Thanks for your help with this one....

How do you guys lock the lock nut on the SE tapered adjustable pushrods?
I jammed those lock nuts down tight, but there were no instructions to dribble thread locker around them. What do you guys do to keep them tight?


I had a strange thing happen to the BargeGlide on the way home from work yesterday. I heard a pushrod start ticking, then getting louder, so I shut it down and coasted off the road.

I carry a pretty good tool kit so I popped the pushrod cover and was not surprised to find a locknut loose on not only the one that was ticking, but the three others were loose as well.

I found a drinking straw on the side of the road and used it while bumping the bike forward to get the piston to TDC and the cams on the base circles (just off the decompression trigger).
I re-adjusted all 4 P-rods and locked them down again, fired up and went home.
Obviously I have some remedial actions to reset all of them....

 

Props to the litterer on giving you the straw to use! I used the same thing when setting my pushrods. Until the damn thing got sucked in and I had to fish it out with a probe/Hook.

not to mention you having the patience to do it on the side of the road!

I just tightened the heck out of mine. and knock-on-wood, they're still good to go after 10k miles. I did put a dab of blue locktite on them however.

 

SDV it was either do it on the side or call HD Assist and I would only use them if it was beyond my capability or tools on hand. It takes that long to get the truck and they would only take it to the nearest dealer-- not my house so----

I'll go back to the "destructions" and read them again, but I don't recall a mention to use threadlocker. I believe I will use the blue when I tighten it up (as you did).
I tightened the heck out of them to the point I was worried I might strip the threads.

Thanks for your input!

 

I used red.

mike

 

thats right...no torque indicated in the instructions....no thread locker...no lock washers...wft

 

I put some red loctite on with a toothpick, knock on wood bout 2000 miles and no issues.. It's a Harley everything gets loctite...

 

Those early pushrods had a quality issue with the lock nuts; very brittle and subject to hairline cracks when over tightened. As I understand, the issue was addressed but there were still some of the early kits in circulation. I had two come loose on me as you did; one intake and one exhaust; both repaired on the side of the road as you did. The cracks will start on the inside and not be visible on the outside. I suspect that is not the case with yours because once cracked, if you really tighten them, they will break; split in half.

There is a guy on another forum that takes a 9/16" G8 nut and machines it down to the 1/2" wrench size and thickness of the OEM nut; they go for $20/set, shipped. Whenever I use those pushrods, I use a set of his nuts .

The toothpick application of some red loctited between the adjustor and the pushrod end is a good idea. Smith Brothers pushrods instructions include the application of red loctite. I try to keep it off the threads except right where the adjustor and pushrod end meet because the thread locker makes readjusting a PITA.

 

One could apply green locktite after final adjustment.

 

So if I read your suggestion properly, You are using the red l'tite "face to face" on the locknut and the pushrod 1/2" 'holding nut'???

 

I've installed quite a few and knock on wood, none of them have come loose. I never use anything on the threads.