I need some help my Road King starts ticking louder and louder in the engine area when its idleing the more i ride the next time i stop and idle it gets louder even if i take a 20 min break ride for 10 mins and idle its louder even at 55 degrees outside at night. Any help would be greatly appreciated. it's the stock 88" motor stage one screaming eagle breather was just bought a 2 months ago and ive put 2000 miles on it has 34,000 total.

 

suggest you get it to a shop that has more experience with the sounds of these bikes than you do.

they can help determine if you have something normal or a problem starting to show it's head.

I saw your other post on oil- I am assuming that you are new to harleys.- the correct viscosity or "weight" oil is very important. too thick oil causes drag inside the mechanical parts, too thin oil does not provide the cushion between rotating mechanical parts- staying with the specified types of oil is important ( and again, the spec for primary and tranny has been revised away from motor oil to HD primary+ or similar)


there is no guarantee that a dealer would be better than an independent, many dealers tend to have younger techs right out of school who have not been exposed to alot of bikes, alot of problems- so short of experience.

the cam drive system on those 2000 models can be a concern

Mike

 

A 2000 t/c with 34,000 miles?
You will need to do a little exploratory work on that motor in the near future. You may be able to find out from the dealer if the tensioners and inner bearings have been replaced. If not, they should be looked at. As far as noises at idle, you need a stethescope to pipoint the noise, and or you will have to do a lot of diagnosing to find out where your probems are.
Simple fix may be to st your idle speed 1050-1100. Sometimes the oil pressure will increase just enough to quiet down a lifter tick.

 

Stock 2000 FLHR not a custom or classic! Mr. Mike I've been riding for a few years generally let HD do the maintance on them for me, but funds don't permit and this is a new bike to me also the milage on it is alot more than ive generally had HD took the trade in and did a 1000 mile service on it from what they said and doing so in there words they do a general run thru of the bike make sure everything is good and change all the fluids they used standard dino HD 20W50 in all 3 hole and thats based on a vin search at the HD that did the service

 

"general run thru"

time after th=ime we see posts here from guys who have screwed up bikes and trade than at the dealer...it becomes someone else's problem.

that's why I suggest you have a pro look at it.

if there is a real problem, you want to get it before you are looking at a complete motor tear down and rebuild ( like if the tensioners let go and shoot plastic all through the motor)

the dealer was incorrect to put syn 3 in all 3 holes- that spec/requirement has been updated by H-D*

http://www.harley-davidson.com/gma/g...9&default=none


if I were to change from syn 3 to primary + in the primary I would allow to drain over night with the clutch lever held in with a zip tie ( to separate the plates and discs) which should get almost all the old fluid out
mike




* who have not been great about communicating that... the owners manual for my 2009 notes this change, however the shop manual still specs HD 360 dino oil for the motor... but is updated for the tranny and primary listing primary + for those purposes.

 

No the dealer put dino 20w50 in all 3 holes not even syn! If not a hd dealer then who would do work on harley's

sorry i type in all caps at work

 

I should add it ran like a top until a couple weeks ago maybe the last 200 miles and even then it just seemed a little off it was until last saturday the ticking started.. Also if you could tell me mr. Mike what exactly you put in each hole and where the best place to get it i would appreciate it. I know im a pain, but im very thankful for all you've already given me

 

i use syn 3 for the motor oil and HD primary + in the tranny and primary ( you'll need 3 bottles well, 2 1/2 bottles probably) which I buy at the dealer.

there are equivalent other brand oils- I have had good results with the dealer stuff, so I have no reason to change.*

My older evo uses HD 360 dino oil 20w50

and the panhead uses HD SAE 50 in the AZ winter and SAE 60 in the summer


mike

* red line tranny can be useful if trying to track down a leak- but i never had anything mechanical fixed by anything in a bottle

 

Ok so ill pick up 4qts of the hd full syn 20w50 3 bottels (quarts?) of primary + and the primary plus will go in the tranny and primary syn in the engine?

 

Anyway to do a video so we can hear the ticking? I for one would like to hear with my ears...hard to help you without it?