Second set of everything, including lifters. Using my old stock push rods. My buddy stated that when he re-entered the cam compartment, he noticed that one lifter was "dry". But he put all new lifters along with a new oil pump and plate, the whole SHEBANG, and he is getting the same clanking when the bike warms up. VERY STRANGE. He did tell me that during the test ride on Tuesday, he did notice my oil pressure was fluctuating.

 

Good clue...."a lifter was dry". If he put new ones in....it would seem to point to the oil gallery that provides oil to that particular lifter. I do not have a schematic of the complete TC oil circuit. They use to put the circuit in the EVO service manuals, but I have never been able to get my hands on a TC schematic.

It's a fact that if you loose oil pressure for any reason, about the first thing you will notice is valve clatter and if a lifter goes dry....that is where your clanging is likely coming from.

Tell me again what model-year this bike is? I know of the very first TC's you have to add a plug to close off a oil circuit in the support plate or all it will do is recirculate most of your oil within the cam chamber. Oh...never mind, I looked back and you said it was a 2002, so that should not be an issue.

The next thing to check would be to make sure he changed the O-ring that seals the pump output into the main gallery. If that seal is bad, oil will also re-circulate within the cam cavity and pressure will be lost.

The next time it clangs.....check your oil pressure gauge.

 

It is a 2002 FLHTCI Electra Glide Classic. Yes, my mechanic stated that the hole plug was for the 99 year plate, and mine is newer. It is a conundrum!!

 

I know that I'm late to the party, but is it possible to reverse the gerotors in the oil pump? Could you have the scavenge rotors on the pressure side? Would that cause the problem, as the oil warms up and gets thinner, you're not making as much pressure/volume? Seems like it would be easy to do, if you assembled the new oil pump with the "thin" set in the back of the pump.....

 

1959 has not noted what his oil pressure is. That dresser has an oil pressure gauge on it and with the hydro kit....it should go well over 40 (possibly peg the gauge) at start-up and stay around 18-20 at hot idle and hang between 35-40 at cruise. Some folks report hot idle oil pressure over 20. I think it would be easy enough to tell if he has an oil pressure problem buy simply looking at the gauge first and I have not read where he has posted what his oil pressure gauge is reading.

I would like to know what it is before he has this clanking and then what it is when he hears the clanking.

 

The oil pressure in my 2002 FLHTCI was fluctuating, seriously, the gauge was going all over the place. The Harley Dealer replaced the plate, and was still having the same problem with the CLANKING noise. I just got the word that they put the stock system back into my bike, and all is well, minus the $ I paid for the new hydraulic system. My buddy is the mechanic, and I have been sending him all your suggestions, and he has assured me that none of what was being suggested caused the issue with my bike. So I guess the good news is that the clanking is gone, but the bad thing is that I am back to the stock tensioners that I was trying to get rid of in the first place. It always seems to be "JUST MY LUCK" if something bad is going to happen, it WILL happen to me. I guess most people feel that way at times. My family calls it "SCHROEDER LUCK".

Was there a cure for the original post on this thread? They were having the exact same issue as what I was experiencing.

Thank you all!
Mike

 

Strange indeed. I have not heard anything like this, only a time or two on the early TC's where guys had failed/ forgot to block-off the oil gallery in the support plate.

Something just smells bad here.

 

I was having the same problem, and i've corrected it by mistake. Just bought wrong oil filter (KN170) and put in the bike, later i figure out that the correct one is the KN171. Don't know why but all the noise from the hydro cam plate is now gone. Nomore noise from valves and/or lifters.
Maybe you can try that.
Cya

 

Well....one thing not to overlook is that the oil filter SHOULD have and anti-drain back baffle. In an EVO....dosen't matter as the oil is filtered after it leaves the engine on the way back to the tank. The TC filters the oil B4 it goes into the engine (more-or-less). All the oil in the filter could drain back into the sump of the engine and have to be picked-up all over again. This will cause a run-dry condition until the pump is able to refresh to flow. I mounted an oil cooler high on the frame down-tubes of one I had and discovered rather quickly this is not a good idea. Oil would empty from the cooler back into the sump and it would take a full 45-50 seconds before pressure would return on a cold start. That's why HD oil coolers for the TC need to be mounted lower than the pump....as in on the chin.

 

dlj,
Are there any pictures of this port on the SE cam plate that need this small plug and the location? I am having the same problem with my friends Harley. Engine start up when cold is noise oil pressure comes up. then as the engine heats up the oil pressure drops to zero by gauge but the light doesn't come on or flicker. This SE110 has the SE cam plate, new roller cams and lifters along with adjustable push rods.
I did manage to pull it apart yesterday. To my surprise I found the oil pump was scoring the last plate before entering the cam plate. Even the cam plate had some scoring on its face. I was told the engine just ha d a new crank put in it and new rings. No head work though. This oil pressure problem has got me wondering. Yes, the oil pump was aligned .
What I'm finding is it appears that cleanness was not of major importance. If I can get the oil pressure problem fixed.
Any info or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
thanks in advance,
Sweep