[Jack03]

So i finally finished visually restoring my honda cm400e and putting on a new gas tank. I got it back together and took it for a short ride and now theres a strange sound in the engine.

Whenever I try to start it makes a higher pitched clanking noise, at a moderate pace. I should have taken a video before I pulled it apart. It will turn over but not run, Im scared to push it. The sound and vibration is on the left side of the crankcase.

The only work Ive done in the crankcase is replacing the clutch.

Hoping you guys could offer suggestions, thanks!

 

[Jack03]

I also took off my headers to paint them. And I had a failed tank liner

 

[DD23]

Take the left plug out and look at the piston crown. Is there a bright ISH ring around the piston, or a ring of different appearance ?

Another test is to slowly rotate the flywheel by hand and watch the piston crown. Is there several degrees more movement of the flywheel for no piston movement, compare both sides.

I assume valve gear, cam and balance chains are ok and in adjustment ?

Check on CMSNL.com for solid or cush drive type balance weights.

Feedback...

 

[Jack03]

Take the left plug out and look at the piston crown. Is there a bright ISH ring around the piston, or a ring of different appearance ?

Another test is to slowly rotate the flywheel by hand and watch the piston crown. Is there several degrees more movement of the flywheel for no piston movement, compare both sides.

I assume valve gear, cam and balance chains are ok and in adjustment ?

Check on CMSNL.com for solid or cush drive type balance weights.

Feedback...

i inspected the piston crown, its black with sparse gray speckles.

There is no extra movement in the fly wheel.

And the valve gear, cam, and balancer chains are the way they came from the factory 40 years ago. Ill have to research how to inspect them, I dont know much about them

Thank you

 

[DD23]

Check on CMSNL.com for balance wieght type.

No ring in piston crowns is hopefully good, so is very small flywheel movement to piston movement at tdc.

You say you replaced clutch ?

Balance chain adjustable adjusting quadrant is visible thru the round cover by the dip stick but access to reposition the quadrant means clutch cover off. Get a new gasket first.

I will leave you to research this chore as research will be a good learning curve for you.

Also research electric starter drive mech which is on the left-hand side of the engine inside.

You say noise is when you use electric starter ?

Can you post a video of this with audio p lease....

CMSNL.com exploded views are extremely informative and helpfull.

Vidio with audio please... it's bedtime here in UK so back tomorrow...nos da.

 

[PoiPio]

I wouldn't start it again for a video. Dump the oil and see if the pan looks like silver speckles are on the oil surface. Shows that in the oil, no point to keep running it. Never restart a clanking engine. Then again...

... Signed,
NOLTT (no one listens to turtle)

 

[DD23]

So, engine out and full strip down to see what you see...

Could be clutch problem ( but that's on the rhs ), left big end ( common problem as they seem to go first ), electric starter drive system problem ( as that's noisey and on the left ), balance chain system ( cush drive type prone to failure ), gearbox problem ( does noise reduce/disappear when clutch used ), cam area problem, loose internal bolts/screws, or a combination of many things. Loose flywheel, loose flywheel magnet,

Since you say noise seems to be starter motor related.....

Research CMSNL.com exploded views...

Feedback...

 

[Jack03]

I took a video earlier before comment
engine knock

Took oil out I dont see any speckles.

Im a bit hesitant to pull out the motor because Im shipping out to boot camp in a month. If i leave without it back together, I wont be able to put it back together when I come back because I wont remember.

 

[DD23]

Are you sure the pips on the flywheel are not catching anything ?

Saw/listened to the vidio, plugs in or out ?

Does sound a bit like piston hitting head, remove cam cover to check for a large valve gap...

I would remove flywheel to check no loose magnets catching on stator. Remove the oil filter bolt and take to nut/bolt supplier to find a longish bolt, or buy an extractor bolt. The starter will work with cam cover off as well as flywheel off.

If nothing found, I would remove the clutch cover and clutch. You have the clutch nut peg spanner as you have removed the clutch before. The starter will work with the clutch removed. With clutch removed, knock still heard ?

Taking a step backwards how did the oil light behave, did it flash when engine at running temperature at idle ?

You say it will crank but not run....is flywheel loose and does piston tdc align with flywheel tdc T mark ?

I assume the head is not loose...

 

[DD23]

Did you find out if engine has solid or cush drive balance weights ?

How long is boot camp for you

 

[Montanabill]

Did the bike run before you did the clutch job? If it did you are probably fighting a owner induced affliction. Take the stuff you worked on off and watch for thrust washers etc, and try kicking it over with the kickstarter

I presume you are going to military boot camp or is it one of those boot camp or jail options

A million years ago I enlisted and ended up in Ft Sill oklahoma. after AIT i had my dad ship my small bike down on a truck and I rode it home to washington state. Well almost, I made it to sacramento calif. and blew fifth gear so I sold it to a friend there and rode the bus home. Got stationed in Dachau germany where I managed to find a bike and had to sneak it on post for a while till the rules changed. I kept parts in the old medical experimentation lab on the old german army post we lived at.

 

[Jack03]

Did the bike run before you did the clutch job? If it did you are probably fighting a owner induced affliction. Take the stuff you worked on off and watch for thrust washers etc, and try kicking it over with the kickstarter

I presume you are going to military boot camp or is it one of those boot camp or jail options

A million years ago I enlisted and ended up in Ft Sill oklahoma. after AIT i had my dad ship my small bike down on a truck and I rode it home to washington state. Well almost, I made it to sacramento calif. and blew fifth gear so I sold it to a friend there and rode the bus home. Got stationed in Dachau germany where I managed to find a bike and had to sneak it on post for a while till the rules changed. I kept parts in the old medical experimentation lab on the old german army post we lived at.

It ran great for a good bit after my handiwork. I just decided to put in a new engine.
That's awesome, Ill be sent down to South Carolina for two years where Ill get my own apartment. So Ill probably ride my bike down there. Hopefully I dont end up breaking down like you lol.

 

[Jack03]

Did you find out if engine has solid or cush drive balance weights ?

How long is boot camp for you

Sorry for not responding, but 11 weeks. I decided to just get a new to me engine to put in.

 

[DD23]

Hi jack, all the best for this brand new year.

New to you engine ?

Just take all the precautions for an unknown engine.

Have you heard it running at all ?

Been in storage for a while ?

Are valves stuck ?

Is clutch stuck ?

Where is the balance chain dot and any quadrant adjusting gap left ?

Do your research, study CMSNL com, get a manual.

Hope new to you engine is a good one.

Take the old engine down to boot camp with you, aquire the needed tools ( flywheel puller ' bolt", clutch h peg spanner ) to strip down the engine in stages....

I am sure your co will allow you out of hours workshop access ?

I wonder how the flywheel side big end bearing is, worn out ?

Feedback as it helps others...

Enjoy.

Dd23👌

 

[Jack03]

Hi jack, all the best for this brand new year.

New to you engine ?

Just take all the precautions for an unknown engine.

Have you heard it running at all ?

Been in storage for a while ?

Are valves stuck ?

Is clutch stuck ?

Where is the balance chain dot and any quadrant adjusting gap left ?

Do your research, study CMSNL com, get a manual.

Hope new to you engine is a good one.

Take the old engine down to boot camp with you, aquire the needed tools ( flywheel puller ' bolt", clutch h peg spanner ) to strip down the engine in stages....

I am sure your co will allow you out of hours workshop access ?

I wonder how the flywheel side big end bearing is, worn out ?

Feedback as it helps others...

Enjoy.

Dd23👌

Happy new years to you to.

The guy I bought it from was never able to ride it, but I was able to get it running. So I rode it and it sounded good. I have parts coming in like a oil filter and gasket. So I have not checked the balance chain.

Though the PO chopped the bike up in a attempt to make a bobber, so Im a tad bit wary. But I could tell that he never attempted to go into the engine.

I will look into bringing my engine, thanks for the tip.