Valve train Noise - Valve Adjustment help!

I got me a 87 VFR700 and I've been noticing a bit of valvetrain noise after startup. She's got about 23k on her, and I don't know of any previous maintenance history.

I've checked valves on a car before, but that was an inline setup with alot of room to work with, and I removed the head. What's the deal with V4 valve clearance checks? Remove the valve covers and camshafts, and just go?

I also don't have a manual for the bike, I've searched online for links to one, and it's hard to justify $40 for a manual I know has to be online somewhere.

Any help or advice from people who have done this to their own bikes would be great. I have feelers and all the tools I should need. Do I need to remove the heads/drain coolant & oil/order valve/head gaskets before I start this? :crazy:

 

I'm a huge fan of having the manual on hand. Priceless.
If you check the clearances and find that they are within spec, there is another thing or two to check. One would be fairly obvious, and that would be oil starvation or poor oil quality damaging the cams and/or rockers. Not really common, but worthy of inspection.
The other is one that I found once after spending a pile of time looking. I found an '86 that had some play in the split camshaft gear. The gears on the cams are split and spring loaded to maintain zero backlash. I found one with some kind of wear in that spring loaded system that produced a click once every revolution of the cam. Replaced the cam, and had a silent valve train. I'm sure this is a rare one, but if it saves you pulling your hair out, you're welcome!

 

Could an 86 VF500 Interceptor have the same play in the split in the camshaft gear? My bike clacks or loud ticks every revolution of the cam on the intake side of my front head.

 

Doubt it

The VF500F Interceptor & VF500C Magna had chain driven cams, so it can't be the same problem as the gear driven VFR's.
Is it making this sound while being turned over by hand, or while running? Both?
The old 500 V-4 engine suffered from the same camshaft and cam chain tensioner problems that their bigger VF brothers had. You will find hundreds of forum entries about the old VF Magna/Interceptor/Sabre problems. the VFR was the solution to Honda's V-4 issues.
Your problem will likely be a result of irregular cam/rocker wear.

 

<<<<<<>>>>>>>

NO, silly, cuz that old VF lacks the modern gear -drive cams that use the split-gear setup. Your sprockets are fixed in position

 

You sure the noise you're hearing isn't just the normal somewhat clattery sound of gear driven cams that some of us have grown to know and love? You might want a second knowledgable opinion.

FenderTwin is 'right on' with his evaluation.

 

It only makes the noise when running, not when turned over by hand or even by the starter.

I am positive it is not just the ticking of the valvetrain, all the other valves have their normal tick but that one rocker/valve set clacks every revolution of the cam. Any Ideas?