Gentleman. Need a little help locating a noise in what sounds like the top end of the front cylinder. Recent modifications to my 99 FXSTC includes new S&S steel breather gear new S&S cam as well as a new full roller bearing. The noise I'm hearing seems loudest at the front left side of the rocker box. It's a ticking sound but not overly loud and only appears after it warms up and sometimes it disappears without warning. I have listened with a stethoscope and cannot hear anything out of the ordinary ANYWHERE BUT WHILE SITTING ON THE BIKE I CAN HEAR IT REFLECTING OFF THE WINDSHIELD. When I did the cam the bearing looked fine but replaced it and junked the INA. The lifter rollers looked just fine and nothing out of the ordinary. I'm approaching 17k on this bike and I know about the lifter issues with them. I had a lifter fail on my twin cam totally out of no where. No warning or anything. Which gives me concerns about being a little fun shy on the lifter issues. I will be doing lifters and adjustable pushrods this coming winter but in the mean time I would like to try to find the cause of this noise. All suggestions would be helpful. The noise appeared after the cam change. Thanks all

 

Did you mix up any pushrods or misadjust one (if you installed adjustables) and have clearance once the engine grows?

 

EV-27?
Scott

 

Non mixing the pushrods. Thought about that myself. Good idea though. Cam is a S&S 503 or 505. Something like that

 

If you did not use an adj pushrod upon install, the base circle of the cam could be so that the F/exhaust(?) needs to have a better pre-load than what is currently being established.
Scott

 

Yep that's what I'm thinking too. Got the good stethoscope out today and listened again. All sounded normal in the rockers and cam. The only time I'm hearing it is sitting on the bike behind the windshield. If I take the windshield off and sit on it boom noise gone. Club brother is a master tech for Harley and said all sounded normal to him. He said he hears what I'm talking about but he says its just reflecting the exhaust valve opening and closing and the rocker/pushrods noise.

 

Adjustable pushrods are standard equipment here when doing most any cam work.
Helps insure that our clients have a nice quiet engine.
Scott