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1995 Kitty knocking

Kawasaki or Suzuki, assembly, disassembly, troubleshooting questions.

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steve0
Posts: 62
Joined: December 26th, 2008, 2:49 pm
Location: Cromwell, CT

1995 Kitty knocking

Post by steve0 »

Hello,

I have a 1995 Kitty that is making a rattling/knocking sound from somewhere in the engine area. To me it almost sounds like a metal on metal knocking.

I read somewhere on here that a recoil going bad could cause some type of rattling noise. With the engine running if I press my gloved hand on the recoil the noise seems to be muffled a bit.

Is my recoil going bad or is this the sign of bigger problem within the engine?

The Kitty starts, idles, and drives completely fine, it's just rattles a lot more than our 1999 Kitty.

I know it's impossible to diagnose a noise in a forum, but I just thought I would throw it out there to see if anyone may have experienced a similar knocking/rattling noise.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve
steve0
Posts: 62
Joined: December 26th, 2008, 2:49 pm
Location: Cromwell, CT

Post by steve0 »

I just wanted to post some further information.

We just came in from riding....what I noticed when I pulled the Kitty into the garage is when I applied the brake the noise I am concerned about seemed to change. Upon further investigation it seems as though the brake band is rattling on the clutch.

When the brake is applied the noise isn't totally gone, just different.

Does this help further diagnose the problem?

Thanks again,

Steve

EDIT: I did record the engine running, just not sure how to post it, but I can email it if anyone is interested.
72
Posts: 272
Joined: January 23rd, 2008, 3:11 am
Location: Ohio

Post by 72 »

If you think its the recoil, pull it off while running (be careful doing this).
If you think its on the clutch side, see how much movement the output shaft has (shaft that holds the clutch), and compare it to your other sled. If the shaft seems ok you could try to swap clutches to isolate the souce of the noise.
steve0
Posts: 62
Joined: December 26th, 2008, 2:49 pm
Location: Cromwell, CT

Post by steve0 »

72 wrote:If you think its the recoil, pull it off while running (be careful doing this).
If you think its on the clutch side, see how much movement the output shaft has (shaft that holds the clutch), and compare it to your other sled. If the shaft seems ok you could try to swap clutches to isolate the souce of the noise.
Thanks for the reply!

Can I do the comparison with the clutch on the machine?

Can I email you a MP3 of the noise it's making?

Thank you again,

Steve
72
Posts: 272
Joined: January 23rd, 2008, 3:11 am
Location: Ohio

Post by 72 »

You are just checking for a major difference in shaft movement and this can be done with the clutch attached, this is just to eliminate the possibility of a bearing issue in the gear reduction case (rare), takes about 3 seconds to check and the difference in "feel" should be obvious . Your clutch and these clutches in general are known as "rattle boxes". There is a bronze bushing in the drum underneath the sprocket that wears rather quickly and will bounce around and make all kind of noise when worn to the extreme, this can be prevented if it gets oiled properly every couple hours of operation, but who does that? Pull the clutch off start it up and if the noise goes away it might be time for a new clutch. After all,this sled is how old?


Thanks for the reply!

Can I do the comparison with the clutch on the machine?

Can I email you a MP3 of the noise it's making?

Thank you again,

Steve[/quote]
steve0
Posts: 62
Joined: December 26th, 2008, 2:49 pm
Location: Cromwell, CT

Post by steve0 »

Thank you again!

It's turns out it is the clutch.... I needed a piece of mind so I ended up taking to someone who has serviced this kitty in the past.

He confirmed that it is the clutch bushing that is causing the rattling.

I'm glad it ended up just being that, not something in the engine.

Strange thing is, I just replaced that clutch last year.... I never knew about oiling a clutch.

What exactly gets oiled? The part that goes onto the shaft?
72
Posts: 272
Joined: January 23rd, 2008, 3:11 am
Location: Ohio

Post by 72 »

The part that gets oiled is the area between the bushing (inside the sprocket) and the shaft that the bushing rides on. You have to remove the drum from the clutch to oil it. You can get a new bushing for like 5 or 6 bucks or get the bushing and sprocket combo that attaches to the drum for like 15-20. The job does require snap ring pliers. You can use pretty much any type of motor oil on it (just a drop or two). I have this stuff called super lube, its made by permatex and has teflon in it, it seems to stick around alot longer. How tight you run your chain can also affect how the bushing wears.
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