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What can be done about a lifter tap/knock noise?
When I got my 98 bike it had 5300 miles on it and I have 11000 on it now.
I figured changing oils a few times and riding it might help but it hasn't.
Turn the radio up and enjoy your ride. Evos make noises. Mine always has. Had 64K when I bought her 5 years ago rebuild top end at 92K and now at 108k. Noisy valve train before, during and after. I am sure there are people on her that have quitted theirs down some but it's really not an issue unless the sound just drives you nuts...lol
Yup, it's like Uncle G. says, a noisy Evo motor is a happy Evo motor. My factory remanufactured motor had such a noisy valvetrain that I took it back to the dealer and complained until they dreaded to see me coming into the shop. One day I was in Albany and dropped into Spitzies H-D and asked them to listen to it. The service manager (who owned and rode an '87 Heritage) listened and said, "I hear it, but I'll tell you, that motor will run forever. It's just the normal sound that motor makes. They're all different."
That was back in '02. Today that motor has 122,000 miles on it, runs like a champ, and still makes noise.
I'll let you in on a secret, that's why we put loud pipes on our bikes, to drown out the valve train clatter.
I had a 98 ultra and i called her my clatter box.ran like a champ till the day i sold her, and i far as i know its still going.I sold it at 65,000,evos are great motors.when it got real hot out i would put a heavy oil in her, like straight 50 weight but when the mornings got cool it was hard to start, thick oil.
It was even the tuner at RC Cycles that told me that one of the lifters was way to noisy and he has an evo ultra also. I just wanted to make sure there was anything I could do to make sure to prevent any problems.
I will be putting louder pipes on soon since I picked up a set of new Rinehart pipes cheap once I decide if I want to add a cam or not and if so which one. I wasn't going to do pipes but I want to be heard better than I am now. With the 3 LED's on the ultra they do see me which is good.
Well, I'm going to be the odd man out on this one. Had a lifter fail, needle bearings went away. Wiped out cam. Fortunately didn't trash the oil pump and other things. Get it checked out. I did, and still, run it hard though.
Take a look around my website, you might find it very interesting. I've sold lots of kits for Evo motors.
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Well, I'm going to be the odd man out on this one. Had a lifter fail, needle bearings went away. Wiped out cam. Fortunately didn't trash the oil pump and other things. Get it checked out. I did, and still, run it hard though.
That happened to my first motor at 46,000 miles. The noise in this case wasn't a "tick" in the top end, it was a "knock" in the gear case that developed over a short period. Moral of story: tick-good, knock-bad!
That's why I change my lifters and inner cam bearing every 40,000 miles.
Last edited by Uncle G.; Jul 12, 2017 at 08:12 PM.
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