Vid: Is this the Hotcam tick??

[NacsMXer]

Hey guys, this is a vid of the new Hotcams stage 3 in my 400. This is my first Hotcam, and I know they have a characteristic "tick" to them but I have nothing to compare it to.

Is this how Hotcams sound, or is my piston hitting my valves?! :eek:

I really want to make sure it isn't the piston hitting the valves! Post up videos of your 400's with Hotcams for comparison if you could please, thanks.

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5cLmVB7IGCg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5cLmVB7IGCg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

[dirtman91386]

check your valve tollerance? but a tick is better than no tick from what i have learned

[NacsMXer]

Valves clearance is perfect. Cam was broken in, and clearances were rechecked/reset after that.

Just need to know from the guys with Hotcams in their quads, if this is pretty normal sounding or if my tick is excessive?

[a4guy]

Sounds perfect!

[dalejiw25]

Nice Quad. As for the tick, sounds pretty much Identical to mine all the way around and built about the same. Yours might even be a little quieter. Mines sounded like that since I stroked it about 3 yrs. ago. I'd say get on it and ride it like you stole it. Good luck. I'd post a vid but have no Vid. camera.

[TRX01]

here my vid
stage 2 hotcam and HD cam chain, the tick i was always told it was a kix of the HD cam chain and cam, so i think your good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_JZtYuKdU8

[440ex. ehhh!!]

I'd say your good, because my 440 sounds just like that with stock cam. maybe a bit louder of a tick even :p
but nice machine you got there.
Josh

[CJM]

sounds the same as mine..

[NacsMXer]

Thanks a LOT guys! I appreciate the compliments and thanks for the vid TRX01 ;)

At first I thought nothing of the tick, but then more and more I thought about the higher lift with this cam and possibility of hitting the valves. I guess the more I thought about it the more paranoid I was getting lol. Runs great though, just a little more ticky now.

Anyway, I turned the motor over slowly after the install while watching the valves. I didn't feel any binding or anything abnormal.

It also runs like a raped ape with the stage 3. The more aggressive cam likes the fuel. My plug used to be black with a 168 main with the old HRC cam. It is now a perfect light brown running a 175 main. I'll work on getting some GoPro vids up once I get everything dialed perfect :D

[Honda#4]

Yea that sounds pretty normal, mine runs kinda like that. When I checked my valve clearance I tightened the valves up a hair more and that made it better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vek2LdAT3U

[TRXRacer1]

The stg 3 doesn't have a radical lift as far as cams go so you should be perfectly fine for clearance. Maybe if you were 13:1 then you would want to start checking.

[NacsMXer]

Man this ticking has got me paranoid! On a cold start it is really nice and quiet. But once it's hot it seems really clicky clacky sounding.

I don't know if this is just how it's gonna be and i'm overreacting but the sound is SO not confidence inspiring. It makes me feel like something's gonna let loose in the motor.

Here's another vid of it hot, and in the garage this time. Is this excessively ticky? It seems like all the Hotcam vids I watch are ticky, but not THIS ticky?
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/41yVF96YiMI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/41yVF96YiMI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

[JOHNDOE83]

I would say 50% of the time, the tick comes from missing exhaust header crush gaskets causing a leak.

Thers a thread on here of a guy that figured out the problem, other then crush gaskets....ill try to find it.

I know they say its common but mine doesnt tick?

[dalejiw25]

Wow That sounds Terrible.... I'll give ya $100 for it. Just Kiddin sounds alright to me. Don't let the Paranoya destroya. Mines the same if not louder, Been that way for years. I keep waitin for her to blow But she just keeps on Tickin. I think Honda is partnered with Timex.

[NacsMXer]

Originally posted by dalejiw25
Wow That sounds Terrible.... I'll give ya $100 for it. Just Kiddin sounds alright to me. Don't let the Paranoya destroya. Mines the same if not louder, Been that way for years. I keep waitin for her to blow But she just keeps on Tickin. I think Honda is partnered with Timex.

Haha you had me going at first :scary: Funny I was thinkin of selling it for $100 since it's brand new and just broken in. I mean it runs great, but I just envision the piston slapping the valves making that sound. And if that is indeed the case I don't want to continue to run it that way at all.

The ironic thing about this is I originally took out my old HRC cam to remove the auto decompression mechanism (was making a slight ticking sound). Well the machine shop that pressed off/on the cam sprocket flange somehow messed up and cocked the flange on the cam when it was pressed back on (how that's possible is beyond me). It took me over a month of racking my brain and taking the carb apart a million times trying to figure out why it wouldn't want to stay running.

As a last ditch effort, I ordered this new Hotcam to see if MAYBE the timing was screwed up (didn't think it was possible as the sprocket flange only goes on the cam one way). Well I put the new Hotcam in and guess what? It fired right up no problem! It was retarded timing all along (at the cam to cam sprocket flange mind you, not timing chain).

So now I have it running, but have a louder ticking. So I got pretty much the opposite of what I wanted to accomplish in the first place grr..

[NacsMXer]

Originally posted by JOHNDOE83
I would say 50% of the time, the tick comes from missing exhaust header crush gaskets causing a leak.

Thers a thread on here of a guy that figured out the problem, other then crush gaskets....ill try to find it.

I know they say its common but mine doesnt tick?

Nah my crush gaskets are good. They have been reused a couple times but nonetheless, this ticking is from inside the motor. But I appreciate the tip, I could see how a leak would make a similar sound because they do.

[JOHNDOE83]

TRY THIS!!!

http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=295670&highlight=tick+gone

not the one I was lookin for, but give it a shot?

[NacsMXer]

Originally posted by JOHNDOE83
TRY THIS!!!

http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=295670&highlight=tick+gone

not the one I was lookin for, but give it a shot?

That is very interesting, i've heard of valve covers getting "torqued" before causing valve adjustment issues like this. My upper motor mount bolt lines up perfect however. I can slide it in and out by hand without even tapping with a mallet.

I wonder if lesser torque on the motor mount bolt might have a different effect? I love how the Honda service manual gives 2 different torque values for the upper motor mount. Anybody catch this yet?

Under CYLINDER HEAD/VALVE section it is listed "Upper engine hanger nut" - 40 ft lb. Yet under ENGINE REMOVAL/INSTALLATION section it is listed " Upper engine hanger nut" - 54 ft lb. There is also a picture of the motor with it listed at 54 ft lb.

I torqued it to 54 ft lb. I wonder if 40 ft lb would have an effect.

[dalejiw25]

Hey Nacs, Heres a quick vid I just did on mine in garage. It has sounded like this for years but runs like a raped ape. Hope it eases your mind a little.

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4a-WVchrsVc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4a-WVchrsVc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

[NacsMXer]

Originally posted by dalejiw25
Hey Nacs, Heres a quick vid I just did on mine in garage. Dont know how to exactly put it on here so here's the youtube link. It has sounded like this for years but runs like a raped ape. Hope it eases your mind a little.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a-WVchrsVc

That REALLY eases my mind. I appreciate you taking that vid for me, thanks a lot ;) Nice 400 too btw, I like that fender cut. (FYI to get youtube vids on here, just click below your video where it says < Embed >, and copy/paste the blue highlighted part into your post).

I was flogging on it a little bit earlier today and was just waiting for the motor to lunch itself lol. I have a GT Thunder stroker setup with a custom piston etc. so I was crossing my fingers using this new cam. Definitely a few unknowns there.

Does your ticking start out quieter on a cold motor and get louder as it gets hot too? I'm pretty sure that's normal due to the oil.

Also, the vids I posted are at the smaller .004"/.005" valve clearances, which should be quieter than the Hotcam specs, but I didn't notice much difference. I'm going to try readjusting the valves with the top motor mount bolt out and then torque it after just for kicks. Can't wait to switch back to synthetic oil too, I bet that will help a bit as well.

You guys rock thanks again everyone for your vids and input

:macho

[TRXRacer1]

Sounds loud to me, like when valves have been set on a hot motor.

[NacsMXer]

Originally posted by TRXRacer1
Sounds loud to me, like when valves have been set on a hot motor.

Yeah I always set them cold, but I agree it's a little loud.

In fact, when I first installed the cam I had to remove the top motor mount bolt to get the valve cover off. I set the valve clearances to .005"/.006" with the motor mount bolt still out.

After I broke in the cam and some of the phosphate on the cam wore off, I went back to stock valve clearance specs. But this time I set them with the motor mount bolt installed.

When I fired it up after that, I was expecting it to be quieter (as you mentioned yours did when you went to stock clearances). But I actually think it was quieter with the Hotcams specs than now.

I'm going to experiment with this motor mount bolt thing. I may be onto something, I may not, but it's worth checking when I reset the valves again.

[dalejiw25]

Hey thanks for the embed trick, Fixed it. Anyways, Mine sounds about the same hot or cold and I tear it down every winter for a cleaning, Timing chain, Tensioner, Valve adjust, Etc. and always comes out sounding the same. So I know everything is within specs. It just likes to tick. So with that in mind I politely Pin it every chance I get. Gotta love the Big Bores :macho