I recently replaced the major top end gaskets on my 93 FLHTCU. The rear cylinder sounds great, however, the front cylinder has a noise I don't like at all. I recorded at idle and 2k RPM and had a friend listen to it and he thought it might be the exhaust lifter not operating right, like it had collapsed or something. He is NOT a bike guy so was just going off his car knowledge. I only took the major components off. I did not remove the valves or do anything with the lifters, and I am certain the pushrods are in the correct locations. I do not know if the lifters are hydraulic or not. If hydraulic, how do I get them UP again?

 

Video with audio.

 

If you removed the lower rocker box , you did mess with the lifters by default. They are hydraulic and if you did not slowly retighten the lower rocker box bolts they would not have blead down. Hope this isn't the case is it?

 

If that is where the lower end of the push rod guides set into, no I did not touch those at all. I did the same procedure on the front cylinder as I did on the rear cylinder.

 

Sorry, wrong part. Yes I had the lower rocker boxes off. Had it stripped down to the pistons, which I removed to clean up. I’m not sure what I did differently on the front cylinder.

 

Your going to have to recheck everything you did on the cylinder in question.

 

Yeah, I was thinking that. At least I shouldn’t need to take off the jug.

 

Hard to tell in video, would have liked to hear it sit and idle for a bit, but sometimes it can take 10 miles or so for a collapsed lifter to pump up, take it for a ride.

 

Did you follow the service manual process for installing the rocker supports?

If you do not follow this process, you may have rotated the engine before the lifters were bled down fully, this can cause damage to the valve train.

 

I doubt you have the pushrods mixed up because the exhaust pushrod is .235" longer than the intake which would have led to catastrophic failure.. As said might just take time to pump up...But just incase here's the color code for the pushrods.. Wouldn't take but a few minutes to open the pushrod covers to confirm...