'13 S10 / How To Definitively Tell When The OEM CCT Needs To Be Upgraded.

[MFP]

My '13 has a tad over 20K miles on the clock and has been maintained very decently by me (with some help) since I bought it used from the PO in '18.
I am aware that the CCT is a weak point on GEN1s and I have done by best over my five years of ownership to read up on this
issue and to do my due diligence to keep my ears on alert to hear the tell tale sound. Problem is we all know the S10's engine has an
inherent Soviet-era farm machinery sound normally. Yesterday after I got home from work I was cleaning up the wiring I did last weekend
when I did a permanent wire install of a Garmin Zumo XT with a MotoPumps Nav mount and lock (final result pics to come).
I then started up my S10 in my ancient empty garage which is basically three bare cinderblock walls and a quite old roll down door and I could swear
I heard some rather rattlely noise from the right side of the engine which was near a wall about eight feet away.
I then rolled out the bike while the engine was still not fully warmed up and the noise seem to disappear and just the normal noisy S10 engine noises.
The empty garage is like an echoey noise amplifier, perhaps that made it sound worse than usual as I almost never start my bike in the garage.
How can I really tell for sure if a CCT upgrade is near? I know the obvious answer would be the sound but the last time I thought I heard some
questionable sounds I had someone who is much more versed with S10s listen to it and he said the noise was of no concern but that was when my miles were around 16/17K.
Any advice or suggestions on how to come to a definitive conclusion regarding normal S10 engine noises or bad CCT sounds will be greatly appreciated.
If I need to do the CCT upgrade I will need to most likely have it done professionally as that type of wrenching is way above my comfort level.
Lastly, please no "the search tool is your friend" replies.
Cheers,
MFP

 

[~TABASCO~]

You will know... it's a loud.... Cha-Ccha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha for maybe 2-3-4 seconds... It's obvious and loud... and after 2-4 seconds it just goes back to "normal"..... that's when you know....

Or.... when it's time, have someone throw a manual in it and be done with all that auto BS..... I installed one of the very first Graves early 2014, still going strong, no issues...

 

[Boris]

If your gut is telling you it’s noisy, get it changed, otherwise it’s just going to nag at you every time you start it.

I changed mine for an OEM one at just short of 17k miles. It was quieter and still quiet at 45k miles.

 

[WJBertrand]

No need to wait until it starts to go bad. Just replace it now. Your first valve inspection is due at 26,000 miles, this would be the perfect opportunity to replace it.

 

[RCinNC]

I'm with WJBertrand and Boris on that. I had my OEM CCT replaced with the newer version at 84,000 miles during my last valve check. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but it did have a lot of miles, and I knew the old one had been superseded, and the valve check is a good time to have it done. It would bug me just waiting for a problem to appear, so I'd rather take some preemptive action and eliminate the problem.

The valve check is the only maintenance item I farm out to a shop. I'd probably be okay with the actual check part, but I don't think I'd be comfortable changing the shims without an experienced guy watching the procedure.

I went back and forth between an OEM one and a manual Graves or ACE unit; ultimately I went OEM. I couldn't even make a good argument for why I made that choice.

 

[MFP]

I usually do not ride during the week (still working full-time) but one night I will take the bike out and do a vid/sound bite and post it on here to see what you folks think.
I have a friend that also has a GEN1 S10 and he was going to help me out with some other maintenance either this upcoming weekend of later in the month and he offered
to have a listen.
Thanks!
To be continued......

 

[bimota]

my 13 gen 1 had a very little rattle nothing really most would have ignored it, i was going to replace at valve service at 26000 miles, but at 22000
i bought a APE manual one £109, i,m not mechanical mind much so took it to my mechanic he charged £40 to put it in so £155 job done, had
the valve service at 28000 still quiet and no adjustment, i,m on 33000 now still quiet no adjustment nearly 3 years on to

rob