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Engine noise ... and bad news

3K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  OLs70 
#1 · (Edited)
Well ... my "great find" hasn't turned out the way I wanted it to.

Picked up the Vulcan in January for only $1000 and as the weather got warmer, finally got around to working on it. Biggest issue was the front rotors (too thin to pass a safety). I bought new ones, and new brake pads, and everything seemed fine.

Unfortuntely, when I took it out on a highway ride, it started to leak oil from the front ACCT. Turns out the PO had stripped the housing for the cap bolt. I made it back and got a replacement. Installed the replacement, and everything seemed fine.

Took it out for another ride (not on the highway this time), and right about the "farthest away from home point" it start to make some horrible "clackety" noises, way beyond what any bike should make, and it seemed to be getting worse.

I managed to pull into a friends place and parked it. Picked it up with a buddy's trailer a few days later and dragged it back home. I eventually got the old Honda (which was in the middle of chain and sprocket change --- but that's a whole 'nother thread in itself) finished and moved out to make room for the Vulcan.

Drained the oil today and almost cried (and definitely said a few words I can't type in here) when I saw the oil screen (see pic).

I guess all that's left to do now is either part out the bike or try and source out a "new" engine for it.
 

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#2 ·
maybe just new balance dampers? others will chime in im sure but it doesnt look pretty!
 
#3 ·
Check this post, are they like this or plain metal?

http://www.vn750.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14806

The dampers failing can cause that bolt to back out and hit the casing. I can't find it, but there is pics of here of that happening and actually breaking a piece out of the generator cover.

Good news is if it is just the dampers, it's about $60 and an engine pull away from being fixed. The 5 'teeth' on the dampener have been known to have one break off, resulting in a spare needed from ebay.
 
#4 ·
Yikes .... the photo of his screen is almost exactly like my oil screen !!

Good news in that I think I'm capable of doing the repairs, bad news in that my "shop" (an unheated, unelectrified storage unit) isn't really set up for splitting engines ...
 
#5 ·
It's just one or two steps more than a stator replacement, so it's nothing crazy.

I am doing most of it tomorrow, I hope. Wish me luck :) I hope yours is also the same issue - disintegrated damper and/or broken dampener 'tooth'.
 
#6 ·
We fixed a vn750 engine that the dampers failed and had eaten the case up. It filled the oil filter with filings to the point that the relief valve blow and allowed all the filings to be pumped thru the oil passages. They eventually siezed the big end bearings, but they were everywhere. Check the oil filter for any sign of being overwhelm by filings.
 
#7 ·
If there's any plastic/rubber that you can find, it's the dampers. If it's only metal, it could be the rod bearing(s).
 
#8 ·
Looks almost like mine...
I started to hear a "metal carving" noise that I located to the left side. After reading about other's experience - I opened the oil seal and found rubber- and metal shavings.
So - I digured it was the dampers, which effectively ended the season last year.
Now, I opened the thing to have it fixed - but the dampers were fine.

So, here's another angle to it, that I havent seen described here earlier:

After some time of pondering, It seems evident that it was originally the dampers, and the balancer gear had eaten the housing. But - this was fixed by the previous owner, so everything looked okay...until I found some shavings on the backside of the flywheel.

It seams that despite new dampers, the balancer gear is not adequately fastened to the balancer itself: Even if the bolt is tight, there is an axial play, obviously enough for the balancer gear teeth to touch the backside of the flywheel, from where small metal flakes are shaved off.

It seems like the collar is sticking out a few tenths of millimeters outside the balancer gear - not letting the bolt and washer fasten the gear correctly.
Can the balancer shaft axial position be adjusted somehow, or what is causing the misalignment?
Or, should I just grind off a bit from the collar to ensure the washer is securing the gear?
Or - could it have something to do with possibly worn out clutch springs on the other end of the shaft?

If you guys have experienced this and know how to fix it, I would be grateful to hear your advice.

Br. Ove from Finland.
 
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