Hello, all. I've gotten a lot of info from here, and do plenty of searching, but this is something I cannot find much on.

I recently did an upgrade on the engine in my 2003 Softail from stock stage 1 air cleaner only. Here's what I did:

95" big bore & SE studs
10.25:1 cast pistons
Crane .570 lift 240/248 chain drive cams
SE quick install pushrods
I ported the heads myself after tons of research & I used 175# springs
Power commander

The bike is absolute night and day different. The improvement is enormous & I'm extremely happy with the performance. However, I'm getting a clicking noise at around 2200 RPM, and it stays to around 4000, and may still be there, but if it is, I can't hear it over the exhaust. It's a rattleing noise that almost sounds light like spark knock. It's not always a noise consistant with the engine. My power commander tune seems somewhat lean when comparing the #s to a Branch kit tune, and I tried the much richer Branch tune, and the noise is still there, and it was not quite as responsive. I also tried to rule out spark knock as it will do it on deceleration and no throttle.

I double checked clearance between the springs and rocker housing, and it is fine. I took the rockers off it, and the stock support plates are warped somewhat. I think I'm going to pick up a pair of forged SE ones and try them. The gap between the rocker and support when installed is around .018 which is within the Harley service limit of .025. Will the stock supports flex enough to cause noise? I'm wondering if the rockers are slapping side to side and causing the noise. Also, I woild get some on and off ticking when the bike was stock. Did it some days, and not others. It was just not as loud.

I enjoy working on my bike with the exception of removing the fuel tank, and this is the last time I want to have the top end apart, so I have to try something up there before I put the tank back on it. I'm working my way down, so if this doesn't do it, then I'll try lifters, and if that's not it, I'll try an oil pump.

Any input?

Thanks

 

What oil are you running? If it sounds like lifter clatter it may be oil related. If you are not using Mobil1Vtwin 20w50....try it.

 

I just switched to Mobil1 V twin when I got the engine all back togeather from my build.

Well, after work I picked up the forged SE rocker supports, got them installed, and it seems better. It's getting a little late around here, so I can't run it too long to get a good final idea, so that will be tomorrow.

 

Onyz -- I am very interested in your results. I have the very same symptons on my near stock 02. I have tried all the lower end tricks and run the Mobil I vtwin but nothing has helped. I am planning on going into the top end this winter and was thinking of switching over to roller rockers and a forged or billet support.

Good luck and keep us informed. -- Tom

 

I doubt that you will really find that replacing the rocker support plates changed it.

 

There are a lot of members on this board that have found no solution to valve noise, and for dealers to tell owners the solution is a louder exhaust or to turn the radio up is poor advice apparently due to no support from HD on the issue. HD's main concern anymore is $.

I have to try something. The thing made rocker noise as stock when it got to around 8,000 miles. I hate the tick that was in it on occasion (more often than not) when it was stock, and I hate it more now. There has to be a reason Harley started producing these more rigid supports. With the spring pressure I'm running, and having a lift that is near the largest cam Harley produced when they started offering the strengthened supports, it has to help. When comparing the stock to the SE rocker support, there is quite an improvement in structural rigidity. With the new supports torqued, I now have 0.005 clearance from the 0.018 I had. I may be wrong, but I don't see it as the lifters. I tried that for the ticking noise with the stock cams a year ago, and it didn't help.

There's a lot of "fudge" to locating the support plate and lower rocker box too, and that is really poor design on Harley's part IMO. There should be dowels or something that locates them better. For the money Harley gets for these engines, and for as low tech as they are, I would expect better. I consider the 6.5 hp Briggs OHV engine on my push mower to be more high tech than this TC88 simply due to the fact that it has an automatic mechanical compression release upon start up. The TC88 IMO (technology wise) has nothing on the Briggs. My lawn mower also doesn't make ticking noises. It's not the compensator nut either, that was addressed back when I changed the lifters.

I'm still a little sore at Harley because of their crappy fix for my defective engine case casting which they had the dealer drill, tap, and plug while the engine was assembled and in the bike. The case was defective, and should have been replaced, but with as many that had the problem, replacing them all would probably not give their investors the $ numbers they expect.

I'll know more tonight when I get home and run it more.

 

I ran the bike last night, and it doesn't have the loose and similar to spark knock rattleing noise when I rev it past 2,500 rpm anymore. I don't think it's quite as quiet as it was when it was all stock, but the supports have helped. I'm glad I put them in. I did pay more attention to placement of the supports before I torqued them down since there is no locator other than the 4 clearance fit bolt holes, so maybe that helped too.

 

onyx-- Glad to hear the support worked. Did the support come with new bushings? How was the shaft to rocker clearances? Reason I ask is I was thinking of going through the entire top end and am curious if the noise is from a combination of everthing loosening up over time.

Thanks again for the update - Tom

 

There are no bushings or rocker shafts in the support kit. Only the supports and 4 socket head cap screws and flat washers to take the place of the hex bolts on the valve side of the support. The rocker shaft is a close tolerance slightly slip fit in the in the support, and the bushings are in the rocker arms. The shaft to rocker bushing clearance was pretty good still. There was evidence of some wear on the shaft bottom and bottom of the rocker bushing, but nothing significant. They were not loose, but more spotted. I did have to put a little chamfer on the bottom of the rocker arm castings as they rubbed the new housing a little at the ends. No big deal though, and it didn't sacrafice any strength. The concentricity of the rocker arm casting just wasn't really close to that of the bushing.

 

Thanks again onyx - good background information. Hope you can get out and ride soon. We had fresh snow and ice yesterday and a good dose of road salt, so it looks like the sled is put away for the season.

Tom