Engine knock
Engine knock
It's been a while since I posted but I do need some help.
I have a knock coming from the front rocker cover. I used a mechanics stethoscope to localize the sound. It's louder when I start the engine, gets quieter as it warms up, but never goes away. It increases with rpm.
The bike is a 2016 ultra with the 103HO. Fueling 574 cams. Adjustable pushrods. And s&s lifters, V&H exhaust and high flow air cleaner. V&h fuel pack with custom tune from them. I've tried three different tunes to see if I had a timing issue.
This morning i re-adjusted the pushrods, removed the rocker cover and the rocker block. I checked to make sure everything was operating smoothly, then I checked the valve springs by tapping a wrench on them to be sure that both were in good shape. (Listening to make sure they both sounded the same) Then i re-torqued everything to spec.
The knock is still there. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
I have a knock coming from the front rocker cover. I used a mechanics stethoscope to localize the sound. It's louder when I start the engine, gets quieter as it warms up, but never goes away. It increases with rpm.
The bike is a 2016 ultra with the 103HO. Fueling 574 cams. Adjustable pushrods. And s&s lifters, V&H exhaust and high flow air cleaner. V&h fuel pack with custom tune from them. I've tried three different tunes to see if I had a timing issue.
This morning i re-adjusted the pushrods, removed the rocker cover and the rocker block. I checked to make sure everything was operating smoothly, then I checked the valve springs by tapping a wrench on them to be sure that both were in good shape. (Listening to make sure they both sounded the same) Then i re-torqued everything to spec.
The knock is still there. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 234
Likes: 73
From: Sunshine state
It's been a while since I posted but I do need some help.
I have a knock coming from the front rocker cover. I used a mechanics stethoscope to localize the sound. It's louder when I start the engine, gets quieter as it warms up, but never goes away. It increases with rpm.
The bike is a 2016 ultra with the 103HO. Fueling 574 cams. Adjustable pushrods. And s&s lifters, V&H exhaust and high flow air cleaner. V&h fuel pack with custom tune from them. I've tried three different tunes to see if I had a timing issue.
This morning i re-adjusted the pushrods, removed the rocker cover and the rocker block. I checked to make sure everything was operating smoothly, then I checked the valve springs by tapping a wrench on them to be sure that both were in good shape. (Listening to make sure they both sounded the same) Then i re-torqued everything to spec.
The knock is still there. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
I have a knock coming from the front rocker cover. I used a mechanics stethoscope to localize the sound. It's louder when I start the engine, gets quieter as it warms up, but never goes away. It increases with rpm.
The bike is a 2016 ultra with the 103HO. Fueling 574 cams. Adjustable pushrods. And s&s lifters, V&H exhaust and high flow air cleaner. V&h fuel pack with custom tune from them. I've tried three different tunes to see if I had a timing issue.
This morning i re-adjusted the pushrods, removed the rocker cover and the rocker block. I checked to make sure everything was operating smoothly, then I checked the valve springs by tapping a wrench on them to be sure that both were in good shape. (Listening to make sure they both sounded the same) Then i re-torqued everything to spec.
The knock is still there. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
I've read of others who have experienced an engine knock that was determined to be excessive carbon buildup on the piston crown hitting the cylinder head. They reported the sound was most noticeable when the engine was cold, and diminished as the engine heats up, due to the piston to cylinder head clearance increasing with heat. You might want to think about having a look in your cylinders, through the spark plug hole, with a boroscope. There are fuel additives that claim to remove carbon, but I'm not sure how effective they are. How many miles on the bike?
I re-adjusted them in my attempts to fix the problem. I thought the same thing and ruled it out. Thanks Chopper.
Speaking of pushrods, could the sound be coming from the lifters and being transferred by the pushrods up to the rocker box? It's just a thought i had.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,029
Likes: 12,550
From: South Carolina
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About 3 weeks ago. I was riding around 450 miles tha't day from Dallas to Del Rio and back. It was around 100' that day. When I got home I was pulling into the garage and heard a loud tick in the engine. I changed the oil and filter the next day but the tick remained. It's gotten louder over the last 3 weeks but only at startup. It quiets down a bit once it's warmed up for a minute or so.
This morning I tore into it and changed the lifters on the front cylinder, re-adjusted the pushrods, and the tick is still there.
I looked into the cylinder with my bore scope. There's a little carbon on the piston and around the valves but nothing serious.
This morning I tore into it and changed the lifters on the front cylinder, re-adjusted the pushrods, and the tick is still there.
I looked into the cylinder with my bore scope. There's a little carbon on the piston and around the valves but nothing serious.
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Joined: Dec 2005
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From: poway
About 3 weeks ago. I was riding around 450 miles tha't day from Dallas to Del Rio and back. It was around 100' that day. When I got home I was pulling into the garage and heard a loud tick in the engine. I changed the oil and filter the next day but the tick remained. It's gotten louder over the last 3 weeks but only at startup. It quiets down a bit once it's warmed up for a minute or so.
This morning I tore into it and changed the lifters on the front cylinder, re-adjusted the pushrods, and the tick is still there.
I looked into the cylinder with my bore scope. There's a little carbon on the piston and around the valves but nothing serious.
This morning I tore into it and changed the lifters on the front cylinder, re-adjusted the pushrods, and the tick is still there.
I looked into the cylinder with my bore scope. There's a little carbon on the piston and around the valves but nothing serious.
I'm going to try a hail Mary tomorrow before I take the bike to my local indy. I'm going to pull the cams to see if the lobes are in good shape. I put the fueling 574's in there last year with new lifters and bearings but you never know. My thinking is that sound is transferring from the cams up the push rods, and I'm hearing it in the rocker box. It's the only thing I can think of after checking literally every other part in the top end.