nklr back from mexico

[Jon Neet]

My 2004 KLR recebtly started a mettalic clacking noise at cold startup.It goes away after maybe 10-15 seconds. I'm running Delo 400 15w-40 diesel oil.I'm going to try going to a 10-40 weight this weekend to see if it helps. The first time it did it the bike had sat for a few weeks. I thought it might have something to do with the auto compression release sticking a bit? Jon in Puyallup, Wa. --------------------------------- The fish are biting. Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Norm Keller]

Hard to diagnose noises by email but my first observation is the oil is far too heavy for this time of year so there will be (IMO) very little oil flow to the camshaft for quite some time. I hate oil discussions. Keep running oil that heavy this time of year and you are asking for problems. Did I mention that I hate oil discussions? If it were here, I'd be checking the cam chain tensioner to see if it has stuck and isn't adjusting as someone here advised a year or so ago. It is a simple process to remove, check and reinstall so nothing lost in checking. You didn't mention whether the Doo has been done so that might be worth exploring as it can make a loud sound at low RPM, especially when cold (don't know why). Any indications as to the area in which the noise is located? HIH Norm [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Norm Keller" wrote:

> > Hard to diagnose noises by email but my first observation is the

oil is far too heavy for this time of year so there will be (IMO) very little oil flow to the camshaft for quite some time.

> > I hate oil discussions. > > Keep running oil that heavy this time of year and you are asking

for problems.

> > Did I mention that I hate oil discussions? > > If it were here, I'd be checking the cam chain tensioner to see if

it has stuck and isn't adjusting as someone here advised a year or so ago. It is a simple process to remove, check and reinstall so nothing lost in checking.

> > You didn't mention whether the Doo has been done so that might be

worth exploring as it can make a loud sound at low RPM, especially when cold (don't know why).

> > Any indications as to the area in which the noise is located? > > HIH > > Norm

Hi Norm, and others-IRT to thick oil, I feel (=read) your pain. I am fortunate to have a covered place (a Model A carriage house) to park the bike. It has no heat, and so the bike is cold soaked to OAT any time I go to the bike. The one thing that I do, a carry over my aviation experience, is to preheat the crankcase with a 100W (rough service bulb) trouble light. I put the 'bell-shaped' trouble lamp on the bike ~12 hours before I ride it and the temp is going to be

[dooden]

Top posted.. well cause I like the top.. Come on... currently 10w40 in my bike, it cranked maybe 20 sec and then I looked in the gas tank.. pretty low, so switched to reserve and hit the starter button, full choke and vrooom it was running and was fine. It was also in the "Model A carriage house" since Jan 1st when I took it out for a ride last, admit it cranked a bit slower than I would have thought with a nearly new AGM battery, but again have not put the Tender on it since before its last ride. Oh even peeked at the underside of the airbox... yup all good. Ride was fun but, cold. Partly Cloudy 25F today Dooden A15 Green Ape

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "revmaaatin" wrote: > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Norm Keller" wrote: > > > > Hard to diagnose noises by email but my first observation is the > oil is far too heavy for this time of year so there will be (IMO) > very little oil flow to the camshaft for quite some time. > > > > I hate oil discussions. > > > > Keep running oil that heavy this time of year and you are asking > for problems. > > > > Did I mention that I hate oil discussions? > > > > If it were here, I'd be checking the cam chain tensioner to see if > it has stuck and isn't adjusting as someone here advised a year or so > ago. It is a simple process to remove, check and reinstall so nothing > lost in checking. > > > > You didn't mention whether the Doo has been done so that might be > worth exploring as it can make a loud sound at low RPM, especially > when cold (don't know why). > > > > Any indications as to the area in which the noise is located? > > > > HIH > > > > Norm > > Hi Norm, and others-IRT to thick oil, > I feel (=read) your pain. > I am fortunate to have a covered place (a Model A carriage house) to > park the bike. It has no heat, and so the bike is cold soaked to OAT > any time I go to the bike. The one thing that I do, a carry over my > aviation experience, is to preheat the crankcase with a 100W (rough > service bulb) trouble light. I put the 'bell-shaped' trouble lamp on > the bike ~12 hours before I ride it and the temp is going to be > hooked up for days. From the aviation experience, I know that > their was a quantifiable difference in how fast the battery could > crank the engine with cold oil. (I also removed the aircraft battery > to a warm place when it was going to be flown at temps below +20F. ) > Some would actually (I am told) remove the engine oil and preheat > it. Seems like a good way to introduce contaminates into the oil-- > but that is what folks do when the environment is really adverse to > operating. The trouble light is not 'necessary', but the bike turns > through more easily, and it makes me feel better about the starting > process. > > The point of all this, is if you have electricity, convectively > heating the crankcase with a trouble lamp will be immensely helpful. > Synthetic oil would also work, yes? to keep the crank journals lubed > better at lower temps.... > > Norm, here is some farkle we have not seen before--a block heater for > the KLR. I suppose the old fashioned dipstick heater would actually > heat the water if you took the radiator cap off. Won't work for me as > I have HT P-D Nerf Bars and they block the radiator cap. > > revmaaatin. synthetic in the cars, but dino in the bikes cause I > don't ride the bike at -30F, like we had last week. >

[Blake Sobiloff]

On Feb 24, 2007, at 1:57 PM, revmaaatin wrote:

> Norm, here is some farkle we have not seen before--a block heater for > the KLR.

Your wish is my command: http://www.wolverineheater.com/ Probably more efficient heat transfer than a trouble light, assuming you can get one of the smaller pads to stick long-term... -- Blake Sobiloff http://sobiloff.typepad.com/blakeblog/> http://sobiloff.typepad.com/klr_adventure/> San Jose, CA (USA) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Norm Keller]

Glad to hear you're back from your Mexico trip! Stop by for a drink. Maybe a cup of sour grapes from the rest of us........ Norm [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jon Neet]

Well, the oil change seems to have done the trick.I put in some 10w-40 and went for a ride. The next morning, I started it couold and not a hint of the noise.Possibly the fact that my commute is pretty short may have prematurely degrade the oil? My commute is about 7.5 miles each way, and the oil was 1400 miles old.Otherwise, I wouldn.t have thought that there was too much difference between a 15-40 abd a 10-40 oil(?). Jon in Puyallup --------------------------------- Any questions? Get answers on any topic at Yahoo! Answers. Try it now. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]