Noisy lifters... Damage or just noisy

[kbnorth99]

I've had my 400ex for a little while and the lifters are starting to "tick". I have read a couple of posts detailing how to adjust them and I shouldn't have any trouble doing it myself.

The problem is that some folks are going riding this Sunday and I really want to go but I will not have time to adjust them prior to Sunday.

My question is.... Is the "tick" just a indicator of the lifters operating less efficiently or does it mean that they are operation out of tolerances and the engine may be damaged?

Thanks

[tri5ron]

AHhhh,...
The infamous and notorius 400EX tick.

Yes, 400Ex's do have an inherient ticking sound. even when they are running correctly. It sometimes gets even louder with the addition of aftermarket cams.

as far as your particular situation goes, it's hard for any of us to tell what is going on without actually hearing how loud it is, what mods you have, what your maintaince has been, and the condition of your machine.

My guess would be, if it has recently gotten louder than you are accustomed to hearing from it, then you have an issue that would be wisest to investigate, prior to riding it.

Tick, tick, tick is alot cheaper to deal with, than Clank, Clank, Boom.

just out of curiosity, have you checked your oil level?
or possibly recently changed the oil?
how did it look? clean, dirty?, burned?, glittery?
Did you change the filter?

You do realize that the 400ex is a dry sump system right?
This can sometimes create difficulty when checking the oil level.

[VTredneckgames]

My lifters are completely quiet! Kind of like they arent even there!

J/k

bud seriously just an fyi to the OP, the design of these motors are one that the rocker arms ride directly on the cam, there are no lifters or pushrods.

Ron has it dead on. Mine has a good tick to it and it is adjusted correctly with the stock cam.

The biggest thing is, did it suddenly start ticking? Is it a constant tick? I know it is kind of hard to tell, but does it sound like a slap at all?

[kbnorth99]

To answer the questions from VTredneckgames and Tri5ton...

My quad is new to me about 4 months ago. It appears to be in great shape and it runs perfectly.

The seller had the local dealer change the oil prior to me purchase and I changed the oil and filter again after about 15 hours or so. It has been ridden about 8-10 hours since the oil change. The oil was dark when I changed it of course. No sign of metal in the oil. I check the oil before each ride and I use the process that my Honda manual suggests. The oil is still very light in color and still free of any metal. I did add about .25 quart last time.

The ticking didn't start suddenly but it just seems to be getting louder and was noticeable (even for a 400ex) at my last ride.

I bought a 400ex specifically because my brother and a couple of his friends have them. I'm familiar with the famous "tick" but I just wasn't sure if the tick itself becomes a danger to the engine if it gets too bad.

I'm not willing to risk my engine, I can wait. Working on them is almost as much fun as riding them, right?... right? Dam!

[tri5ron]

OK, now I'm feeling alot more confident in your judgement and mechanical prowess.
As VT said,... These engines do not have lifters. They are OHC engines.
It would appear to me that it is probably ok to ride, and it is possible that you are just hearing it a bit more, due to your developing awareness of your new machine.
If the tick is not annoyingly loud, your probably ok.

yes, it would be a good idea to check the valve clearances in the near future, but you are probably ok to go on a ride this weekend. naturally, you want to be conscience of it while riding, and try to take it a little easy until you are more confident that all is within specs.
Basically, just go with what your gut tells you, and you should be ok.

It is also quite possible that what you are hearing a exhaust leak.
I would check to see if it might be leaking at the header pipe.

btw,
tell us what mods or accessories you have.
Sometimes it (the tick) comes from something like a loose bolt on a nerfbar, skid plate, motor mount, fender mount, bumper mount, etc.
Don't be surprized if you just go over the bike with a cold beer and a wrench, and find a few bolts that need to be tightened.

Welcome to the forum. There is alot of good guys here, with lots of experience and good information.

good luck, and hope this helps.

[kbnorth99]

Thanks for the input.

I forgot to list my mods for you. Just a K&N filter and a White Bros pipe. I haven't pulled the carb off yet but it runs well so I assume the jets have been changed to match.

Thanks for straightening me out regarding the OHC vs lifters. In the back of my mind I knew it is OHC but I had "lifters" on the mind because I used to that sound from my experiences with older car engines.

I hadn't thought about an exhaust leak. This seems to sound more metallic but I know it's easy to confuse the two.

Now I'm torn. Some guys from a northern California forum are talking about going to a park not too far from me. I haven't been able to ride with anyone since I bought my quad. I have either been riding alone or I take someone and we switch off. I'm dying to ride with some people. Especially with some people better than me so I can learn from them. Hollister is a pretty large park that I have wanted to get to for a couple of months. It's like the perfect storm of temptation.

Thanks again for the help and input. I like the forum a lot and I am already finding it very helpful.

[CJM]

Checking the valves is easy as pie and a good idea, I check mine every 3 months usually depending on how much I ride.

You will need:
-24mm socket for the valve cover caps
-10mm wrench to loosen the bolts holding the valves
-#1 flathead screwdriver to turn the adjuster
-feeler gauge in mm or inches

heres how to do the job with pics: http://www.atvriders.com/articles/valveadjustment400ex.html