Ticking on #1

Went out this morning and started up the bike and detected a ticking noise . Thought sure it was the valves but after leaning down closer, I could tell it was coming down lower from the front of the #1 cylinder behind the exhaust pipe. I dug out my mechanics stethoscope and pin pointed the noise at two fins down from the head/cylinder junction on the front of cylinder #1.

Could this be piston slap? Tear down or keep riding and monitoring?

Sonny

Thinking there's possibly a slight leak where exhaust header pipe connects to cylinder head.

Could be loose nut on exhaust clamp stud or need to replace copper exhaust gasket.

If any doubt, would double-check valve clearances, especially exhaust valve on #1 cyl.

Also, with cold engine, could re-torque head bolt nuts to possibly correct a leaking head gasket.

Good Luck!

slight leak where exhaust header pipe connects to cylinder head.

... Ditto on that!

I had the same on cylinder #4, brand new motor re-build and new Kerker... Slight tick-tick-tick.... Equating to exhaust leak... Permatex both sides of the copper exhaust washers, re-postion the Kerker header tubes and re-trogue down, all good no ticky!

OMR

If it's an exhaust leak, you should be able to test for this: when you are riding, open the throttle and see if it gets louder. If it does, it's probably exhaust leak. Mine makes a "crack-crack-crack" kind of sound that gets loud when you open the throttle if the header has an exhaust leak.

Old Man Rock wrote:

I had the same on cylinder #4, brand new motor re-build and new Kerker... Slight tick-tick-tick.... Equating to exhaust leak... Permatex both sides of the copper exhaust washers, re-postion the Kerker header tubes and re-trogue down, all good no ticky!

OMR

The right hand side of my twin REQUIRES two copper donut washers to seal, it absolutely won't seal with only one. Check the washers for black blow by and if they are not sealing, you may want to double up on the leaky spot. I'm not sure gasket sealer will last in such a hot area, maybe but it would worry me.

REQUIRES two copper donut washers to seal

Whoa, is that OEM requiring two washers per header exhaust or just your situation?

I was speaking of my KZ900 so sorry if miss understood...

OMR

had the same a few yrs ago tightened exhaust bolts and it was good for a while started again turned out the helicoil had stripped my fault i was young and impetuous lol.


im not a mechanic im a carpenter!

Wow, it sure sounded like the noise was coming from inside.

I'll double check the seal on that pipe as I just re-installed the header with new gaskets yesterday after making some modifications to the Kerker. I do have some thicker gaskets I got from Z1E, maybe I'll try it on that one pipe.

Thanks for all the replies,
Sonny

Old Man Rock wrote:

REQUIRES two copper donut washers to seal

Whoa, is that OEM requiring two washers per header exhaust or just your situation?

I was speaking of my KZ900 so sorry if miss understood...

OMR

All I know is, the right side exhaust will leak if I don't double up on the donut washers on that side.

Oh crap, almost forgot another thing about the washers...
If you look at them real closely, you'll find one side is flat while the other has a rounded bevel on it....

The flat side goes to the head to seal while the round side goes to the exhaust header pipe!

NOTE: Or do I have that backwards.... :laugh:

OMR

Old Man Rock wrote:

Oh crap, almost forgot another thing about the washers...
If you look at them real closely, you'll find one side is flat while the other has a rounded bevel on it....

The flat side goes to the head to seal while the round side goes to the exhaust header pipe!

NOTE: Or do I have that backwards.... :laugh:

OMR

Hmm, that could explain MY ticking noise on #4....or not.

Lesson learned once again...never doubt the vast knowledge on this forum!

I went out and loosened up the #1 exhaust header and noticed it moved just a bit. I wiggled it and felt it seat onto the gasket, held it there tightly, re-tightened the collar, and now, all is good....no ticky!

Thanks guys,
Sonny