TOPIC:

ive done lots of valve adjustments but none of them were set at top center ive always turned the motor to where i had the best clearance for each valve individually and just do one valve at a time. might be worth a try?

Okay, so I went back and started over from the beginning, being very careful to follow each step exactly as instructed. Now the clacking noise is gone. I thought had done it right the first, second, and third time. But somehow, I must have missed something each time.

Thanks everyone for your help. You pointed me in the right direction and helped me get it right.

Now about the carbs... I'll save that question for later...in a different forum.

Just for everyones info, the top ends on the 400/440's with the locknut and screw style valve adjusters are actually very quite compared to our 4 cylinders.

It was very disconcerting and I thought something was wrong with my bike for a long time moving from the 400 to the 650 because of all the noise.

Peter