Just wanted to share some info I found on resolving valve train noise. Hope it helps someone.
The most often overlooked part of building a motor. When i do builds now, first thing i do is measure the end play and rocker bushings. I don't like running them too tight, but that loose will really let the noise come out. This and pushrods adjustment can make or break a build for sounds. Some cams will be noisy anyway, but most can be tamed when assembled properly as you did.


I did a 95" build @ 28,500 miles. Wood TW-6G cam, S&S pushrods and new Harley lifters. Jagg oil cooler. Hillside heads w/ Andrews springs but I didn't ask Scott what pressure. Shimmed the bypass spring. Clearanced the rocker boxes and covers. Checked the cam drive gears and clearance was good, not too tight or loose. Crank had .0015" runout. I experimented with oil. Synthetic, non-syn, 20-50, 50w, 60w, nothing helped much. I bought a set of S&S non-roller rockers and rocker shafts (and some shims). Endplay on the old rockers was .016 to .021". Rocker arm to shaft clearance was between .0015 to .003". I checked the new rocker arm to shaft clearance and it was around 0007".I set the end play @ .003 to .007" and buttoned it up. Man, it sounds better than when it was new, almost scary quiet.


This what i do, i start at bottom and go up, make sure cams aren’t hitting case in the cam chest and bearings are good, lifters are good condition and plungers are not collapsed, ensure pushrod is adjusted the correct depth in lifters , this varies and not all lifters are equal as far as being quiet due to design and bleed down speeds, check prod tubes for rubbing, again not all push rods are equal, i like s&s , smith bros , andrews, s.e. arent my favorite for many reasons. use tapered adj ones too, i do really like non adj ones they are the best, smith bros do this if you know how long to order them, i adj a adjustable one and measure then order a fixed ones, make sure the intake and exhaust push rods are in where they are supposed to be, on some there are marked and it matters, ensure springs arent hitting lower rocker boxes , i like at least .050 around them. also make sure the springs seat pressure are correct for the cam lift, (biggggie) check to c if under the rocker arms arent hitting spring retainers , and ensure they dont have coil bind under spring compression with a feeler gauge, and check rocker arm hitting covers, i also always use a shimmed oil spring in the by pass in the cam plate for increased oil to the top end. and i use 50 or 60 wt oil depending temps as per owners manual, these steps are a lot of detail but it will pay off, in conjunction of including correct geometry also


I have experienced valve train noise and it turned out to be excessive rocker arm end play. I search everywhere for shims and found a rocker arm shim kit at Hot-Shot Motorworks. This allowed me to reduce my end play from .018"-.025" down to .003"-.007" as they recommend. This completely eliminated my noise.

Take a bore scope and you will be able to look at the top of the piston where the bigger intake valve has been making contact with the eye relief. From what you describe I would look there first.

If the pistons are OEM, the valve reliefs are deep enough but often need to be opened up to the outside so the valve can clear; worth checking. I run .600" lift TMan cams with stock rocker arms and she is as quiet as stock, so don't believe just because you modified the engine you must live with valve train noise; that's bullsh!t.

POSSIBLE CAUSES:

• Aggressive or poor cam lobe design. Opening ramps with high acceleration rates can hammer the valve train parts and the noise is similar to that of a hammer falling on an anvil; not good. Closing ramps that are too abrupt essentially drop the valves onto the base circle of the cam lobe with the force of a hammer on steel, also not good. Closing ramps are supposed to slow the valve as it closes and deliver it gently to the valve seat. I have measured cams that have had no closing ramps at all; these cams were very noisy and destructive to valve seats, valves and tappets. The noise appears at both the top and bottom of the valve train.
  
  
  
  * Stiff valve springs. Higher-rate valve springs intensify any noise source in the valve train. When combined with aggressive cams, the noise can be irritating and the impact loads may be very destructive. The "hammer" is heavier and swung more forcefully. The noise is louder near the valves. They may also 'ring' a bit.
  
  
  
  * Incorrectly adjusted pushrods. If the mechanic does not adjust the pushrods correctly (long enough), the hydraulic tappets top-out before the engine is fully expanded. Play develops in the valve train and it becomes noisy. The noise may seem to come from both the cam area and the heads.
  
  
  
  * Contact between the pushrods and pushrod tubes. ---- Some combinations of cam, pushrod and rocker arm designs may result in the pushrods contacting the pushrod cover tubes. This noise seems to come from the heads. Wear on the pushrod diameters near their tops identifies this noise source.
  
  
  
  * Loose valve guides or loose valve seats. This is rare but can be very frustrating to diagnose. A loose guide or seat usually becomes noisy only as the engine warms. The best way to narrow the noise source is to start the engine cold, set it for a fast idle and listen as it warms. The noise develops as the engine warms and is fairly easy to isolate. In either case the mechanic must remove the head to make a final diagnosis. One can move a loose guide when cold, using a valve stem for leverage. A loose valve seat reveals itself by the appearance of the joint between itself and the head material.
  Any noise source that applies impact loads on the valve train is not good. In fact it is very bad. Poor camshaft closing ramps beat up the valve seats, valves and tappet bearings. Incorrectly adjusted pushrods are very rough on the tappet bearings. High-rpm valve float occurs when the valve springs are too weak for the cam design and can quickly destroy tappet bearings, valve seats and valves.
  
  In short, be very, very suspicious of valve train noise. While sometimes harmless, it is not your friend.

Setting the your adjustable pushrods @ .140-.150" into the lifters, will make for a very quiet valvetrain. The factory recommended setting is .100 - .110”

 

Pretty thorough list; nothing new but certainly a good program to follow for someone chasing valve train noise. I have never known anyone to elminate valve train noise by shimming rocker arm end play but excessive rocker shaft to arm clearance will definitely make some noise; just doesn't occur that often and most people don't have the proper measuing tools to check. Haven't found heavier weight oil to make much difference either. Noise is usually contact between moving parts or an excessive clearance somewhere in the valve train.

You did miss one other source; I have seen lifters make contact with the lifter galley cover on some of the higher lift cams. The factory didn't have .660" and higher lift cams in mind when they set clearances for those.

At the end of the day, some bikes are just noisy and some cams are just noisy no matter what.

 

Great suggestion about the lifter galley cover. I will check into that. I have been battling valve train noise in my 2003 RK since i installed the 95" kit and Andrews 48N cam. I absolutely love the torque curve but the clatter is excessive and unbearable. Local HD agrees but can't figure it out, so I'm on my own. I've read many comments about S/E race valve spring pressure slamming the valves against the seats, so my next experiment will be removing the reinstalling the stock springs. If I cant correct this noise soon the stock cams are going back in too.

 

With .550" lift, it is unlikely that the lifters are making contact with the lifter covers but worth checking. Recently installed a set of 48s in a buddy's '10 Fatboy; cam only upgrade and quiet. Put the OEM beehive springs back in and I bet a six pack the noise goes away.
Do you know if the lifters are the "B" or "C" version? If purchased recently, they are the "C" version, made in Mexico and there have been issues with the rollers being loose and noisy. Might consider changing lifters, Comp Cams VThunder 850-1 is the cheapest option and they are decent quality. The top of the heap, IMHO,are the Woods directional lifters. I would try the springs first; it has worked for others.

Shouldn't be that noisy; there is a solution. There are too many guys, myself included, running 120HP motors that are as quiet as stock. Just have to keep digging.

 

Thanks for the advice. I will try the springs first. I went with new S/E lifters, and then switched back to stock but the noise was the same. Andrews sent a replacement hyd cam plate thinking it may have been defective, but no different. Adjusted the pushrods a hundred different ways, no change in the noise. This cam runs strong but I'm scaring the birds out of the trees with all the clatter. I will put the beehives back in and post the results. Thanks again.

 

No disrespect intended but are you adjusting the pushrods with the piston at TDC ON THE
COMPRESSION stroke? The SE lifters have never been the choice of builders in performance engines. Try the springs first, and if there is an improvement but you are still not satisfied, spring for a set of Woods directional lifters; precision hardware and they won't bleed down.

 

Thanks for the advice. The stock springs are back in and the noise is gone. We had it on the dyno today and everything seems to be okay. I'm real happy with this cam. 75 ft.lbs torque at 1800 rpm with a peak of 95 lbs at 3500. Great idle quality and strong throttle response throughout my normal rpm range. Perfect cam for my civilized everyday street riding. It's a 2003 Roadking with 95" big bore kit, flat top Screamin Eagle pistions, stock heads, Andrews 48 cam, Vance and Hines true dual head pipes with Rinehart slip ons and a S/E heavy breather. I can't believe I was ready to ride it into the river because of the valve train noise. Thanks again.