XJ550 Noisy Transmission?

While my XJ550 is at Idle it seems to make excess noise like knocking from the clutch area. She Rides and shifts great. I notice if i pull the clutch in and pop it in first then slowly let the clutch out and there is a point where before i let the clutch all the way out to go forward the noise pretty much goes away. Any thoughts?

 

What you're hearing (besides a normal amount of XJ clutch rattle) is the Hi-Vo chain, which in the 550 is the actual primary chain. It has a hydraulic tensioner operated by oil pressure. When the bike is fully warmed up but at idle, it does tend to rattle and clatter a bit down there but I've never experienced an issue as a result.
As soon as the RPMs come up at all, the oil pressure picks up the slack in the chain and it shuts right up.
Both my 550s do it, almost exactly the same even though one has 3X as many miles as the other.
Just make sure you're running the correct amount of the proper oil and don't sweat it.

 

I'm actually getting it ready to sell for my sister. it was hers and it's in decent shape. I am worried that this noise will effect a buyers decision. They might mistake it for engine noise. Although i know if they rode it they would know that it's not effected buy the noise (this thing flys)Also what's the average go price for one of these at about 23K miles.

 

Also do you think buy adjusting the clutch cable till the noise goes away is a bad idea? Cause i am not reving it when slowly releasing the clutch then it gets to a point where the noise almost completly dissapears. At this point it seems to put a little strain on the engine also but i am not going anywhere, if i am it's not much, Is there a way to adjust the clutch internaly to tighten up the slop.( an easy way)

 

My 550 has been making the same noise since it had 7800 miles on it. It worried me at first, but it doesn't seem to be hurting anything, so I just file it under "typical XJ noises".

Fitz, thanks for the explanation! Nice to know exactly what it is.

 

I would NOT misadjust the clutch to hide it. I WOULD change the oil and filter and use 20W50. When the motor is cold it won't be as noticeable.

I would also be sure the clutch is PROPERLY adjusted, that may alleviate it a bit as well.

Yeah, once I figured it out (not until I got my factory book tho) I quit worrying about it. My '83 does it with only 7100 miles and a BRAND NEW clutch. (That's a whole other story.)

Remember, these things aren't cars, but the motors themselves are so smooth and quiet we get to hear other stuff that Harley (and Norton) owners never get to hear.

 

On this topic: I have two '81 550 maxims, piles of miles with no previous trouble.

Two days ago one of them began to have trouble with engine braking. If I am moving forward at a fairly high rpm and I throttle down quickly, the gear box will not brake the bike. I hear and feel light crunching until I pull in the clutch. I now rely entirely on my brakes to decrease speed.

I can accelerate rapidly with no problems. Is this lack of engine braking a gear box issue or a tensioner issue?

Thanks guys.

Stuart

 

It's an ISSUE but we need more info. How many miles on the bike, could it be a chain or sprocket problem, etc...

The (primary chain) tensioner is automatic and shouldn't require any attention.

What oil are you running?

 

This bike has 24,000 miles on it. I'm running 10w-30 and the red warning light has not blinked on, so I think the oil level is within tolerance. I can't see the exact level because the glass window is clouded.

When it first occurred two days ago I thought the chain might be jumping over the counter sprocket, but free play is normal and I can't see why it wouldn't also slip on brisk acceleration.

Is there anything in the drive line that can hold it's grip during brisk acceleration, but loosen on deceleration?

Stuart

 

While you COULD have some sort of problem going on inside, with 24K you need to get the shift lever and LH footpeg off, and pull that cover. You need to inspect the chain and sprockets for excessive wear. 24K is WAAYY beyond wear-out mileage if those are original.

The chain could still be jumping on the front sprocket if the chain and sprockets are worn out.

To check for wear: Grab the pin of a chain link that is in the 3:00 position on the rear sprocket and pull it straight BACK, (away from the sprocket at 90 degrees.) If more than 1/2 of the sprocket's teeth on either side are exposed, the chain (and sprocketS) are worn out and need to be replaced.

If you DO need a chain and sprockets, don't wait. If it breaks while running down the road it can destroy the motor.

 

BigFitz, wouldn't ya want to try to ajdust the chain tensioner on the rear wheel first before calling it to loose. I think it may actually move the whole rear tire so loosen up axle nuts first.

 

Yes, you can adjust the chain all day and get it banjo-tight if you want.

However, that's not going to do one bit of good if it is worn out. If the chain is badly worn, it will continue to stretch and loosen right back up.

The test I outlined above will work no matter how tight the overall chain is. It's a way to tell if the chain and sprockets are WORN and have too much play between them.

 

Hey Fitz and Tito: My chain tension was approaching Clymer's recommended 1 9/16" max free play. I tightened it a couple of days ago and the problem went away. The chain and sprockets are not overly worn. What puzzled me was why the problem only happened on deceleration.

My theory is that slack links are absorbed smoothly by the large drive sprocket from underneath during acceleration, but slack links bunch up and overtop the counter sprocket when they are thrown at it from above because it has a smaller radius to capture them. Make sense?

 

It does, except it won't do it unless you've got some wear going on. Did you do the "pull the link pin back" test? A sprocket has to be HORRIBLY worn out before it becomes visibly obvious. Also, a lot of novice POs were known to replace the chain and REAR sprocket, and ignore the front sprocket. I would remove the chain and have a GOOD LOOK at the front sprocket. Something's not right.

Your chain would have had to have been terribly loose for it to cause the symptoms you described if something weren't worn badly. Watch your chain tension closely, if it keeps getting loose it is worn out. Remember if the chain breaks at speed it can destroy the motor.