Yamaha TRX850 Enthusiasts Forum

I took my bike to a local, well regarded bike workshop to have the valve clearances checked/adjusted. Went to pick it up today. Started it outside the workshop, it ran lumpy then came a horrible "graunching" sound and it stopped dead. The guy runs out and says "Didn't like the sound of that mate" and proceeds to wheel it back inside. He says he'll check it's nothing he's done (wouldn't be anyone else - he's had it all week and was running fine when I rode it 20 miles there last week). I'm thinking either he dropped the oil and didn't refill it or got the timing wrong? I'll know more when I call him in the week but what's the worst case scenario?

If he`s not filled it with oil the prognosis is not good, cranks do pick up quickly. But, it may be that he`s not installed the cam chain tensioner properly and it may have caused the cam chain to skip teeth on the cam sprockets. Either is NOT GOOD! have a baseball bat prepared to convince them to carry out any repairs required at no cost to you.
Was it P & H Motorcycles?

hope its not too serious mav, but name n shame if its the dealer fault , dunno bout p&h Mincehead ,they did my ducati belts ok ,, personally for old skool though i'd use beakys or go steve jordans

Mincehead wrote:If he`s not filled it with oil the prognosis is not good, cranks do pick up quickly. But, it may be that he`s not installed the cam chain tensioner properly and it may have caused the cam chain to skip teeth on the cam sprockets. Either is NOT GOOD! have a baseball bat prepared to convince them to carry out any repairs required at no cost to you.
Was it P & H Motorcycles?

Cheers mate, it was a motorbike work shop in Bolney - he may come good and fix it.

Critical that the cam caps be tensioned to 10 Nm and no more. Best to just lightly nip them up by hand then tension down in 2 stages to 10Nm.
If too tight it Will start and run for a few minutes until the heat closes the tollerence up and beyond spec.
A note if your doing this yourself.
Once the cam chain is off , Remember to release and rotate the inlet cam as it has Spring tension before loosening the inlet cam caps otherwise you place torsional pressure on the cap as you release the bolts.
As Mince mentioned too the cam chain tensioner could be the culprit.
If he has released the ratchet and pushed the tensioned back in to the body, when you refit , you need to push it back out around 8 or 9 clicks till it meets the chain , put the 2 springs in place and lock nut.

I hope it's not terminal mate and able to be repaired.

Brings me back to a cam chain fit up by my local Kawasaki dealer only to be told the apprentice had done the job and bent a set of inlet valves.
A month and a half later the job was finished, mind ..they lent me a zzr600 for the time...
I got that thing to boogie..

Keep us in the loop on the problem.

ac@39 wrote:hope its not too serious mav, but name n shame if its the dealer fault , dunno bout p&h Mincehead ,they did my ducati belts ok ,, personally for old skool though i'd use beakys or go steve jordans

Beaky? Top bloke, NCC.

Hi Mav617!

Mav617 wrote:I took my bike to a local, well regarded bike workshop to have the valve clearances checked/adjusted. Went to pick it up today. Started it outside the workshop, it ran lumpy then came a horrible "graunching" sound and it stopped dead. ...

That's exactly how my first TRiXie died

The worst case scenario is that - what cobby already said - the cam caps were tightened too much (and/or with too less oil).
Then, the camshaft will be stuck
and as a consequence thereof - because the camshaft is connected via the camchain with the crankshaft - the crankshaft will loose a significant number of its teeth

Hope that it's not as bad as it was on mine - and of so that the damage will be repaired without any costs on your side!

"Wishing you good luck"-greets from Munich!

Mincehead wrote:

ac@39 wrote:hope its not too serious mav, but name n shame if its the dealer fault , dunno bout p&h Mincehead ,they did my ducati belts ok ,, personally for old skool though i'd use beakys or go steve jordans

Beaky? Top bloke, NCC.

The one and only .. And yes a top bloke, old Skool honest ..

ac@39 wrote:

Mincehead wrote:

ac@39 wrote:hope its not too serious mav, but name n shame if its the dealer fault , dunno bout p&h Mincehead ,they did my ducati belts ok ,, personally for old skool though i'd use beakys or go steve jordans

Beaky? Top bloke, NCC.

The one and only .. And yes a top bloke, old Skool honest ..

We `may` know one another, pm me.

The mechanic rang, says it looks like the camchain jumped the tensioner. He is going to sort the damage (new cams he mentioned) at his expense so the bike will be off the road for a couple of weeks whilst he gets the bits. I'm gutted, but he seems genuinely upset so can't really have a go.

Hmmm as I suspected, incorrect fitment of the cam chain tensioner upon re-assembly.

Don't get why it would need new camshafts - more like bent valves if the chain jumped

Indeed, some `holding back` on honesty might be at play pal.

dandywarhol wrote:Don't get why it would need new camshafts - more like bent valves if the chain jumped

The mechanic may not really admit the real reason due to being embarrassed, but I'm amazed the engine wasn't started after the service to be sure of all being well..
Smells of an apprentice.