[Psychlone]

Hey all.
Just purchased a 2020 CForce 600 Touring and broke it in properly.
I just took it to the dealership (about 65 miles away) for it's first service where they changed out the gear oil and put in new 80W-90, changed the motor oil with new 10W-40 and also clearanced and adjusted the valves - although this isn't written on the service invoice.  I understood this to be the major important thing that needs to be done at the first service.

We just took it out on a 60 mile ride over the weekend and I've got to say that there's so much valve clatter that it's both scary and almost unbearable - the driver hears a LOT more of the engine clatter than you can hear of the exhaust.  There were even a few times that I thought I could hear the valves making contact with something inside that wasn't just normal "loose valve/tappet" clatter sound, but it didn't happen often - just something that I couldn't help but wonder about.  Almost like a valve occasionally making contact with the top of the piston but I certainly hope not!
I also occasionally smell burned oil but not all the time.  I had initially wrote that off as just spilled oil burning off, but shouldn't still smell it after 60 miles, right?  If I smell right at the exhaust, I don't really smell it, but under load out on the road with a tailwind, I would get the distinct smell of burning oil - sometimes.

Looking for advice.  I'm not above wrenching on it myself, I'm mechanically inclined but I'm not well-versed in small engines, and I'm definitely not going to do anything that would void warranty on my two-month-old machine.

Thanks in advance!

[doug80638]

Advice:

Stop driving it.

If you aren't willing to check the valve lash yourself, bring it back and let them know that things were not right after the last service.

They need to own it for warranty reasons.

[NMKawierider]

Well, first...don't drive it another foot. Next, either check the valve lash yourself or take it back. As it is under warranty, I would take it back immediately as driving it that far with those symptoms has probably caused some damage..damage that only the warranty and dealer can take care of. If they did not set the valve lash on the correct TDC, then they will be very loose and very noisy...and running it for that long that loose it will destroy the tops of the valves and/or cam ramps. So...call them first, then take it to them and don't bring it home unless it's right.

[Psychlone]

Thanks guys.  I do appreciate the input and I kinda figured this is the way it would go.
I'm not familiar with small engines but I built a radical small block chevy years ago and have to relash the valves in it pretty regularly.

I could check the valve lash myself, but I think this is on them, especially considering I don't want any reason for a warranty claim to be denied because I went in myself.

Thanks again.

[glenlivet]

I'd have said exactly what the 2 guys above said. It sounds like they gave the job of adjusting the tappets to someone who doesn't know what he's doing. That or he misread a metric specification as standard. Still he must have started the machine after his handiwork and ought to have detected that he just made things much worse.

Yes, make the dealer wear it. I'd say you are on the right track. Sorry that happened to you.

[Psychlone]

New information before I call the dealer.

I decided I wanted to see if I could smell oil since where it was parked had about 10 drops of fresh-ish oil on the pavement from the day before the ride which was the day after the service... I got thinking that if the mechanic spilled a bunch of oil, MAYBE it was burning it off the engine during our ride and not out of the exhaust that I was smelling.
I inspected the oil fill and found that whoever poured in the fresh oil was a little overzealous and spilled probably more than they intended to.

So I start it up and let it idle for a couple minutes while I smell the exhaust.  Zero smell of oil burning coming out of the exhaust - and then I realized - there is no valve clatter at idle.  After a couple more minutes of idling, I revved it up and still heard no valve clatter... 3000, 4000, 5000... so it's only when it's under load that I can hear what I was initially thinking was valve clatter.

I know from experience with my nasty small block Chevy, if it were truly a valve(s) with an incorrect lash, it would do it all the time, not just under load, so this has got to be something else... something that they recently adjusted?  But I have no idea what.
My invoice is pretty basic, it doesn't detail anything other than gear oil, motor oil and filter that was done.

So before I call them up and tell them their mechanic should go back to school, I'd like to try to figure out what I'm hearing so I don't sound stupid.  So get in my head and hear what I'm hearing? LOL - it really does sound like valve clatter - it's from up front, and it's only under load, but doesn't do it at all while parked regardless of how high the rpm's go.

Thanks for the advice guys!

[NMKawierider]

Valve lash and rod bearing would do it all the time. Hard to tell but...I'll tell you a story about my 800. She was new..less then 300 miles...I was riding alone in the desert when all of a sudden I head this noise that my brain said "F'k, she's coming apart". I stopped..nothing. Jumped back in and took off and it started making the noise again. Stopped again and checked everything I could...nothing. Decided to go home so headed back to the truck. When loading it I noticed it started and stopped going up the ramps. Long story shortened- it turned out that as the engine is rubber mounted it moves just a little when under load and drops back when not and that was just enough to move one of the exhaust retainer springs into a heat shield under load. A little adjustment with the old BFH and tire iron fixed that.

Worth looking into cause others have had issues with heat shields too.

[doug80638]

Can you reproduce the rattle by pressing the brake and throttle at the same time, inducing load but not moving?

[Psychlone]

Hahaha - that's enough to make a person crazy!  I'll check that out for sure.  Thanks for the input.

@doug80638 - Not sure, I'll see if I can replicate it tomorrow - hopefully I'll have a few extra minutes to check it out.  I'm a bit surprised I didn't think of this.  Thank you!