I have said here that I had a set of Woods Roller Lifters sitting on my workbench. Also a set of Smith Brothers Easy adjust Pushrods. I really didn't want to take the top end apart to replace my lifters. One way or another that worked out. The pushrods are excellent and now will make any cam change in the future easy.

People have asked me to comment when installed. They are in now.

Alright some background on the engine

Woods 7H cam Stock chain drive
Wolfgang Grasser Heads. See woods Site. Flow 280 or so
Milled 0.60 and 0.030 comitec gasket.
Zero Deck.
S&S Roller Rockers
205 CCP Maybe 10.7-11.0 compression with this cam
Heads set up with Woods springs for a 400 Cam- 0.650 lift.
Axtell 107, forged flatops pistons NHRS set rings
SE forged Rocker arm suports. Drilled to about 0.100 and deburred.
Zipper oil pressure shim. Have Biesley springs now,on the bench for later, but when I put in the cams then I hadn't heard of them.
Jagg 10 row oil cooler with thermostat
Amsoil 20 50 oil
HD 5 micron filter.
SE 58 mm TB with 4.9 injectors
V&H big Radious 2-1
TTS Mastertuner.

This had always been noisy. Too loud clattery noise. Everybody says thats just Woods cams and it is really. I have done everything I could think to help with this problem. Everything. There is nothing out of place or weak. Grade 9 bolts etc, etc. Oil, adjustments, whatever.

Now I have suspected the lifters and tried to help there. Fueling for oil flo lifters. Look just like stock HD lifters.
Adjusted further down.
Put in S&S travel limiters. Set all the way to 2-3 flats up from bottom. Almost solid.

Seemed to be headed in the right direction but still a lot of noise. Would maybe help but moved the spot where it came on around. But you keep on hoping.
Ever tried 20-60 wt oil and or a touch of STP,(I know, I know)

Stock type lifters didn't get the job done with these springs and cam.

So looking at Jims, the new HeadQuarters a couple others.

Then saw this new Woods Lifter. Called, the Man said they would work. Woods has some special stuff. Maybe?? A different design, not just the oil hole. And they are different looking some. So OK we'll see.

So I got them. Finished this morning.

THEY WORK.

Comepletely different engine. All RPMs just a small ticky, tick.
Cannot say enough. I am very, very pleased.
Put about 75 miles, hard highway and crusing around, on the bike, temp about 85 degrees out. Oil temp steady at 200 degrees.
Actually seems stronger but that may be just the idea of, less clatter, more HP.
Notheing but exhaust which seems more bearable.

Honestly I was getting very tired of the clatter.

Seems like a new, different engine. It is now a pleasure to ride and not think all the time about the clatter at 2100, or 2800 or 3600 RPM. ---That would not go away no matter what.--
I would say even the transmission was quiter but thats not really right.

More Joy
And Bob Woods sent me a T-shirt. Cooking with gas now.

 

I was reading about them on another site.Some people say they work ,& some say they dont????

 

I have not yet installed a set, so I can't say for sure. Having the free floating roller is one thing, but that will not help with lifter clatter. Maybe they did some work with the tolerances for slower bleed down. HeadQuarters took that approach with their Black Ops lifters and they work great.

I have heard great testimonials about the Wood lifters, and others that say it is just more of the same, but time will tell as more and more are installed.

 

I expect HeadQuaters would be a better lifter also.

Both Woods and HeadQuarters have had some time to look at this noisy engine and see a good place to make a buck.

These are name people who must have good products, can't fake this. Works or not.

They are the newest out with their offering, I think.

Bob Woods talks so fast hard for me to hear it all. He did say, "clearances' and something to do with the disks, springs, checks, some other things.

I would have taken one apart but I wanted to get on with it.

 

Reason I gave engine background was to show what these lifters are working with.

Nothing that special but Woods Cams are tough and the springs are set for high lift and are stout.
Wolfgang can get serious about spinning up a HD engine. I asked him to set it up how he though best.

I'm just real happy some folks are helping out with products that really help this problem.
Was taking the fun out.

 

Excellent News!

 

Went to a walk in the park this morning.
5 miles to the park but put 50 miles on the bike.

Still nice and quiet. I am really amazed how quiet this is now, no fooling.
The things like oil holes and axles are just window dressing. There is stuff inside working like it should.
To be even I would have no hesitation about HeadQuarters offering. I just had done business with Woods before.
Also this fixes if this is the problem. I had been through everything so much, why I really didn't want to take the top end apart again if possible.
Though these Smith Brothers Pushrods, "initial install", pushed these old fingers to the limit almost.


Think I'll but some bags on and take a road trip. This clicky clacking was bothering me more that I though I guess.

Time to enjoy.

 

Stock rocker supports?


K.

 

Gunny; thanks for the update on the Woods lifters; hope springs eternal! I have a freshly built 107", that runs great but is noisier up top that I like. My 95" Deuce is gear driven and is quieter than stock, so I am not used to valve train noise and find it very annoying. I won't bore the forum with everything I have done to mitigate the noise (with some success) but it sounds like a similar situation to yours with the exception that I can't lay any of the noise off on Woods cams.

I have heard the Woods lifters are pricey but you know how much time and money goes into a build around a Hobanized crank, Axtell top end, street ported heads, new exhaust, roller rockers, and all the other odds and ends, etc. Then you factor in the time you spend chasing the noise; it gets exhaustive and you spend more time chasing the noise than you do riding the bike.

If the Woods lifters would solve my problem as they seem to have solved yours, they would be worth every penny.

 

SE Forged Supports. Drilled to 0.10 and deburred.