[mattb650900]

Hello all,

I just recently came across this group after I got my 1998 Aero. Have put over 600 miles on it in just a couple of rides. Love it. I have one question for those who have been around these bikes longer than I and it may seem vague, but I am thinking if you have personally experienced the problem, you might pass on your knowledge.
There is a ticking noise coming from the engine. It doesn't seem to do this until is warms up, and is intermittant. When I pull in the clutch, it goes away, release the clutch, it comes back. Once it warms up, it will do it at idle, in neutral and in gear. It is loud enough that you can hear it over the engine. Can you recommend anyplaces I should look? The oil is fine, even a little too full. Could this cause the problem? All other fluids are fine. The bike has only 8000 miles on it, so I hope it is nothing too major.
Thanks for any help you guys and gals can impart.

 

[MarkC]

I have some information about VT1100 engine noise on my web page,
Just click the the link below my sig pic, when the home page opens up just look to the left at the side links for one called "VT1100 Engine noise"
One thing you will need to know is fi the noise is upper or lower engine noise.

There is one theory that claims that a little to full of oil and the crank can beat/whip the oil into a foam, the foam enters the hydraulic lifters, the air causes the lifter to go flat and thus a ticking noise.
MarkC

P.S Welcome to the forum!

 

[bodean]

One common source for an engine tick noise on the VT1100's and VT750's is the primary drive gear. This is the gear that is attached to the crankshaft, and drives the clutch assembly. About 10% of all VT1100's and VT750's will suffer from primary gear failure. I have owned 2 VT1100T's and a VT750 Ace that has had this noise. The only cure is replacement of the gear. Actually, the gear itself is not the culprit, but instead, the springs within the gear get weak and allow it to chatter. Unfortunately, you can not just buy the springs separately. You have to buy the whole gear assembly. It seems to happen more often on bikes that are not ridden for extended periods of time. A 9 year old bike with only 8000 miles on it would definitely fall into that category.

Here's how to find out if it's the primary gear making the noise. Take a section of hose and put one end to your ear and the other to your engine at various places. If the noise is loudest at the lower front right side of the crankcase, then it likely is the gear. The only thing that bothers me about your explanation is that pulling the clutch changes the sound. Neither of my bikes would change sounds when the clutch was pulled.

I am in the process of replacing my second primary gear assembly on my '99 VT1100T Ace Tourer. It's not something that has to be done and running the engine this way does not hurt it at all. It's just a nuisance sound that gets a little embarrassing when you pull up to a stop light, or a group of friends on HD's.

Stan

 

[Pavogg]

Engine tick

Because you describe it as intermittent, I would tend to agree with MarkC on the overfill of the oil. I had this happen to my 1198 ACE which has the same engine as your Aero.

It won't hurt to loosen the drain plug and let some oil out, don't be afraid how much you let out, you can use it to top off again if you let too much out. Another way is to get a turkey baster and a length of plastic tubing that fits the end of the baster and stick the tubing downin the oil filll and suck some out. Just be sure to use aabout a 12' piece of tubing so you have no chance of losing it down in the engine.

 

[jon lewis]

When I overfill a little w/oil I find it simplest to twist off the oil filter and dump out what oil is in the filter. If it's still too high, repeat.

 

[mattb650900]

Thanks for the advice. Will drain the oil and bring it to the proper level and see what that does for me. Thanks for the responses.

 

[MarkC]

Thanks for the advice. Will drain the oil and bring it to the proper level and see what that does for me. Thanks for the responses.

Did you read my write up on my web page about the VT1100 engine noise?
In my above post I stated that one THEORY! is being over filled with oil, my bikes upper valve ticks wasn't due to being full of oil.
I covered the primary drive gear noise in my web page also. I also had to replace my primary drive gear. But I'm not sure the problem is the springs in the gear. I think its the sub-gear (still part of the primary gear) If mine starts rattling again I believe I would replace the guide bushing and the bearings that the outter clutch housing rides on. My theory about this is the those bushings and bearings allow the clutch housing wobble (play, or rock back and forth) this play causes the sub-gear to walk outward, this causes the collar that the sub-gear rides on to wear, when this wear gets bad enough the sub-gear slaps against its main counter part.
I still think that the Sub-gear and its springs could be completely removed and not rattle more than some normal gear lash, like the rest of the gears. Nothing would have to be done different to put it back together without the sub-gear and the springs other than to leave them off. The only thing here is that again, this is just a theroy NOT proven!

To the poster above that is going to replace the primary drive gear, when you get the engine cover off and the primary drive gear off, take hold of the clutch housing with both hands and see how much you can rock it back and forth (tilting it, not straight in and out), I bet you'll be surprised at the play, it flops around a good bit!

My Web Page, Click Here!

MarkC

 

[mattb650900]

MarkC, I did visit your website. I only mentioned the oil trick because I am hoping that this will fix it. Not looking forward to tearing into the engine with the nice weather starting to finally get here.
From your experience, how much of a job is it to replace the gear assembly? I have torn into engines before but not a very big scale (replaced rings on my 250 dirt bike). Does the engine have to come out or can it stay in?

Thanks

 

[MarkC]

MarkC, I did visit your website. I only mentioned the oil trick because I am hoping that this will fix it. Not looking forward to tearing into the engine with the nice weather starting to finally get here.
From your experience, how much of a job is it to replace the gear assembly? I have torn into engines before but not a very big scale (replaced rings on my 250 dirt bike). Does the engine have to come out or can it stay in?

Thanks

Its not a bad job.
The engine stays in the frame.
The exhaust has to come off.
There is a section of frame on the right side called the sub-frame, it has to come off.
The right side engine case has to be removed.
The the primary drive gear un-bolts.

Its a pretty easy evening job, if you don't have exhaust manifold stud problems, most of the time they come lose fine.
MarkC

 

[mattb650900]

I was reading up my manual and it mentioned having to take off the clutch. From your description, this doesn't seem necessary. Is it?

 

[MarkC]

I was reading up my manual and it mentioned having to take off the clutch. From your description, this doesn't seem necessary. Is it?

Nope! but the main clutch cover (engine side case) does have to come off and to that you have to also remove the smaller round cover to access some of the screws for the larger cover.
Well, that's the way it was on my 97 VT1100C Spirit.
MarkC

 

[mattb650900]

I drained some of the oil to bring it down to half way between the min and max marks. No difference. (hey, it was worth a shot). Something else I noticed is that the ticking seems to tick at the same speed whether I am running along at 50mph or at idle. I would imagine if it was the driven gear problem as mentioned in previous postings, the frequency of ticks would change with engine RPM.
At one time, I thought it might be a vane in the water pump. Does it turn at a constant speed or does it drive directly off the engine (engine speed = water pump speed?)
I guess I am going to have to listen with a stethoscope when it is not doing it to get an engine noise baseline, then get it to do it and go around again and see if I can hear a difference anywhere.

 

[MarkC]

Hemm, both the normal noises, Valve's, or the primary drive gear is only heard at idle in all the reports I've read.
Everything in the engine is driven buy the engine,
Cam's
Lifters,
Oil Pump'
Water Pump,
Primary Drive Gear,
Cam Chains'
Valves,
Piston's,
Clutch,
Ect. Ect.....................
So pretty much any noise in the engine should change with engine speed?
MarkC