New noise after 300 mile trip!

[Lighter]

'06 900 classic LT, with 28,660 miles. I have all the usual ticking noises and belt noises, but after last 300 trip to KC I heard a howling noise from my engine. Had to ride it the return trip home (300mi) trying to ignore it. It is all the time with engine running, clutch in or out and moving or not. It changes pitch with engine speeds.
Dropped the oil and found metal in the oil and filter, removed oil inlet screen and it has nothing on it. Have left side case off but don't see any problem, can see left cam chain and oil pump drive chain but they seem okay, flywheel dosen't move up and down or balencer, turning engine over by hand sounds some what normal but will remove right side cover tomorrow evening... getting late.

[Tank27949]

I hope its nothing serious, I can feel your pain as my 07 has the loudest top end I've ever heard. All friends and techs say its normal for our engines to make a lot of noise but I do not like it. Good luck with your ride.

[pat0021]

Where does the noise sound like its coming from? It might be a failed stator. Doesn't explain the metal in the oil, but its a constant whine and will go up and down some with engine rpms. Best way to check. Take seat off and get to the battery. Start the bike and put a meter on the battery. You should see the voltage on the battery go up to about 14 volts as you rev the engine up to about 4K rpms.

[Lighter]

Ran a magnet through oil, metal must be aluminum (didn't stick to magnet) and brass colored with a few little black pieces. The noise it made was more like a howling like a bearing going out. Pat0021 will the stator look fine if it fails? The noise was hard to pin point, kinda toward rear of engine but not really sure if on right or left side. Didn't check voltage while running and have it allready tore down.
It started fine after I got back from KC and the next day when I took it to work (wanted to ride with out my helmet to hear noise) even at fast Idle warmup I could here it.

[bluestringer]

If it was a 1500 I would say the cam chains are loose. They will howl like that when they are loose, and if they get loose enough they will cut into the plug tubes. But I don't know if that is even possible on a 900 engine, not sure how it is setup.

[Lighter]

Does anyone know how loose the oil pump drive chain is supposed to be? I can move mine up and down 1/4 inch from the hole below it. How does the oil pump chain guide work does it just lay there or is it supposed to keep tension on the chain? Can't see the guide with my bore scope, don't have my 90degree adapter though last person that used it didn't put it back in the box!! tuning the engine over by hand i can make a rattle and it looks like it is coming from the oil pump drive chain all though it dosen't seem to be rubbing on anything.... that really sucks if that is the noise, cause that is a case split!!!

[sfair]

I suggest that you put the bike back together and check the stator output. It is common for them to fail with the noises as you describe. You could be digging to deep for a problem that is relatively easy to repair.

[Lighter]

Hmmm...What about the metal in the oil? It sure was a lot more than I usually see, also dumped quite a bit out of the filter. But I have seriously thought about putting it back together and trading it off, one more payment and it is all mine!!! Ready to go back to a Honda.

[pat0021]

Ran a magnet through oil, metal must be aluminum (didn't stick to magnet) and brass colored with a few little black pieces. The noise it made was more like a howling like a bearing going out. Pat0021 will the stator look fine if it fails? The noise was hard to pin point, kinda toward rear of engine but not really sure if on right or left side. Didn't check voltage while running and have it allready tore down.
It started fine after I got back from KC and the next day when I took it to work (wanted to ride with out my helmet to hear noise) even at fast Idle warmup I could here it.

Yeah the stator could look fine, but it would be discolored to a dark color instead of the tan that the coils normally are. When mine failed it was a howling, or whining sound from the left side. REAL noticable on deceleration. Then only 1 of the 3 phase actually went bad. If you pull the connector off the rectifier and get out an AC volt meter is the best way to test the stator. IF I remember right its the 3 white wires. From white to white you should get around 57 volts in every combination. What happened to me is in one test I only got 18 volts.

I still have no idea about the metal you found.

[Lighter]

Okay Pat I will Give that a try, Thanks. Have to give that a try tomorrow night got home late tonite. I was wondering though was the stator still charging with one phase out?
and did the noise change when you unpluged it with engine running?

[pat0021]

Okay Pat I will Give that a try, Thanks. Have to give that a try tomorrow night got home late tonite. I was wondering though was the stator still charging with one phase out?
and did the noise change when you unpluged it with engine running?

According to the dealer it was, I didn't check it myself. Long story short I took it in for the stator becasue I had the extended warrenty. They replaced the rectifier and didn't fix the screaming stator. I had to troubeshoot it myself and explain it to them. Then they fixed it.

[sfair]

If the stator is faulty, the reg/rect. MUST be checked to ensure that it is OK.
The stator winding may or may not turn brown depending on where the short is.
Another thing to check is that the rotor is not rubbing on anything causing the noise and metal.

[Lighter]

Too bad Pat that you have to tell them how to do their job!
Thanks sfair, I put her back together new oil and filter. Ohm out stator less than one ohm between all three white wires, with engine running battery voltage 14.2volts. The whine is not as bad now as it was before i had the left cover off and before the oil change, but i can still feel it on My left floor board.
Got out my electronic stethascope and pinpointed the whine to the rotor area, Great job fellow Vulcaners, I will order one today.

[Lighter]

Thanks Tank. Just love this bike, I always get compliments even with Harleys parked around my bike.
These are light weight bikes, great fuel mileage and range, fuel injected, plenty of passing power even when loaded down with a passenger or saddleman bag strapped to rear seat and saddle bags full.
Only complaint I have is after putting through a town then getting back on the hi-way I almost always am looking for one more gear, or atleast making sure I am in fifth!
Was hoping that I was not going to have problems getting a 06 with only 16K miles on it, but I guess it happens.

[Lighter]

Got my new stator in, Noise gone!!!! Thanks Guys!!!
While i was in there I checked and adjusted the valve clearances (got lucky could swap a loose one with a tight one and got everything back in spec) removed the air switching hoses and valve, those little reed valves are part of the clicking noise that you here at the front and rear of the heads, jumperd the connector and now my engine purrs like a kitten, all those weird noises are gone!! As you can tell I am excited! Researched all info on this site, what a usefull tool it is. Everyone is so helpful I really apprerciate that.

[notyet]

But what about the metal in the oil?

[Lighter]

I don't know maybe it was normal, I was kinda paranoid with the noise.