Z1OwnersClub GB

When I last went out on the LTD I noticed a metallic tapping noise coming from the o/s cam cover, it taps faster as you increase the revs upto 3000 then you lose it in the engine noise , well I do with my tinitus, I left it in the shed for a month hoping it would go away but it hasn't, anybody had this before ?.

Would check cam chain for starters,plus tensioners and slippers and shims,get the cover off and have a look see!

Valve clearance or camshaft end-float

loose exhaust header?

If it changes with temperature or whether you lean the bike to the left or right it's most likely cam end float. Is it an Ltd based on the J motor? If so it seems to be pretty normal....

Now I did try leaning it over both sides and it did seem to be less when I lent it over to the offside, why has it just started doing it, I mean it has not got progressively worse, one ride it wasn't there next ride it was, oils only been in about 900 miles.

Oh yeah it is a J motor.

If its not the exhaust gaskets leaking or spark plug threads passing or blowing at the head gasket it could be that the cam chain tensioner has backed out. Not unusual if you stalled it in gear when last parked up. Mine used to do it pulling away in second gear or when the tick over was badly out.
What oil are you using. 10/40 ? Mine is much quieter with 20/50 mineral but does get progressively noisier as the oil heats and also as it gets a few more miles on it. Red hot engine with older oil sounds like the anvil chorus but half an hour later after cooling down its back to mostly silent!

Have you got the US cam cover with the emission controls and the little flap valves?

AL

Al, I use Morris oils sport 4 part synthetic 10/40, tapping noise is straight from cold, if you stand 20 foot away you can distinctly hear it, exhaust gaskets are new and I have got the poxy yank cam cover, if the adjusters backed off won't it automatically adjust back up, I've been putting off taking the head off to do the oil leak, I checked all the torc settings when I had the cam cover off doing the shims, nothing loose.

It should auto tension but sometimes you have to encourage them a bit.
Take the big cap off it, pull the cross slide, spanner on the timing side centre bolt head (17mm one), rotate the engine back against the normal direction just a tad, re-tighten the tensioner cap having replaced the cross slide. Turn the engine forward clockwise by hand a couple or more full revolutions to be safe.

Without hearing the noise its a job to say what it could be. I guess it was silent immediately after doing the shims?

Have you still got the little valve plates in the two extension parts on top of the US cam cover or do you have plain billet blanking plates?

Others;
broken valve guides tend to be more of a clicking sound,
end float tends to be less rythmic and it comes and goes,
compressed damper block at base of barrels,.. like broken cam chain guides is rythmic and cam chain speed,
head gasket; probably metronomic and less than engine speed,
compressed exhaust gasket; metallic ping (dink dink dink).

What have you got???

AL

I've got a tap Tap Tapping noise Al , I'll have a decco at the cam chain adjuster.

Its the nut behind the wheel. Seriously though, if the cam chain is all good, adjusted correctly and all guides intact it makes a faint whirring noise which is intoxicating at speed.
AL

I'll hopefully get time over Christmas to have a look, get the cam cover off, thanks for all your pointers.