A few notes on the grey poupon.

1. It's likely still there due to not getting the motor hot enough during running.
2. Excessive cylinder leakage helps cause it.
3. Too much fuel helps to drive water into the crankcase since water is a product of combustion.
4. Cylinder leakage starts with too much timing and too much fuel. The 2 wash the lubrication off the cylinders, kill the rings and wears the cylinders.
5. With excessive leakage, not enough running time, you get a ton of moisture in the oil. It leaves the grey poupon in the rocker covers due to them not getting hot enough because of the short runs.


Your ticking when hot is likely from a weak lifter. Low oil pressure can contribute.

 

Not sure if this could cause an issue. But their is a breather that comes from each jug to the air cleaner. They are not blocked or clogged are they? This may not allow the hot air/moisture any where to vent to? Sorry if this is dumb question I am new to Harley but been wrenching on cars for a long time.

 

Oneshot660, not a dumb question. Was one of my own first thoughts. Breathers are clean though, as is the rest of the rocker box. The goop has collected on the underside of the rocker cover only.

I have 2 days off now so Ill be able to get back into it and hopefully find the root cause...

 

When you did your cam chest, did you pull the oil pump with it?... replace all the o-rings?... or... if you separated the pump, did you do the 'alignment' of the oil pump when reinstalled? My hearing is crap so probably can't diagnose that way, but you may not be getting solid oil stream to that rocker.

 

Sounds like your losing oil pressure hot.. Do you have a gauge? If you are you could be losing the lifters....

 

That's a great idea. I hinted at it..

 

Agree with the above. Loss of oil pressure when hot. You'll need to do some investing here, or sell the bike.

 

A little OTT doncha think? Maybe tongue in cheek?

 

Definitely tongue in cheek. OP mentioned earlier in the thread that he didn't have the money for a $30 compression tester.

 

If I could get a compression tester here for only 30 bucks I'd be all over it. Cheapest I've found is 120.

Anyhoo... pulled the rear rocker cover yesterday, all inside was good, tightened down as it should be, no lash in pushrods.
Decided to swap out the lifters, pulled the fueling lifters and installed my old stock lifters, which were in good condition when I first pulled them.out a year ago. Buttoned it all back up, started normally as it does when cold and went for a test ride.

After 5 minutes noise came back as before....

So, a collapsed lifter is not the issue.....

As people have mentioned, it's almost certainly an oil pressure problem. So lifters losing pressure is possible.

Oil pump has been pulled and all o rings replaced 2 times In the last 2 months, so it's probably not an issue there.....

The head scratching continues....