Seattle, WA
Alright ladies and gents, I need some advice/help. I took my 07 ZX14R into the shop a month and a half ago and they still havent even looked at it beyond when it arrived and they turned it on. There is some serious hard knocking going on internally and the guy said it would be cheaper to buy an engine (which he said would be $500-600 but when I looked, it was more like $1800-3000) than rip it apart and rebuild it.. but they havent even done an initial inspection. What do you guys think. Should I take it to another shop? Look for a new engine? Wait? Oh I was trying to get it back by March 13th because a buddy of mine is buying a duc and we wanted to ride, but that is looking out of the picture.. can anyone hook me up? Anything helps guys.

People's suggestions from Facebook:

"I'm gonna say it's your cam chain, which is notorious for coming out of adjustment. But run some heavy mixed cleaner through it, (techron, mixed with some a good amount of seafoam) some of them I've seen are so balance sensitive that even gunk build up can cause issues. No garunteees, but for 10 bucks it's worth a shot. I'm gonna say it's most likely your cam chain adjustment though"

"I'm with *** on it being a loose cam chain unless you've overheated it or ran it out of oil. Automatic cam chain tensioner's suck. Get a second opinion."

"06 and 07 zx14s. Had the worst set ups. And several dealer issues and recalls. If you can start it at idle. Feel and listen to the motor from all sides. Figure out if it's one piston slapping. (Which it sounds like to me) or something else. Also pull your oil plug, drain it into a container. Pour a fresh quart through while the plug is out and then strain and sift through your oil. Look for metallic flakes or tiny Small pieces of brass.. then pull your tank and check your plug gaps. Which one slaps will be burnt and gapped wrong (normally not always)"

Here's a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq_fVDTPLj8

I listened.I'm no real mechanic.If I heard what I think I heard,it sounded as if it was hissing when it did the ticking thing.Very faintly.FIRST...check your header bolts.Then go from there.At least rule that out.When she's cold..grasp the header under there at the bottom and see if you can move it.It should NOT move any.Header bolts first I'd say.

To me,it actually does NOT sound like it's knocking,crazy as that may be.Oil level good,right?

And I think the idea of a cam chain tensioner problem is NOT an issue with this noise.

Someone said.."I'm gonna say it's your cam chain, which is notorious for coming out of adjustment"..this is wrong.

Could very well be a valve adjustment.It's an 07...mileage?

IMO..a slapping piston would be a deep knock...not a lighter tapping that I'm hearing anyway.Course,hearing it on a video is very hard to determine how "hard" it may be 'knocking'.But when you placed the camera at the lower front there at the beginning,it did sound like it was blowing air.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 2/28/2015 @ 11:12 PM *

33 seconds of too much noise to keep running. Once you ear that kind of start up you never [ever] start it again. Why? Takes a matter of 1 full revolution and poof right outta the case!

33 seconds of I could have salvaged more parts do not start it again or more snowballing [collecting of parts is parts and more parts] occur to get all wallet happy someone tells you to keep it running. I sure would. Especially if you were close to a dealer I worked for an give it a really whoooo Peeee throttle at it so now it's 5 grand of parts ordering.

Facebook fucking fools!

Signed,

Bet me he has someone start it and I'd be CLEANING EVERY LAST PART IN THERE finding who when where galling the parts away!! Pay the casheer as shit I told you so the gray matter.

* Last updated by: Hub on 3/1/2015 @ 12:13 AM *

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That sounds more like a top end issue to me, valve gear, cam chain or head related. The 'knock' sounds more like a tick and not heavy enough to be bottom end like crank journals or piston slap. Hard to say what the hissing sound is on startup, almost like some compression leakage from somewhere, maybe a bent valve?? I reckon it's at least worth just removing the valve cover for a look round. JMO

* Last updated by: pegscraper on 3/1/2015 @ 3:48 AM *

Month and a half and haven't even looked at!!! FIND A DIFFERENT SHOP, NOW!!!

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I took my 07 ZX14R into the shop a month and a half ago

Gee, that's a hell of a noise for an R to come up with so soon? Ah, '07. Let me make sure it's a gen1. Okay, now it makes sense. Are you second owner? Too late now. Say we licked our wounds and are into the price of the bike, the dealer getting the bike back and say that's money spent. Here's how I'd work that throwaway.

1. Dealer: You both work out a price for the bike, it has value to someone. That's his bill/his offer/his new/used bike, go in thinking he wants to sell you a bike so make it happen. The bike gets hauled to auction. He makes more off the bike and so on. You have options.

2. Mech in the back: S/he will respect you more you ask if you can offer the bike to the house and bail from it like I would. However, I'd make the offer and take a chance the bike will be built with the mech building cheaper than you. So they can flip it, it's worth something.

3. You take it home and park it: This is for sale come pick up do not start it for the sake of the buyer. It's one 360° swipe of a case vs. it was worth more not started.
a. So no one hears it, this is the fair asking price and caveat emptor is the guarantee.
b. I tow it home, drain the gas and use it in the car; pull the battery and keep it charged for a mickey mouse emergency flashlight; spray the bike with WD-40 or pour ATF all over it; inside too; cover it and sell it 30 years later for a showroom stock this is how a 2007 14 should look like.
c. Fix it yourself no matter the price. Cheaper than paying off a new bike. You may break even when you sell it all clean and running and what you poured into it.

I can't work on bikes so I choose A.
I don't have this much time on earth so the garage queen is a no on B.
I do have option 1 to fall back on and just upgrade, bite the bullet.

She It or one must get off the pot and move on, LL.

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Tough to diagnose using the footage from a condenser mike but it sure does sound like an exhaust leak: too high pitched to be caused by the lower end. Also, it occurs too slowly to be assigned to a big end bearing.

The cadence suggests a valve but the intonation suggests "outside the engine".

My '75 F350 developed a nasty "tack, tack, tack" at an idle that changed to "rap, rap, rap" under load... turned out to be a blown donut gasket on the exhaust manifold/pipe interface.

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I'm assuming you're a lady. I have a bad history of scaring off our female members with my brazen advances so I'll try to to keep it professional.

I think that sounds too smooth and rhythmic to be a cam chain.

Seafoam is a great cleaner for your injectors but I would definitely only use as recommended. 1 oz/gallon. It is really strong and might not be healthy to overdose with. Use only in gasoline with the bike. I don't think that the problem has a thing to do with the fuel system though.

I hope it's just an exhaust leak. That would be easy to fix but you'd have to start it up again to verify that was the problem. I imagine you would feel puffs of air from around the manifold somewhere.

I think this shop you have is proving itself to be unsuitable by the length of time it has taken to address your problem. I'd go elsewhere. I generally do not trust shops so get some solid recomendations if you don't tackle this yourself.

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1. Pull muffler. Why? Do not start is to pull off parts and inspect for a burned out exhaust gasket.
2. Not it, now to the spark plugs. Why? We want to take a leakdown and see if the pistons/valves are hurt.
3. Not it, now we drop the sump cover and see who is there. Why? For obvious reasons.
4. Not it? I'd be surprised.

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Dear lord..... Why in the hell would you run it that long with it making that kind of noise? Start pulling it apart and put your eyes on what's making that noise. Pull all of the spark plugs and inspect. Find one smacked? Tear down. If not? Lift your tank and pull the air box inspection plates. Open the secondary throttle plates manually and then open the primary plates with the throttle. With a flash light you will be able to to see all of the intake valves. Pull the crank timing sprocket cover on the right side of the bike and roll the engine over manually using the large bolt on the end of the crank to watch each set of intake valves open. Feel some resistance as you manually roll it over with the ratchet? Won't make several rotations without locking up? Tear down.

In short. I can't see any situation possible that won't require at least pulling the head off.

Edit: If those expeditions are unfruitful I would at least pull the valve cover and check all of your valve clearances before removing the head. Sounds much to loud for an out of spec valve, but it is possible. Especially if it happened to spit the shim.

* Last updated by: maverick1441 on 3/1/2015 @ 8:50 PM *

Dear lord..... Why in the hell would you run it that long with it making that kind of noise?

Mav, you need to sign off as...NOLTM. The OP does not have a racer's ear, nor are most replies suggesting the same.

Start pulling it apart and put your eyes on what's making that noise.

That's basically the next move.

Eye see no funny noise is I pulled it apart.
Ear say what did you say I hear no funny noises?
See, I said funny how no one caught that right out of the gate but a few.

Eye thought I was going nuts.
Ear you say nuts and what size mm was it?
See, I said funny if we add up the averages.

Eye think there are squids among us.
Ear, ear, do not say that too loud.
See, eye said funny ears are listening

Eye think you mean it won't help.
Ear, give'em some shitcan soup, give'em some shitcan soup!
See, I said funny if you think that will work. That's for colds.

Signed,
No one will listen to Mav either if he Speaks The Evil.

* Last updated by: Hub on 3/2/2015 @ 1:29 AM *

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I am far from a mechanic but read the post and was interested. I listened several times to the youtube video. The sound to me sounds like a ticking and reminded of a spark like cracking/ticking. Like when you startup a gas stove that igniter sound. Dont want to sound stupid but could it be something spark related?

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Take it to a shop that will at least do a proper diagnosis of the poor bike. It should only take an hour or two of their time. If the shop you have it in now hasn't even bothered to look at it I would suspect ANY information they would give me.

Mad

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Did you check the plugs? it almost sound like a plug is loose.

keep it charged for a mickey mouse emergency flashlight

Seriously ROFL!

I'm assuming you're a lady. I have a bad history of scaring off our female members with my brazen advances so I'll try to to keep it professional.

Oh geeze, I did it again.

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Ladylegs

Any progress on this? I'm surprised you haven't posted back regarding any responses. Maybe part of the problem the shop is having is lack of decisiveness on your part? They told you they recommend replacing the engine, they're probably not clear exactly what you want them to do at this point. If you want them to troubleshoot and find the issue, you have to authorize a work order to do so. Keep in mind they may find the problem quickly, they may not. It could take 5-10 hours imo. Consider it's not just finding the issue, but you also have to pay to put it all back together whether it's fixed or not (or pick up a pile of rubble).