Hi, I'm a new owner of Bulldog since february this year. I have a problem with engine ticking. The ticking starts at 3.000 rpm and ends at about 5.000 rpm when it can no longer be heard because of other noise. The ticking starts when the engine is warm enough. It can only be heard when I'm driving and when the engine is under load. If I rev the engine on the spot its ok.
It look like the sound is coming from engine heads. I have already removed the both heads, checked the valves and pistons, replace the head gaskets. I set up the valves as recomended from the factory.
Then I have removed the cam rockers and cam shafts and they also seem to be ok. No sign of extended wear or damage.
A have also checked the valve chain tensioners and they look ok.
The bike is 2005 an has 34.000 km. It runs very nice at idle rpms.
Please help me with your Ideas, because I dont know what else can be wrong.
Peter
Welcome to the Bulldog community. Yours is a sad introduction to what is an extremely reliable and generally bulletproof bike. I can't suggest any other places you could look for the ticking in the motor area (I thought cam chain and tensioners at first but you've done those). You say it happens only under load, there is a universal joint at the engine end of the drive shaft and this is one of the very few weak areas of the Bulldog. Try taping your phone (on record) to your left boot and see if the noise is coming from there. I can't think of anything else.
Oh and watch out for very short phone thieves.
Ade
Hello Peter,
I had the same problem getting worse with about 90.000 km on the clock. At last I found out that the cam chain tensioners were o.k. but had only 3mm working distance left over. As the tensioners a spring loaded , there is almost no force left to tension the chain, espacialy when altering revs.
First I tried to get more tension by increasing the zero preload by turning the spring some rounds more than originally, got better but not really.
Then I changed the end piston of the tensioner for a somewhat thicker part made of an hex-bolt,....better but now ist was clear, that the chain was really to long.
At last I changed the chain and now it sounds as it should.
Changing the chain is a story in itself, because I did it without dismanteling the engine.....
I made a notice about the tensioners, but it´s in german and I´m to lasy to translate it, but some pictures might help.
StKettenSpannerBT1100.pdf
Changing the chain is discribed in this thread, but it was not easy as you can see....http://cms.bulldog-bt1100.de/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18862
Hope it will help, Stefan
I modified tensioners as Stefan suggested. I changed the end of a tensioner with hex-bolt but it's the same. The engine knocking remains.
My original tensioners have a 10mm or more working distance left. So I knew that this is not the problem, but I tryed anyway.
Now we are at the begining.
Hi perok, sorry to hear that it didn't help. All further ideas lead to dismanteling ....crankshaft-, piston bearing,..., but Guido and me searched once for Clutch noises and could not find the reason.....as far as we know the bike ist still running with the ticking....
Let the forum know, if you find the reason of your problem.
Greatings, Stefan
Now at first I will remove the both engine covers. The previous owner just changed the starter clutch before he sold the bike to me.
Is it possible that something wasnt done as it should be, when replacing the starter clutch?
I
Wahh....some days ago, there was a thread about a guy who wanted guide, because a dealer offered him a bike with ticking after repair of starter clutch....then a recent member called and said, same bike was on sale a year ago and he bought a different one.....
Forum couldn't guess what it might be and said leave it allone.....sorry
Finaly we have solved the problem with help from a local Yamaha mechanic, who is an expert for this engines.
My thoughts that previous owner did something wrong when replacing starter clutch were right.
The engine didn't have the correct ignition timing. When reassembling, he didn't get the correct ignition timing gear.
The mechanic immidiately recognized the problem, because the exhaust note wasn't correct for V-twin. He said that It sound's more like a single cylinder engine.
I didn't noticed that because it run like that from the day that I bought it.
I left the bike there, and the next day was fixed. When I started the bike i was suprised. Totaly different deep sound, and more power, and the most important, no more knocking. :) :) :)
Good to hear and thanks a lot for posting the source and resolving of the problem. Have a nice time with the bike Till weather gets Bad 🙂
Perok,
many thanks for your final feedback!