Opinion: Will Cam bearings soften top end lifter noise?

Ok here goes. I think my Z1 is making too much noise from the right side cams. It sounds like too much clearance between the cam and bucket on # 4 intake or in that area. A valve check even with adjustments changes nothing. I have had the top end apart a couple of years ago and made sure the cam bearings remained paired and which was top and bottom. The noise I'm hearing was present even before the top end work. The left side doesn't seem to be the problem.

A friend of mine said not to worry because I'm used to hearing the more modern water cooled motorcycle engine. But I don't remember either the 74 or 7 900's I owned back in the day being so obnoxious. I grew up around mechanical lifters in various different motors from lawn mowers and tractors to high performance muscle cars. I Know mechanical makes more noise than hydraulic lifters. Hearing the different vids of running motors here doesn't compare to my noise.

This thing has been noisy ever since I bought in 2002. But now it's bothering me as I putt around town. So I was wondering if I bought new cam bearings if this would make it a little less sounding like a rod wants to come out. I want opinions before spending big bucks on something that won't help. If I was smart I would post up a video but I would have to go buy something that records both picture and sound.

I suppose at next valve check, I could check the bearing clearance with plastic gauge. When the cams were out, the bearings all looked similar with none of the half's appearing like it was excessively worn. Tim

Sure you're not hearing a small exhaust leak? That can often sound like a valve tick.

Good point. I didn't see any evidence of a leak when I last had the pipes off. All the nuts are tight. I have a set of Suzuki seals I could put in to make sure I guess.

Something else that can sound like cam slap is if the buckets are becoming loose in the the head. The head is ally as you know and the buckets are steel so its the head guides which wear quicker. No remedy that I know off other than another head but theres no guarantee it'll be better than the one you have.

Carb tuning can cause that too. After my last adjustments the valves are quieter and the engine sounds tighter. That tells me I'm going in the right direction.
Steve

Does the noise sound any different when the engine is good and hot? Like after riding on the freeway for a while?

Could the noise be cam walk? I tend to doubt it's the came bearings but you never know.

Warren you could be right. But the motor has approximately 25, 000 miles on it. Not very high mileage for a Kawasaki. When I bought it in 2002 it had almost 13,000 miles on the odo. ow I know it could be wrong but the front tire still had good tread with manf's date of 04/75 if I can remember right. (yes rubber was changed prior to anything other than around the block. The tires (or tyres) were weather checked pretty bad. So my guess is it appears to be low mileage.

Carb's..I bought a complete set off flea bay. The guy I bought them from said the bowls had never been off. I figured I could probably get the "B" to work if nothing else. I got the carbs and found the main and pilot jets were unmolested by a screw driver. Looked like they had just come out of the package. The carbs were stored dry so I blew carb cleaner though the passages using the chart for a VM 28. I did a clear tube test and adjusted the B and C carbs to raise the fuel level slightly.
arbs in stalled on fairly fresh boots and then the original air box. The carbs were synced with a Moran Carb Tune. Pilot air was then set. Plugs burning an acceptable color bot too rich and not too lean. Gets me 45 miles per gallon going up hill or down. I sent the guy an email and thanked him for a nice set of carbs. He emailed back and said he has a red 75 900 and in 77 he decided to put bigger carbs on the bike. He took the original set off and they sat on the shelf until I bought them.
Went out and started the bike while cold. I can hear the noise at idle and then just above idle. At about 3k the noise can no longer be heard. COLD. I will have to check it hot and get back. But I'm thinking since I hear it just around town at no where near 3K it probably does it hot too. At Highway speeds I don't hear any ticking for some reason. Runs good.

When the head was off, it got 4 new unbent intake valves all new guides and seals, springs and keepers. Doesn't sound like a loose cam chain either.

Thanks guys.. Maybe elimination will help. Tim

Has the bike been restored? specifically had the engine bead blasted at any time? Reason for asking is I have seen heads that have been bead blasted and the oil galleries have been plugged for blasting and then not cleaning properly causing oil starvation to the one or more cam bearings and then to the corresponding buckets. The buckets don't last long with little or no oil!

The motor or head has not been bead blasted. Not that I haven't thought about it. I don't recall seeing a bucket without a good supply of oil with the valve cover off. If one was dry or had little oil I would more than likely be drawn to that. Turning the motor over usually ends up with a mess. But next time the cover is off I will make a note to specifically look at the oil in the buckets. Tim

The motor or head has not been bead blasted. Not that I haven't thought about it. I don't recall seeing a bucket without a good supply of oil with the valve cover off. If one was dry or had little oil I would more than likely be drawn to that. Turning the motor over usually ends up with a mess. But next time the cover is off I will make a note to specifically look at the oil in the buckets. Tim

Good point. Pit Stop Performance originally rebuilt my engine, it was a complete destruction, but one of the issues was cylinder head oil galleys plugged solid with blasting media. Several cam bearings had no oil feed at all.

Try this.... Get a mechanic's stethoscope (I'm sure you can get one for under $20). Instead of using the metal probe, remove it, and move the stethoscope around the engine with just the open tubing facing the engine. This is a good method to narrow down the location of a noise.

You can use a ordinary screw driver next to the ear to hear the sound of your bearings.

Good points. I'll see what can be found.