Hello guys, I'm new to this forum but I've read through forums for quite a few years diagnosing issues for many different machines, but it seems I've finally met my match....

So last summer I bought a 2003 cbr954rr with 48k miles, I am the second owner, (the previous owner used it to drive between Colorado and California a number of times) but anyways, in late September it got a little too hot one day while I was stuck in traffic and started smoking white. No big deal as I've rebuilt a few engines before, So I replaced the head gasket (and every other gasket I could) also had the surface of the head checked for warpage (which there was none) and did a complete valve job on it as well. Everything checked out good so I reassembled everything (with the help of a 2002 cbr954rr shop manual) and upon startup there was a very very loud whining noise coming from the engine, I rode it for about 40 miles and the sound stayed the same.

So I then did a complete engine overhaul, benching the engine and completely dissecting it to inspect every bearing and every surface, as well as replacing the rings and another gasket or piece so the bike would be 100% when put back together. Everything looked great minus the valve buckets had developed swirls on them. So i replaced the valve buckets as well and completely reassembled everything hoping my problem would be gone. But it didn't go away. It stayed exactly the same.

The loud whining is 100% related to rpm level, increasing in pitch as the rpms increase. There is no difference if the bike is moving or sitting still, nor is there any difference if the clutch is engaged or disengaged (I even removed all the clutch plates to be absolutely sure the sound wasn't from the gear box and the whine was still there) and the speed of the bike has no effect on it either. I used a mechanics stethoscope and I am 99.99% sure the sound is coming from the top end and everything else on the engine sounds normal. I am using the stock automatic cam chain tensioner and it seems to operate perfectly fine.

I've also tested the cam chain tension by releaving the tension ever so slightly while the bike was idling and it had zero effect on the sound. Just to be safe I've also bought and installed a brand new cam chain as well, which again, had zero effect on the sound.

I've replaced the valve buckets 2 times to no avail as well.

So, the last thing I did, feeling like I had no other option, was to buy another complete head assembly (head with all valves untampered with, cams, cam holders, valve cover, etc) and replace my entire top end with another entire top end... AND GUESS WHAT?? SAME F****** PROBLEM!!

I have absolutely no clue where to go from here or what to do....

If anyone has any ideas what I'm either consistently doing wrong or completely missing each time I've torn into this please let me know!

Also if anyone just knows the common reason valve buckets develope circles or swirls on them, then that may lead me in the right direction as well! I've been tearing into this bike during my free time for 4 months now and I just want this problem to end

 

Here's some pictures of the old cams and buckets. The new head assembly is beginning to look like this too as I've only ran it a little bit..

 

Hi, looks like there's quite a lot of heat generated there to do that to the buckets, did you re-shim ,and was there much difference in size as compared to the original shims

 

Yes, on the first head I reshimmed it so all of the clearances were perfect, on the second head I didn't reshim it intentionally (as to rule out the possibility of me messing it up somehow) but i did measure the clearances and they were okay. But even so I have the same problem on both heads.

 

I reshimmed the original head as I lapped all my valves and it needed reshimming. I shimmed it perfectly in spec (.27mm EX, .16mm IN, if i remember correctly). On the new head I did not reshim as to rule out the possibility of me doing something wrong that was causing the issue. I dead measure all the clearances tho and they were decent, the EX ones were spot on and a few of the IN ones were a little low but nothing major. But even still it does this to every bucket on both heads. Am I doing something majorly wrong upon assembly? I have no idea at this point.

 

Two top ends, lots of heat. Metal in the oil. How's the oil pump?

 

Would tend to agree, chance in a million that 2 heads would react in the same way

 

So I had a buddy just say the same thing telling me to check my oil pump, so I currently have there bike torn down to where my valve cover is off, so I took the clutch basket out as well and attached a 10mm socket on my drill and then used that to turn the oil pump, and it's pumping oil up and out of the cams like it's supposed to, but that got me thinking, maybe something fell into the port going to the head from the engine and there isn't enough oil pressure? But if that were the case would I get oil to come out of the cams at all? Remember this all started after the initial time I tore into it, removing only the head.

I ran the drill for a while pumping s fair amount of oil through the system looking for any increase in flow over time but it seemed fairly consistent, I could reassemble everything and check the oil pressure but idk if that will be accurate depending on where the pressure is measured from within the system.

Idk, what do you guys think of all that? Any further advice or thoughts? We may be onto something here

 

Here's some pics of the oil pumping through the cams, the oil I have in it currently is a break in oil (oil with a engine break in zinc additive) but nothing out of the ordinary really as far as metal in the oil. Looks typical for break in oil

 

Yeh , could only recommend a oil pressure test to find out, page 4.3 on the manual