I just finished a seven day, 3000 mile round trip to Fort Polk La, and back to Flagstaff. Good riding weather all the way out, and back.

Before I left, I had done a shock treatment, changed to synthetic oil Mobil One 20w50, then change plugs to the Iridium plugs. Half way through the trip I stopped in Waco Tx, and then next morning went to warm up the bike, and I had a top end knock. CRAP! So, I went ahead and went to Louisiana. Stayed for a couple days, and then back to AZ. As the trip progressed the engine knock took longer to get rid of when warming the bike up. Stop for a simple thirty minute break and eat. Had to let the bike set and warm up again, before the knock would go away. Then at highway speeds you can hear the knock on the top end under load.

I am taking the bike down to a guy that rebuilds all types of metric, and Harley motors on a daily basis, and see what he thinks.
Now, my question???

1. How much "should" a total rebuild with parts going to cost??

2. I found a warrior engine ($1200.00- $1300.00) on ebay that has less than 600 miles on it. Would it be cheaper to buy that engine, or rebuild my engine???

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Yamaha-Road-Star-WARRIOR-1700-ENGINE-MOTOR-2009_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2a02833d07QQitemZ180430781703QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

3. Would the warrior roadstar engine fit??

if its in the top end, i have never really opened up the roadie but all you would need is to bore cylinders...may not even be too out of your reach to do it yourself after you get it bored if you are real concerned with money if its anything like a harley... what is your mileage? i would be more concerned with what caused this to happen since from what i understand these motors are tough as nails...

40k on the engine. I am the second, or third owner of the bike, so who knows what someone else did, or didn't do to the bike before I got it.

I know that the cylinders are nickle seal. I talked to the mechanic, and he can send the cylinders up to Michigan and get them re- nickle sealed. I think they are sleeved, not sure??

Wiseco pistons, and ring sets are around 300.00 labor I am told would be around 12 hours, start to finish. They break down like a harley, so the mechanic doesn't see any problems with the operation.

If its more a loud ticking then actual knock like lower end bearing issue or maybe broken piston skirt resulitng in excessive psito to cyl clearance/piston slap then it could simply be a bad/collapsed hyd lifter,dirt in lifter from change to full syn with maybe more detergent loosening up some gunk that got into a lifter collapsing it, or there's enough wear now with over 40k miles on the motor that it could use a valve adj because the lifter plunger is at top of its travel and cant take up any more clearacne thats present due to normal wear over 40k miles and is making noise.

Have the mechanic chk those itmes out 1st before bothering to go for full top end rbld when it may not need it.

It better to spend A $100-$150 to chk that out 1st with a simple valve adj then do a full top end rbld for $1k-$1500 just to find out after that it still makes the noise post top end rbld due to a bad/collaped lifter or lifter that may have dirt/debries in it.

And BTW flat tappet cam'd motor need zddp/zinc & phos that todays mobil 20-50 pass car oil doesnt have if thats the 20-50 mobil you used.

But if you used the mobile bike 20-50 your fine,it will have the zddp.

Also,the mobile 1 pass car hi perf 15w-50 oil does have enough zddp for the flat tappet cam in your bike if you want to run that because its little cheaper then the bike mobile 1.

Scott

scottw wrote:

But if you used the mobile bike 20-50 your fine,it will have the zddp.

Also,the mobile 1 pass car hi perf 15w-50 oil does have enough zddp for the flat tappet cam in your bike if you want to run that because its little cheaper then the bike mobile 1.

Scott

I used the V twin Mobil One (wet clutch) oil for motorcycles.

The knocking is coming from the left side of the No. 1 cylinder, up high in the jug. No coming from the valve train. Valves were adjusted at 29K.

We Already ruled out the lifter.

Not sure if the Road warrior engine is going to fit. The exhaust on the front cylinder and rear cyclinder jugs are different.

Valves were adj @ 29k and motor now has over 40k,HMMMMM?

You saying noise is high up in jug meaning high up in the cyl ,could be in head you you dont realize it.

Andas far as lifters go,they dont have to make noise dow low where they are housed,the noise can come from up top where most of clearance could be.

Have you taken a comp test or leak down test to verify if maybe piston skirt or rings are broken causing knock or piston is damaged in some way?

Did motor all the sudden start to use oil or show sign of using oil thru ex after this noise started?

Because if compression is good,no oil use etc it could be a busted valve spring that will not sho up on static comp test becasue motor not spinning fats enough to strees the spirng but with motor running it will make nose.i have sen that before too but not in a R*.

Maybe a rocker arm i worn out or broken.

Just trying to ensure you exhaust all other less evasive/less expensive possibilites before you take the plunge to tear it down without checking rockers,comp test,etc.

Good luck.

Scott

I'm definitly not a wrench but if you put 3000 miles in 7 days at 428 miles a day how bad could your bike be running? Wouldn't there be a loss of power or other signs that the bike is running bad? Ken

I have two suggestions: 1- Take the oil filter off and open it up,see if there are any metal flakes in there. 2- Take an oil sample and have a spectrografic analysis done. In the past 2 years I have had 2 bikes (1500 Vulcan, 650 V-Star) brought to my shop making clicking noises. In both cases they were run low on oil and burned up a rod bearing. In both cases the noise sounded just like a V8 with a bad hydralic lifter.
If there is metal in the filter do not start it again! Give it a major overhaul. If there are no metal flakes in the filter an oil analysis can tell a lot about the inside of the engine. Check the compression.
Clifford

Clifford wrote:
I have two suggestions: 1- Take the oil filter off and open it up,see if there are any metal flakes in there. 2- Take an oil sample and have a spectrografic analysis done. In the past 2 years I have had 2 bikes (1500 Vulcan, 650 V-Star) brought to my shop making clicking noises. In both cases they were run low on oil and burned up a rod bearing. In both cases the noise sounded just like a V8 with a bad hydralic lifter.
If there is metal in the filter do not start it again! Give it a major overhaul. If there are no metal flakes in the filter an oil analysis can tell a lot about the inside of the engine. Check the compression.
Clifford

Clifford:

That is exactly what my mechanic said yesterday when dropping off the bike. He isn't going to be able to get to it until Monday,,, but that is so weird, you had the same wisdom.
I did check the oil level before leaving, each morning after letting it warm up, and when I got back. It didn't use a drop. The bike never lost power, and we haven't pulled the plugs. The Mechanic is positive it is in the top end somewhere. Don't know until he starts the diagnosis. Maybe a wrist pin or piston getting worn??

Being it is winter riding now, and we aren't riding as much, with getting snow last night. I may just have him do the top end, if there isn't any metal damage showing up in the filter, and oil.

The bike has always had that knock on takeoff though, ever since I bought it. The bike came out of phoenix where it was sold and titled until I bought it. Who knows maybe someone got it too Hot??