I'm currently taking apart the top end to shim the rocker arms on my 01 Ultra and found that two of the adjustable pushrods are rubbing inside of the pushrod tubes. I figure this is causing some of the top end clatter I'm hearing but I'm not sure what to do about it. Any Ideas are appreciated.

Re'

 

The inside of the tubes can be deburred really easily, soft aluminum. Kitchen knife will even do it.

Also when you put the rocker support back on, see if you can push it toward the pushrod side (right side). There is generally a little movement available there. Gives better geometry and may help clearance.

Also while there you can drill out the little oil drain holes on the rocker support to 0.100 or so.

And" debure" the champfer there. It about a 1/4 in, kinda like a countersink. Generally has a bure, raised up edge, there that can hole a little oil from draining easily

These last will aid the venting system.

 

My wife will LOVE me for that. I'm plannig on replacing the pushrod tubes, so if they are close when I put it back together, I'll give that a shot.

Re'

 

Does anybody have a picture (or a good verbal description) of these "little drain holes" on the rocker support. I have my top end off waiting for my heads to come back and would like to drill these out. I had a problem last summer with the oil dipstick blowing out and it was suggested that I do this. Just dont really know what I am looking for.

Thanks

 

I have some pics of it in my link.

 

Thanks for the picture. I see the one with the drill, but I still do not know which hole it is. Is it the one right in the middle? What size drill bit did you use?

Thanks again,

 

Go here: http://www.dohertymachine.com/pdf/my...-fl-owners.pdf

for the drilling instructions

 

Get some alignment pins and align the rocker boxes. You can clearance the tubes at the top with a dremel tool but there really isn't that much material to remove. If those two mods don't solve the prorblem, there is a more expensive fix and that is an offset rocker support plate from Woods.

Shimming the rocker arm, IMHO, is waste of time. I have tried it twice with no change in top end noise. Some engines are quiet and some are not; all a function of factory tolerances, again, JMHO. If one is noisy, it will liklely always be noisy.

 

One could also buy the newer SE tapered adjustables which aren't supposed to rub.

 

Check out the "Pushrod Came Loose" thread. Smith Brothers now makes tapered quick install pushrods; much better quality.