im new to this, so take it easy on me. just picked up a 1984.5 flhtc electra glide classic 80ci evo with about 40k. all original except the s&s super e carb. the bike has a light ticking noise while running. i was thinking i could convert to solid tappets and adjustible push rods from s&s. while im in there i would like to change the cam and bearing. the question i have is could the tapping be a wore out cam chain tensioner thus causeing it to be out of time and spit back thru the carb. because it does this when i pump the throttle every once in a while. plus the ticking noise is anoying.....id rather hear that exhaust trot along. any help would be greatly appreciated thank you.

 

Well its an Evo so it doesn't have chain tensioners, they all tick but its relative, we would need to be with the bike to determine if it is excessive but the fairing will reflect all the valve train noise back at you.

Spit back is just carby needing jetting correctly.

At 40K you probably wanna change the bearing and lifters but go with stock, your bike don't need solids and it doesn't really need adjustable pushrods but others will argue against it.....as a Harley mechanic I don't think the time savings on potential engine work later down the track outwieghs the security and reliability of the stock lifters and pushrods.

If you gonna pull it apart then put an EV27 Andrews cam in it but be aware that the higher lift will eventually wear the valve stem oil seals and you will get an increase in oil consumption at some point.

If you don't wanna spend heaps then keep the stock cam but replace the bearing (Torrington full-complement upgrade) and the lifters (Hydraulift Forged lifters from parts4powertoys).....then it will run for another 40k without any dramas :-)

 

There isn't a timing chain in any evo engine There all gear driven.The tapping noise could be a lifter going bad due to age.as far as the popping out the carb goes check your intake seals and maybe your carb could use a cleaning/rebuild.

 

+1 to what Spanners said.

 

If it sounds like an angry sewing machine then don't worry about it that is normal.

Spanners makes a lot of good points.

 

well thank you guys i didnt know there wasnt a timing chain tensioner on the evos. you learn something everyday. as far as the engine goes i want to keep the bike totally original stock form. honestly if i had the stock carb it would be on there. i would say the ticking is excessive because my buddys got an evo on his bike and its nowhere as loud as mine. so it looks like ill be putting hydrolic tappets back in with solid push rods to keep it in stock form. ill check the carb for any leaks around the boot. if non then ill clean the whole carb and put back on and see any difference. i want to keep the cam and bearing in stock form also. just didnt know if i should replace it while im down there or not.

 

the ticking you hear is typically caused from the front exhaust lifter bleeding down too quickly due to the acute angle of things in that particular spot.... it won't affect performance, per se, but it is annoying as all hell

also, if it's bone stock you probably have the first version 'A' lifters in there .... you might consider upgrading to the '18523-86B' lifters....beefier design, and might surely soften the ticking

however, i have a '91 evo with the 'B' lifters and the front exhaust lifter still ticks...BUT, i do have an EV27 cam in there and that does affect how things function from lifters up through valves

 

Don't keep the cam bearing stock, use the torrington, its straight swap, no machining dramas.

 

After having replaced the valve train in my '95 Evo, (EV27 cam plus Fueling lifters), I get carb chatter from the piston inside my Mikuni HSR 45. Is it true what I've read that replacing the plate separator "O" ring/gasket can eliminate this problem? I have yet to talk to Mikuni about it!