engine noise after cam chain replacement

[feisty92]

Hey everyone

Ive just done a valve clearance adjustment and replaced the cam chain and guides but now have a strange noise coming from the top of the engine.
Its a kind of rattle and whirring sound so me it sounds as if the chain is loose or it just needs to wear in a little. Does this sound normal? Or is it something I need to worry about?

The engine starts and runs well. I tripple checked the timing to make sure I didnt make a mess of things although it seems that the previous owner had advanced the timing on the intake cam by a tooth.

BTW thanks mori man for the parts
Id appreciate any input on this

Cheers
Jonathan

[JamieNeve]

There are a few things it could be if you are sure everything is fitted fine:

Firstly, I'd get someone else to listen to the noise and see if it seems out of place, even better someone who has had/ heard a zxr running before. If the cam chain has previously been timed differently, along with the new guides and chain, it could just be producing a different sound than what you are used to, therefore sounding out of place, which is why getting another pair of ears who aren't used to what it sounded like before to have a listen should help.

If it is indeed something wrong with the engine:

When replacing the chain did you check your tensioner was okay, these have a knack for going bust and not keeping the tension correct. The easy way to check whether your cam chain tensioner is faulty is to remove it from the bike, and try and push down on the rod which should not move down into the body without the ratchet mechanism being pulled back. If it does, get on the phone to Cradley's for a new one!

Another possibility is your valve clearances, when were they last done? It can take a small change in your engine which highlights another problem, the same thing happened to me when I did my cam chain.

Hope this helps,

Jamie

[feisty92]

Thanks for the reply Jamie.

Kinda funny but i bought it, rode it home then pulled it apart so i wouldnt say im familiar with how it sounded before
I dont know many bikers but ill get them to check it out for me.

I did checked the tensioner and the ratchet was working well but im wondering if the spring might not be as stiff as it once was. Do you know if the spring is available from the dealler? Ill have a look at the microfiche on the main page to check.

Im not sure when the valve clearances were last done as i dont have any service history. I made some adjustment while i was in there and a few of them were out but i measured them after id made the adjustments and it all seemed ok.

Im leaning towards the tensioner spring so ill try that first, Thanks for your help

Jonathan

[JamieNeve]

If you've checked the clearences, and it starts fine then it likely isn't that but thought i'd check! Also it normally wouldn't be a whurring but more a rattle/ knock.

I'm not sure that you can buy the spring on it's own, but a replacement tensioner is £31.93 from Cradleys and is part no CHKM166723 I believe, however there are two different types, so you'd have to check which one you have (both will fit, they just have different resetting mechanisms.)

I still think it'd be worth getting another set of ears on it too!

Good luck!

Jamie