PINGING IN ENGINE

[johnnyreb]

I GOT A 2003 VOYAGER 1200 A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. THE BIKE WAS RUNNING GREAT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STARTED HAVING A TAPPING IN THE ENGINE . I KNOW REALLY NOTHING ABOUT THESE BIKES. THE THING IS IT COMES AND GOES SOMETIMES IT WILL GO A WEEK AND NOT TAP AND THEN IT WILL START AGAIN . IT WILL TAP FOR LIKE A COUPLE OF MINS THEN STOP FOR A FEW MINS THEN START AGAIN I AT A LOSS IF ANY ONE HAS ANY IDEAS ON WHAT TO CHECK IM ALL EARS.. I ALSO WAS RUNNING 92 OCTANE FUEL AND SWITCHED TO 87 TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE PROBLEM

[cranky]

... stay at 87!!!! These scoots need no more...

What kind and how much oil Ya running?

Don't go higher than 40 wt and put in 3qt 22oz and NO more!

[johnnyreb]

OK i went to the dealer and got the oil that they said was needed ( Kawasaki brand) and put 3.5 liters per there instructions because i saw on here that site glass on this bike isn't useful

[cranky]

... after fiddling with my calculator.... GBG you did good, I'll bet your site glass
the next morning after a drive will show 3/4 full!!!! I think it takes a while
for it to drain down..... Right oil and amount... now tell us how she sounds!!!
I'll bet you notice a bid difference!!! JM2C

[triton28]

If the noise continues after you have drained the oil from the 2 drain plugs, drained/changed the filter, and refilled with the 3.5 liters, then go back a few pages in the Tech Tips forum to a post from "barefoot", dated July 06, 2016, 11:01 am, and entitled "Engine Noise".
There is a mixture "Neal" posted to use in the crankcase which sounds as though this mixture may clean up dirty lash adjusters.
Dave

[Bulrid8]

I run 3 qts 6 oz of rotella 15w40 and 16 oz of marvel mystery oil. It helped quiet the chatter down a lot.

[triton28]

So Bulrid8 do you run that mixture all the time or just when the clatter shows up?
That Marvel Mystery Oil really is a marvel. Perhaps that is why it has been around so long.

[SgtSlag]

The most common cause of this noise is when the 2nd oil plug is not removed, and not all of the old oil is drained. This results in excess oil in the engine, which causes the clattering noises.

With regards to cleaning your engine of crud deposits, I would recommend adding 6 oz. of SeaFoam to the engine oil (1.5 oz. per quart, or 1.5 oz. x 4 quarts). Run it on the center stand, for 5 minutes, shifting through all five gears, with the rear wheel spinning freely (suspended upon the center stand). This should bring the engine to operating temperature, as well as the oil. This will circulate the SeaFoam throughout the entire engine, and the transmission/clutch. The SeaFoam is excellent at dissolving varnish, and sludge, within the engine, in only 5 minutes of idling. Drain the oil from both plugs, change the filter, and fill with 3 quarts 22 oz. of fresh oil.

Modern oils (API SJ+) are very high in detergents. They also do not generate the carbon deposits of older oils. Water cooled engines should never, under normal circumstances, heat the engine oil enough to generate carbon deposits (not even API SG oils -- see below). Such a cleaning process need only be done once... Then run modern API oils (SM+ is great), and never worry about deposits again.

I ran the SeaFoam cleaning routine on my 1979 Honda CB750K, around 2008: the oil turned coal black, from a light caramel color, in five minutes -- 9k miles on the odometer. I repeated the cleaning two years and 6,000 hard miles later: oil never changed color, even after riding it another 300 miles with the SeaFoam in the crankcase. That bike started its life with API SG oil, which broke down into carbon sludge at 250 F, which is the temperature the air-cooled engine ran at, normally, on the highway! The carbon sludge was from its early life; the modern oils I ran in it, never generated sludge, as their breakdown temperatures are higher than 300 F. I installed an oil cooler after the 2nd SeaFoam treatment, which kept the oil at a maximum temperature of 210 F, for the last 6k miles I rode it before selling it. Water-cooled engines keep their oil below 210 F, typically.

If you prefer Marvel Mystery Oil, go ahead -- it will do similar cleaning for your engine. You will only need to run it once, to remove deposits. Cheers!

[Bulrid8]

So Bulrid8 do you run that mixture all the time or just when the clatter shows up?
That Marvel Mystery Oil really is a marvel. Perhaps that is why it has been around so long.

I run it all the time.

[johnnyreb]

OK what type rotella 15w40 there is type s,y,p,etc. i know its diesel oil i just want to make sure i put the right one in my bike

[triton28]

I just checked my 18 liter pails of Rotella and there were no SAE clasifications listed; only "Rotella T, 15-40 weight.
There is however a new dino Rotella nomenclature and I'm not sure what the new name/numbering is, but I think it is now called T4 as I believe the T6 is synthetic. However I may be incorrect so further investigation is warranted.
There was a post about this not too long ago.
Dave

[cranky]

... it looks like T4 is standard dino oil, T5 is a dino/sny blend and T6 is full syn oil...
I'm a syn man myself... JM2C

https://rotella.shell.com/promos/harder ... -flyer.pdf

[johnnyreb]

thanks everyone for the help

[SgtSlag]

Shell removed the automotive rating on all Rotella T oils. They are all rated JASO, still -- they're all still safe for motorcycles.

Be aware that the full synthetic T6 is 5W-40, not 10W-40, which is specified for the bike... I prefer full synthetic, but it should be the proper 10W-40. I had shifting issues develop after using T6 for a while, cleared up after I switched to the proper viscosity again.

Your bike, your choice. Cheers!