Tappet noise
#1
Tappet noise
Ok, I know there are no tappets, but thats the closest thing I can come up with for the sound I am hearing.
It seems to be coming from the top end of the motor.
I had the dealer take it out and listen, and he said he didn't hear anything unusual. He also said I am hearing the noise because of the lowers on my bike combined with the open air cleaner.
Does this sound right, or am I in need of an adjustment somewhere?
Any help is appreciated!
It seems to be coming from the top end of the motor.
I had the dealer take it out and listen, and he said he didn't hear anything unusual. He also said I am hearing the noise because of the lowers on my bike combined with the open air cleaner.
Does this sound right, or am I in need of an adjustment somewhere?
Any help is appreciated!
#2
RE: Tappet noise
It goes on, and on, and on . . . Sorry, but I keep telling others about my experience with this subject and all I get is comments about how I should just enjoy the bike. Reminds me of Chevy Chase if that is the correct spelling. Something will happen to him, he falls off a ladder or something, and he just smiles at the plants in the flower bed he just landed in. OK, here goes:
Turn your radio wide open.
Gut your pipes so the deaden your ears.
Wear ear plugs.
Send "the company" a donation for more leather caps.
Be happy!
Square Dude gives up . . .
Turn your radio wide open.
Gut your pipes so the deaden your ears.
Wear ear plugs.
Send "the company" a donation for more leather caps.
Be happy!
Square Dude gives up . . .
#3
RE: Tappet noise
It's probably a normal amount of noise. Harley's are notorious for making lots of 'valve' noise. And if you've swapped out the cams in your bike you might also be getting a bit of gear noise. There is a remote possibility that you have a lifter problem, but I'm not inclined to believe that based on the age of your bike.
No matter what you do, they won't be as quiet as a Goldwing or as smooth as a BMW K 1200 LT. The HD motor isn't designed that way. All part of the 'mystic' that you pay for. And you thought you were buying just a motorcycle......
No matter what you do, they won't be as quiet as a Goldwing or as smooth as a BMW K 1200 LT. The HD motor isn't designed that way. All part of the 'mystic' that you pay for. And you thought you were buying just a motorcycle......
#4
#5
#6
RE: Tappet noise
I'm going through the same thing with my 103 and I get different answers from every body I tall to. I don't have the stock lifters in my bike any longer and I talked to a lifter engineer about my noise and he told me to put the stock lifters back in my bike and the noise would go away.
#7
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#8
RE: Tappet noise
I have a softail Deuce, when I put my stage 1 air filter on I heard more lifter noise. I reinstalled the black plastic backing on the air filter housing and it was harder to hear, so it kind of blocks the noise, also when I run the windshield I hear the lifter noise more. I agree with everyone else that its normal, Harley motors have more mechanical noise than any V-twin out there.
#10
RE: Tappet noise
Dave -
what concerns me is your comment "But this is like I stuck a small can of marbles up under my tank." That is the "classic"pre-ignition ping description. Could that be what you're hearing? What octane gas are you burning?
OK, now... I've been noticing a "valve noise" in my WG. It SEEMS to be coming from the front cylinder and is most noticable hot. It's been 100+ for a couple weeks here and I ride 30 miles each way to work. At first I thought it might be pre-ignition so I backed off the settings on my Daytona ign module. No difference.
A friend convinced me it was exhaust gasket, so I changed that. No difference.
I let a local shop put the cams in since they said they only charged 3hrs to do it About a month after the cam change I noticed some seepage around the cam box cover. I checked the torque on the bolts and went to the upper end of the specs and found that they were all tightened a bit different. No more seepage. This leads me to believe that it's possible that one of the push-rods was not adjusted right. I'm planning on checking that this weekend.
What baffles me is - it SOUNDS like typical valve-clatter noise - not real loud, but present.... but when I drop the hammer after 10-15 miles in 103 temps, I here what I can only describe as "a screw-driver tapping on sheet-metal".
wierd.
BTW - I'm using Mobile 1 20w-50 extended life (gold cap)