This thing is starting to tick me off!

[Black450R]

Ok heres the story.

I just put new SS valves and springs in my top end. The first ride it was great the whole time i was riding it. Tonight i went out to a local track and after my first stint.. Id say about 5 laps for warm up I heard a really bad ticking sound almost slapping. I let it cool down and when i went to start it up it was soo hard to kick like the auto decomp lever wasnt working. It will kick but it takes a heavy boot to do it.. but it wont start. So im open to any suggestions.. but im going to open it back up tomorrow. Oh yeah its an 03 450R. And i change the oil every 3 rides.. as a matter of fact i changed it the day i took it out the first time after i put the new valves in. And put a brand new air filter on it.

[crf4life]

sounds like loose exhaust valves and an incorrect decompresser setting. I would also check the timing, you may have jumped a tooth.

[Black450R]

Yeah im sure its a valve train issue because it was running smooth.. I just hope the thing didnt jump timing. Shouldnt have because the chain adjuster is new. I replaced so much stuff on this bike its getting rediculous. All was well unitl the valves went out the first time. Now it seams im wokring on it more than riding it! Sorry for venting just tired of the issues! I think its time for a new one! Anybody want a slightly used 03 450?

[biznet1]

See if you chain tensioner is working correctly and check your chain. Also, check your valve keepers. I've had one pop off before and it made a similar noise and felt like it a decompressor problem when I kicked it, but fortunately it didn't do any damage.

[Xpert510]

I would check the decompression stuff on the right side of the camshaft. If the bolt that holds it on comes loose (it may not have fallen off all the way) it can have this effect. This happened to me when I put in my Hotcam because I didnt use loctite on it. A 450 is nearly impossible to start in this circumstance because the compression is crazy!

[Morris_man]

I had the same problem when I changed my intake valves on my 2004 CRF450R to the Kibblewhite SS valves and springs.

I had reinstalled the timing chain off by one tooth. The mark on the cylinder head and on the cam, at top dead center, was between two teeth. I picked the wrong one the first time.

It was very hard to kick over.

I took it back apart, moved the chain one tooth and the bike ran and kickstarted great.

[ahamza]

Ok heres the story.

I just put new SS valves and springs in my top end. The first ride it was great the whole time i was riding it. Tonight i went out to a local track and after my first stint.. Id say about 5 laps for warm up I heard a really bad ticking sound almost slapping. I let it cool down and when i went to start it up it was soo hard to kick like the auto decomp lever wasnt working. It will kick but it takes a heavy boot to do it.. but it wont start. So im open to any suggestions.. but im going to open it back up tomorrow. Oh yeah its an 03 450R. And i change the oil every 3 rides.. as a matter of fact i changed it the day i took it out the first time after i put the new valves in. And put a brand new air filter on it.

Let us know what happened. Always good to have a "troubleshooting" data base. Thanks Black450R

[biznet1]

But... He said it was running fine earlier, which would indicate that the chain may have jumped a tooth or something else. It does sound more like the decomp or tensioner.

[Shawn_Mc]

Biznet is more than likely correct. I wonder which cam chain tension adjuster he used? I bet it backed off and the timing jumped. Which would explain the slapping sound too...

[Black450R]

And the culprit is! The effin cam chain tensioner.. everything else is copestetic. So now i got to retime the thing get another new chain tensioner. From an 04 model i suspect. And hope nothing bbbbaaaaddd happened the the valves or the piston. Thanks for the help!

Luckily i can work on this thing with my eyes closed. I dont know if that is fortunate or not? I know ive had it apart alot of damn times. And i have the shop manual. Plus i used to work on planes for a living. so im pretty mechanically inclined. Ok im done ranting!

[ahamza]

Mine as well take the head off and inspect the valves and piston since you have everything else torn down.

[Black450R]

Well its not really all torn down.. just have the valve cover off of it. And i dont really want to spring for another 25 dollar head gasket on top of the one i just got.

Oh and whats the difference between the 03 and 04 tensioner? Is it just a better assembly? Thanks for the input!

[ahamza]

Would be worth it to me if I put everything back together to find the same "Clanking" sound of a bent valve. But, I suppose if, when you turn the crank with the 8mm allen wrench and it turns smooth w/no noise then all SHOULD be well. God Bless!

[flushbrake]

Is anybody using the manual cam chain tensioner? If so, how well is it working?

[Shawn_Mc]

A manuel tensioner is the way to go. I never trusted those auto-jobs. Something like cam chain tension needs to have a postitive stop, not some spring loaded gismo...

The 04 and later part is the one everybody is going to, but Ive heard of it being backordered. Check the TT store or PM Bryan Bosch...I think there's one in there that fits a bunch of different bikes including the CRF's.

[Black450R]

Yeah thats probably the way im going to go on that one as far as the cam chain tensioner.

Im just deciding whether i need to tear it down to see if there was any damage seeing as i dont think it jumped a tooth until after i tried to start it again. Because it was runing smooth. It doesnt seem like the valves are bent because there is way more compression than there needs to be. And if they were they wouldnt be seating properly. But as soon as the decomp fork finally hits itll kick like normal. But before that good luck. Im just going to retime it and see if the problem still exists with the high compression issue. And if its back to normal i think im safe as far as tearing it down. Thanks again for all the help!

[kelstr]

when you go to the heavy valves and way to heavy springs ,

the stock auto tensioner is way overstressed from the added load .

you can shim and make your stock auto tensioner become a Manuel one or like Shawn said you can get the Manuel one from the tt store,

the little auto one just has a hard time working with all that weight and extra heat and stress from the heavy valve train

[rvl]

when you go to the heavy valves and way to heavy springs ,

the stock auto tensioner is way overstressed from the added load .

you can shim and make your stock auto tensioner become a Manuel one or like Shawn said you can get the Manuel one from the tt store,

the little auto one just has a hard time working with all that weight and extra heat and stress from the heavy valve train

Kelstr,

Can you tell us how to shim our tensioners to be manual? I haven't even taken my tensioner off my 05 450 yet. By the way, did you get that box I sent? Thanks for the suspension tips, Robert

[Black450R]

Hey kelstr,

PM Sent!

[kelstr]

Kelstr,

Can you tell us how to shim our tensioners to be manual? I haven't even taken my tensioner off my 05 450 yet. By the way, did you get that box I sent? Thanks for the suspension tips, Robert

hey Robert , yes i got the care packedge , thank you very much its really cool stuff.

and black450r i just got the pm .

you can pop the snapring off the bottom of the little goofy tensioner and it will come all appart and you will see how it works , and you can shim it with just the correct size washers and make it so it can't back up and this will allow you to set the tension just snug like it would be stock , except it can;t slip back !

most of the guys just take it appart and drill the thing and tap it to 12mm x 1.25 or 3/8 20 and use a long bolt and nut and make their own looking manuel unit.

any motor that you build in these cars and trucks also need to have a jammed tensioner so they wont fail,

all the superbike guys also make theirs manuel too !