My falco seems a little ill

[Dalemac]

My falco is seeming a little ill it is in need of a new chain and sprockets for starters (gonna get this done alongside the MOT next month) but it has also developed a few other niggles which are annoying.

Number 1 concern is that at 3.5k revs I can hear the cam chain rattling around the engine if acceleration is anything other than slow. Perhaps the tensioner is getting a bit slack? can it be adjusted/ reset? if not, how hard a job is this to do (i did look at the manual quickly but couldn't see anything related at a glance).

Number 2 - it keeps cutting out when its a bit cold. Not long ago I went through most of the electrics and cleaned them up do im pretty sure back contact/earths are not the cause. I havn't had chance to fit the new battery yet - could a duff battery cause it to cut out even when running?

I also need to check my valves but the dealers around me want to change me £200 even if it doesn't need shims. How much of a pain is the check to do, and would an "amateur" mechanic like myself be able to check it?

Thanks in advance

Dale

[Aladinsaneuk]

Where in the uk are you?

Call griff at aprilia performance

And finally what state is your oil in?

[D-Rider]

Number 1 concern is that at 3.5k revs I can hear the cam chain rattling around the engine if acceleration is anything other than slow. Perhaps the tensioner is getting a bit slack? can it be adjusted/ reset? if not, how hard a job is this to do (i did look at the manual quickly but couldn't see anything related at a glance).

A few have had this problem - have a search in the AF1 forum - I think that's where I've seen this most frequently

Number 2 - it keeps cutting out when its a bit cold. Not long ago I went through most of the electrics and cleaned them up do im pretty sure back contact/earths are not the cause. I havn't had chance to fit the new battery yet - could a duff battery cause it to cut out even when running?

When did you last service it? Plugs, Filter clean, TB balance etc are where I'd start ...........

Though if it's cutting out more generally maybe one of the switches/interlocks is playing up.

I also need to check my valves but the dealers around me want to change me £200 even if it doesn't need shims. How much of a pain is the check to do, and would an "amateur" mechanic like myself be able to check it?

Thanks in advance

Dale

The price you've been quoted isn't out of line - it's not a 2 min job and you'll have to leave the bike with them for a while as they must be checked with a stone-cold engine.
I checked mine myself at the last service but if you're not confident then get a dealer who knows what they are doing to do it. I imagine re-shimming is a right PITA but fortunately they seldom need it.

[Aladinsaneuk]

Oh re the cutting out

Check the engine off switch on the right bar and the coils/ht leads

[Dalemac]

A few have had this problem - have a search in the AF1 forum - I think that's where I've seen this most frequently

I will take a look on AF1 then.

When did you last service it? Plugs, Filter clean, TB balance etc are where I'd start ...........

It was serviced about 5 months ago, and i have only done 600 miles maximum since then. maybe the tb's could do with another balance.

Though if it's cutting out more generally maybe one of the switches/interlocks is playing up.

It only happen when cold, which makes me think it is more of a combustion problem than an electrical one. Might shove a can of injector cleaner in it to see it that makes it run a bit smoother.

The price you've been quoted isn't out of line - it's not a 2 min job and you'll have to leave the bike with them for a while as they must be checked with a stone-cold engine.
I checked mine myself at the last service but if you're not confident then get a dealer who knows what they are doing to do it. I imagine re-shimming is a right PITA but fortunately they seldom need it.

It doesn't particularly bother me. I rebuilt the GPZ engine from the barrels up - only thing different was that I had a Haynes manual for it.

Im in Lincoln - I think griff is quite a way away. If anyone is due a valve check, maybe we could meet up and have a servicing day or something....

Dale

[D-Rider]

It doesn't particularly bother me. I rebuilt the GPZ engine from the barrels up - only thing different was that I had a Haynes manual for it.

Well you should be better placed in terms of information then.

Martin Poll's website http://www.martinpoll.dk/div_april.htm has:

• The Falco Workshop Manual: http://www.martinpoll.dk/diverse/Bikema ... 00_OCR.pdf
  The Rotax 990 Engine Manual: http://www.martinpoll.dk/diverse/Engine ... 90_OCR.pdf

And Ken's site http://home.comcast.net/~sl_mille/site-index.html is also a wealth of information - including an illustrated guide on checking and re-shimming the valves: http://home.comcast.net/~sl_mille/valves.html

Just make sure you have some tools with flexible stems and universal joints for attacking the cam cover mounting screws on the front pot.

[Dalemac]

It doesn't particularly bother me. I rebuilt the GPZ engine from the barrels up - only thing different was that I had a Haynes manual for it.

Well you should be better placed in terms of information then.

Martin Poll's website http://www.martinpoll.dk/div_april.htm has:

• The Falco Workshop Manual: http://www.martinpoll.dk/diverse/Bikema ... 00_OCR.pdf
  The Rotax 990 Engine Manual: http://www.martinpoll.dk/diverse/Engine ... 90_OCR.pdf

And Ken's site http://home.comcast.net/~sl_mille/site-index.html is also a wealth of information - including an illustrated guide on checking and re-shimming the valves: http://home.comcast.net/~sl_mille/valves.html

Just make sure you have some tools with flexible stems and universal joints for attacking the cam cover mounting screws on the front pot.

Thanks Andy. I have both flexible stems and universal joints, so i should be fine.

Guess i know what i'm doing on saturday now lol.

[Dalemac]

The falco now makes a very bad sound when I went to turn it over after having replaced the cam chain tensioners and checking the valves (which were within limits).

If anyone could help me understand what it is, that would be great.

In the video, it doesn't sound as bad as it actually does.

http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x37/ ... EO0006.mp4

Oh and I replaced the battery with a new one. Not like that would change anything though....

Thanks,

Dale

[blinkey501]

Not really sure what you are listening for.... But it sounds ok to me dale.
I am not far from lincoln so i could pop over.
I will be in lincoln tomorrow going to my brothers at burton so if you like i could call round and give you my opinion

I am sure you live at lincoln if memory serves

[Dalemac]

Not really sure what you are listening for.... But it sounds ok to me dale.
I am not far from lincoln so i could pop over.
I will be in lincoln tomorrow going to my brothers at burton so if you like i could call round and give you my opinion

I am sure you live at lincoln if memory serves

Indeed I do! I'm at the air show tomorrow though.

Problem I now solved though, thanks for the offer. What I was listening for is the click sound which you can hear at the end of each spin. Sounded like i had dropped something into the barrels.

Anyway, it did indeed turn out to be a lack of oil from the tensioner. I removed a plug from each cylinder and turned the bike over until the tensioner had some oil pressure and the noise went right away. I put it back together, started it up, and it fired up without a fuss.

Lesson learned.

Dale

[D-Rider]

Anyway, it did indeed turn out to be a lack of oil from the tensioner. I removed a plug from each cylinder and turned the bike over until the tensioner had some oil pressure and the noise went right away.

[Dalemac]

Anyway, it did indeed turn out to be a lack of oil from the tensioner. I removed a plug from each cylinder and turned the bike over until the tensioner had some oil pressure and the noise went right away.

Is this a bask on the head for removing the plugs and turning it over, or a bash on the head for not knowing the tensioner needed preloading with oil!

[D-Rider]

Yes

[Dalemac]

Yes

to which one! you sound like my mrs when presented with two options lol

[control_67]

Isn't it al little dodgy to take one plug out of a two plug head to check? As in the remaining plug could fire the fuel in the cylinder and then you could have a couple of jets of flame coming out of the empty plug holes?