I've decided to rebuild my fathers 1992 Heritage Classic which sat in our basement the past 5 years due to a "friend" who never got around to changing the leaky base gaskets. So I did it, got it running, but just didn't sound right. So I've decided to rebuild it again, my way. The sound I heard was almost like the front piston traveling up and down the cylinder, but upon inspection it was perfect? So, hoping its nothing serious in the bottom end, I decided to order an Andrew EV27 cam, all new cam bushing kit, tossed the plastic breather gear for a machined one, bought a new Torrington bearing, and new gaskets for the cam chest. Then ordered Crane adj. pushrods and Crane tappet roller wheels. For now keeping the Screamin Eagle intake and exhaust, but the stock 40mm cv carb has a boyesen twin shot upgrade (check it out) and a jet kit. Primary side I installed a new inner primary gasket, then every gasket, seal, o-ring, and starter seal, new clutch plates, new compensator sprocket kit, and finished with new primary gasket and bolts. Now my real worries start with the top end. I'm having the stock cylinders bored over .030 and stuffing them with Keith Black 9.5:1 semi dome pistons. The heads have had minor valve polishing and the pockets cleaned up, nothing crazy. I was going to put .030 head gaskets on top to tighten everything up. Dennis Kirk told me the pistons, although domed, will work on stock heads. I hope he's right. Now be nice, I'm doing this in memory of my father, but what do you think? I'm really doing this as a junk change type build, so I can't afford real expensive parts, but is there anything else I need to get? I just want a good running bike with some get up and go. I'm really looking for the necessities at this point just to get the bike on the road. I don't need a 90hp bike. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

 

Sounds like you replaced a bunch of parts.
Were all the old ones worn out or did you just up-grade for the fun of it.

 

Mr Doom and Gloom here....I had a sound like that once, sure hope it isn't your crank pin.

 

I hope it's not the crank pin also. I might just say screw it and pull it out since I'm already this far. It could also be the Torrington bearing as well, however. I can hear it while its running on the kickstand and I did the screwdriver to ear check but couldn't pinpoint it. It sounds more like coming from the front of the motor, below the cylinder. However, one day while riding the bike sputtered like out of gas, so I shut it down. Upon shut down, I heard the piston in the front cylinder like it wasn't running smoothly. I tried 3-4 times so I rolled in neutral about 1/4 mile and tried again, sure enough it fired up and drive it home. I took it apart and the piston, cylinder, and motor oil was good and clean. Now the Torrington bearing probably wouldn't do that eh? Maybe I should pull the crank apart and replace all the bearings. Any other advice?

 

If you have adjustable pushrods the fist thing you should do is check them.
A pushrod out of adjustment will make an awful clatter.

 

No it's not that. Thanks though.

 

This was my noise. I caught it early enough there wasn't a lot of debris chewing everything else up.

 

Engine build sounds like you have the items needed to get some giddyup. A crankpin failure should show some metallic in the oil at drainage and on the noise side it gets louder when the piston load is less as going down the road at a cruise speed with no load on the engine. I had a crankpin failure and on the funny side, it seemed like it was coming from the fuel tank on the way noises can travel on a Harley, I posted something a little while back on a taillight bulb was loose in the base and would of bet money it was a exhaust rattling, didn't find it until the light quit working.

Evos's are known to have the compensator nut loosen and sounds just like a rod knocking, well worth pulling the primary cover and checking the tightness of that big nut

 

The noise I will tend to when I get the money. Right now I'm concerned with the top end. Do you guys think I will be ok with what I have and get a little something something out of the motor? Is there anything I NEED to make this build work? Thanks
Ps: 97bagger in a joking matter, I noticed the sound lessened too going down the road, but could it be we just couldn't hear it from the air whipping by?

 

No I heard the comp nut story too and checked that a while ago. I think this is more serious.