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lowlifexj

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May 11, 2015
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Location
Grand Haven
2000, stock, 35k miles,

So here's what happened..... bike ran fine Friday on the way to work. About 2 miles from work it sounded like I had an exhaust heat shield vibrating some where near the front of the engine. By the time I got to work it was definitely not a loose exhaust noise. It sounds like something let go or came loose in the lower end. It sounds almost like it could be the coming from the water pump impeller, like a bearing went out and its rubbing against the case or something. (its like a rotating swish of metal with a knock on every revolution) We'll that's what i'm hoping for because if its not the water pump i'll be pulling the motor I'm guessing. I'll be draining the oil, coolant, and pulling the water pump tonight. Any suggestions as to what to do from there would be greatly appreciated.
 
Sounds like a rod knock...You have to tear it down to find out. Or it could be a big end spun bearing. "Engine out," either way. I think you'll be in the market for a replacement engine. I hope you don't find something like this, but I think you may.
 

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Just throwing this out there....The stock exhaust is double walled, so there is an inner pipe. Sometimes that gets loosed, and it will rattle.
 
I had a pipe seperate on my '85. Made a hellacious sound. A well placed shot with a hammer pinched the pipes together and the sound stopped.
 
Header double-wall pipe rattle:
Wouldn't that be a happy day instead of my 'doom and gloom' junk engine prognostication?
 
I had a knock last year and it turned out to be the inner pipe seperated, I would drain the oil and see what comes out with it, if it looks good cut open the oil filter and look between the pleats for metal, hope it's a simple fix!.............Tom.
 
Just tap the front headers with a heavy screwdriver handle. You'll hear it if yiu have a seperated pipe..
 
holey crap I better check this exhaust thing out tonight! I didn't find anything out the ordinary in the oil but haven't cut the filter apart yet. I also drained the coolant and popped the cover off the water pump and everything looks perfect there. the noise could have been exhaust know that I know its a double walled pipe, it makes sense. I'm glad I didn't take the whole motor out yet. thanks guys!!!! i'll report back after I beat up the header:th_hit:
 
if it is a loose pipe what's the best fix? i have a really nice welder at home. if it sounds loose should i just remove the header and weld it back up or just whack it a good one with a small ballpeen at the bend?
 
I was thinking drill a hole, weld on a hex nut, and run down a short hex bolt to tighten the pipes. However, just welding thru a hole you drill in the outer pipe would do the same thing.
 
thanks, fire-medic. And thanks to everyone else who chimed in also!! I really really hope its as simple as that. especially so i can throw it in my Girl friends face that wheelies and burnouts don't blow engines! and not having to pull the engine would be nice too, lol.
 
OK so with my rubber mallet the right hand front pipe definitely sounds different than the left side. It's like a tingy knock and when I hit the left side it has the same kind of ting but with a longer tuning fork sound with out the metal on metal knock. I'm going to put a new oil fliter on fill it up with oil and put the water pump cover and coolant back in and start it up and see if I can pin point that it's the right header pipe before I do anything else.
 
:eusa_dance::eusa_dance:whoooo hoooool!!!!! It's the right side header! !! You guys just saved me from a lot of work and money and can you imagine if I had just bought a new motor from Sean!
 
Stethoscope on the motor, smooth as glass..... stethoscope on header pipe hurt my ears it was knocking around bad!
 
Save your money, and do the ball peen hammer trick. Nail the sucker in a spot where you won't see the little dent, and save yourself some money.

Of course, there are plenty of un-rattly header pipes for sale, so maybe you'd just best replace it. I eventually did.
 

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