya know

[NacsMXer]

Take a video of it and put it on Youtube. Easier for people to tell if it's normal or not.

[ian0615]

yeah , i didnt think of that ...good idea i will do that if i cant get it figured out tonight!..thanks

[racer 557]

My 450r does same thing I went to a race there was a stock 450r it was quiet but mine ticked very loud I was told this was because of the cam I beleive it had stage 1 in it

[slightlybent47]

Double check you clearance and ride it and recheck them again. If it checks out ok then just run it. When they stop ticking then stop ridding.

[ian0615]

yeah , i re-checked the clearence and it was spot on...maybe i am just being over cautious?! i dunno..i am gonna ride it for a bit and keep checking..i guess if she blows then i have a reason to tear it apart and paint it..lol

[ian0615]

well i have run it again and re-checked the clearence and its still spot on, i guess the tick is normal and is supposed to be louder than stock (after all its a bigger lobe) maybe i worry to much, i just hate spending lots of money just to watch things break!
thanks everyone for the replys this is a great forum full of good informtion.

[steve181]

anything lower than 93 gas will also make it tick even more

dont forget that :P

[ian0615]

running 104 in it at all times

[Balaz_73*00]

Are you using straight or pre bent feeler gauges? Are you measuring the gaps with the gauge at an angle or are you making sure it is measured with the gauge flat?

[ian0615]

using pre bent feelers, and measuring while its flat. .005 and .006 , i know the valve adj. is correct, i have checked and rechecked it 4 times already. It just seems too loud to me..i dunno, i am about to take the cam out

[slightlybent47]

I’d say ride it, mine has been like that for two years and is still running strong. When it stops ticking then start too worry.

[VTredneckgames]

I know exactly how you feel buddy. Mine ticks and everytime I fire it up and ride it I keep thinking "is it louder?"

But its really fine. IF it gets worse or stops, then worry.

I just accept it now and dont worry about it.

[81 clark racing]

Originally posted by VTredneckgames
I know exactly how you feel buddy. Mine ticks and everytime I fire it up and ride it I keep thinking "is it louder?"

But its really fine. IF it gets worse or stops, then worry.

I just accept it now and dont worry about it.





couldnt of said it better myself !!

[ian0615]

haha yeh, i figure if all yall are having the same thing tick like a dang time bomb and its fine then i will ride it like i used to. everything is tight and with in specs so it must be fine....i'm a worry wort lol

[JOHNDOE83]

I think they also are suposed to have crush gaskets where the headers bolt to the cylinder, and this leads to a minor exhaust leak at the headers that sounds like ticking.

Im not 100% sure but it makes alot of sense, most of us have rebuilt motors and if the head was apart and put back together we or the original installer may not have had the crush gasket to replace the old ones...I bought a complete gasket kit once and in there was header crush gaskets, I never installed them so I dont know if it makes a difference, but thats why I brought it up.

Do any of you know if they are suposed to have them? maybe we can solve this ticking issue we all have. lol.

[Thumpin440ex]

I would say that if everything is spot on, the ticking is due to the face that the cam has more aggressive lobes, ramp rates then the stock cam.. So it is a touch harder on the valve train.. :)

Just a examp, all the cars that I have done cam swaps in, that were aggressive cams, all had louder valve train noise then the stock one.. Nature of the beast

John

[mineralgrey01gt]

Originally posted by JOHNDOE83
I think they also are suposed to have crush gaskets where the headers bolt to the cylinder, and this leads to a minor exhaust leak at the headers that sounds like ticking.

Im not 100% sure but it makes alot of sense, most of us have rebuilt motors and if the head was apart and put back together we or the original installer may not have had the crush gasket to replace the old ones...I bought a complete gasket kit once and in there was header crush gaskets, I never installed them so I dont know if it makes a difference, but thats why I brought it up.

Do any of you know if they are suposed to have them? maybe we can solve this ticking issue we all have. lol.

i put new ones in my head. Ill let yall know about the ticking as mine was loud when it was stock, ill see if its any different after I get it back together tomorrow afternoon

[fastest400]

i installed a stage 2 hot cam in mine and just about drove myself nuts thinking something was wrong because the ticking was so loud but i have raced it two seasons and its still very strong and still ticks very loud but the valve clearance is always perfect.

[3or4HONDA]

Originally posted by fastest400
i installed a stage 2 hot cam in mine and just about drove myself nuts thinking something was wrong because the ticking was so loud but i have raced it two seasons and its still very strong and still ticks very loud but the valve clearance is always perfect.

mine is the same way

[Thumpin440ex]

Did anybody care to read my comment???? I be willing to bet thats why..


John

[3or4HONDA]

yeah thats exactly why Thumpin, the lobes more or less slap the rockers instead of roll onto them creating the louder ticking noise.

[ian0615]

yeh thumpin, i read it, and i agree.. i got my tick down to about as quiet as its going to get...ya just gotta keep on top of the valve clearance..and everything will be alright

[SLABORDE]

MINE DID THE SAME THING SO I SET THEM .004 INTAKE .005 EXHAUST AND IT HELPED OUT ALOT

[Thumpin440ex]

Ok, I was not trying to sound like a ***, but looks that way, now I read over it lol. But if all the specs are in key, it is def the more agressive lobe, if all was done is a simple cam change.. :)

John

[sc400ex_rider]

i used the hotcams specs for breakin. once the phosphate (black) coating wore off i went back to the factory honda specs. its a lot quieter but still has a little tick. i also elongated the top valve cover motor mount holes so you dont have to force the top bolt in. it seemed to help also. someone on here said forcing the bolt in, distorts the plane and makes the lash go out of spec.