ZXR 400 Rattle

[TheBadMechani...]

I have a ZXR 400 that I've bought around 6 months ago, it was a decent amount of miles, about 55k.

The engine runs so smooth it is unreal but there's a rattle coming from the engine, I tidied it up a bit and then did an oil change on it yesterday.

Now I've heard there's rattling issues with these bikes, I gave up with the ZXR forum as it's dead and I saw some guy fixed a rattle with an oil change but mine didn't.

I took it to my friends and he is sure that it's my cam-chain, now I know these bikes have crappy cam chain tensioners and all that but hey ho.

Now I was just going to buy a new cam chain tensioner as it might be a lot easier than doing the whole cam chain as to my knowledge I'd have to take the engine out to do so, this bike is my daily bike and I'm still riding it but I'm sure something could go drastically wrong soon.

I was wondering if I should just replace the cam chain tensioner which is only £18 because that would be the easiest option but then the chain might be slacked as well, then I'd have to get a new head gasket as well and the price goes up.

I'm unsure what to do as I don't really want to take the engine out (If I have to do so) at the moment as I can't really afford to at the moment and I'm pretty much stuck on what to do. Any thoughts?

[Dr. DaveJPS]

AFAIK you'll have to expose the Camchain to fit a new tensioner to prevent it jumping teeth and fucking up the timing (you certainly do on my Daytona 675)
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"intelligent inattention is preferable to unintelligent tinkering"
www.davejps.com

[TheBadMechani...]

[Fisty]

If you pull the clutch in does the noise stop?
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Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[TheBadMechani...]

[Chris45]

Is there a rattle at idle? Is it really noticable? If so, with the engine properly warmed up and idling, try opening the throttle a fraction, and listen for any change in sound. If the rattle goes away leave the camchain alone however if the camchain is rattling through a range of revs, then it needs replacing.

I've had two kawasaki's with similar problems to this - the GPz 305 and GPz 550 both of which had rattle at idle, but cleared at + 1,500 rpm. Always kept all my bikes well maintained so just learnt to live with it. The 550 rattled its way to 63K miles before I sold it.

If yours does need a repacement camchain, make very sure you've got the timing marks properly aligned before removal.
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Honda CG125>Suzuki GT185>Honda CB 250N>Suzuki GSX400>Honda CX500B>Kawasaki GPZ305> Kawasaki GPZ550>Kawasaki GPZ500S+BMW 650GS

[TheBadMechani...]

[ADSrox0r]

Cam chain rattle makes itself most apparent on the overrun, blip the throttle smoothly and release sharply while in neutral and you can hear the tell-tale 'clack-clack-clack'.
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Current bikes: '08 VFR 800 VTEC(yo) , '07 ZZR1400 Winter hack: '95 Aprilia 650 Pegaso Currently lusting after: RC30

[Chris45]

[Rogerborg]

If you don't know the history, have a look at the existing CCT. It's possible that one of the previous 87 owners has replaced it with a manual tensioner (because racebike) that's needing wound on.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[andys675]

the one I repaired years ago the tensioner blade had split, the tensioner was working fine but it didn't matter as it wasn't tensioning the blade and the chain was slapping about constantly, strangely the way it had split it was in a V shape so it did offer the chain some support so it didn't fly off, I am sure the part was superseded that replaced it
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Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

[Ed Case]

There's a bloke darn sarth, Galea Cam Chain Services, who claims to do the swap more or less while you wait. That all depends of course if that is what your rattle emanates from.

[yen_powell]

[TheBadMechani...]

Okay so I have an update, unfortunately I didn't take any pictures

I took the tensioner out and it was quite dirty, but it honestly doesn't look like it automatically adjusts, the tensioner pin was out but hardly. I then pulled it up about 4-5 notches and put it back into the bike.

Now the bike doesn't make a stupid rattle anymore but it makes quite a quiet noise compared to what it was doing before. I'm unsure if I should leave it or continue to move it up bit by bit until the noise fully goes, although you can hardly notice the noise it's making now.

[ADSrox0r]

Well that answers your question, don't just leave it 'cos it's quiet now'. Whack a new one in and get on with life.
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Current bikes: '08 VFR 800 VTEC(yo) , '07 ZZR1400 Winter hack: '95 Aprilia 650 Pegaso Currently lusting after: RC30

[Chris45]

[Ed Case]