loose tappet?
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2007
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loose tappet?
Chasing down the elusive valvetrain noise, I may have found something. I adjusted the lifters and two were rather loose, but what I also noticed was that there feels like a little bit of lateral movement of the tappets in the lifter blocks. Running solid lifters and the Previous Owner had said he replaced them with the blocks. The blocks are chrome and look in perfect condition but im wondering if in fact they may be worn or more so the lifters them selves. I have a 65 ironhead that sounds like a typewriter when hot but it doesn't have that kind of movement. Now im not saying they rattle around in the blocks but there is some movement when wiggling the adjuster stem on top. I can feel something in the pushrod tubes as well. A stethoscope also gives a little more noise in those two. Intake are a lot louder than the exhaust. Pushrods are the fatter aluminum and could be bumping the inside of the pushrod tubes so im thinking of going to the steel rods but they say they are even louder even when they don't hit the inside of the tubes.
Does any of this make sense to anyone? The motor is quiet as a mouse when cold and yes I know it will never be as quiet as a new one but hot and idling at a light and its a loud tick tick tick etc etc. 70 wt oil with a cooler.
randy
Does any of this make sense to anyone? The motor is quiet as a mouse when cold and yes I know it will never be as quiet as a new one but hot and idling at a light and its a loud tick tick tick etc etc. 70 wt oil with a cooler.
randy
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From: la la land jerzey
that is the reason 80 different shovel type open exhaust systems are available
you would not be buying a bike from us -
shovels are like 8 - 71 detroit diesel engines in trucks and buses - you drive it like your mad at it and it loves it
you would not be buying a bike from us -
shovels are like 8 - 71 detroit diesel engines in trucks and buses - you drive it like your mad at it and it loves it
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From: SW Washington State
So true, when asked what RPM to run, we told our drivers to slam the door on their thumb when they got in the driver seat.
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Road Warrior
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Ok, well, it doesn't negate the fact that they were not intentionally designed to make that kind of noise were they, and how come some do and some don't? I seen a 79 this past weekend that looked like it went through a war, leaking oil, missing and just plain abused but you don't hear anything like that from it. Is there that much difference in five years in tolerances? I put a lot of effort, and thought and money into this 74. Its my pride and my work that I show. Its not wrong to want it to sound as good as it looks and im not talking 2" open drags at Wide open throttle. I have time to tinker, but I don't want to just start replacing for the sake of new parts. I have built several bikes for others based upon the time and care I take. The more knowledge you guys can give me, the better my bikes will be.
thanks
randy
thanks
randy
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From: la la land jerzey
dont get me wrong you have a nice collection of bikes and you take a lot of pride in what you do kiddos to you
searching out shovels noises has been a 40 year search for some of us - if i could tell you oh its this i would and it would take an hour to type what i have found that was not right inside one of them, and it made no difference to and external bothersome noises -
sometimes you get one that does not make a sound - i have even bough a bike like that just to see stripped it to the screws and found nothing that one could say AH haa --
things to check -
lifter to lifter bore size and out of roundness
incorrect valve spring pressures - too much and yep too little causes sounds
push rod ball to rocker pocket size becomes an issue with 20 different people making push rods - it make sounds when the ball is sitting on the out side edge and not in the pocket
rock arm to rocker box end plays ( and ) is the end of the rocker arm cut straight to the pin that going inside
valve to valve guide distance becomes a thing as well if its too loose some make noise some dont
i could go on but you get the idea
searching out shovels noises has been a 40 year search for some of us - if i could tell you oh its this i would and it would take an hour to type what i have found that was not right inside one of them, and it made no difference to and external bothersome noises -
sometimes you get one that does not make a sound - i have even bough a bike like that just to see stripped it to the screws and found nothing that one could say AH haa --
things to check -
lifter to lifter bore size and out of roundness
incorrect valve spring pressures - too much and yep too little causes sounds
push rod ball to rocker pocket size becomes an issue with 20 different people making push rods - it make sounds when the ball is sitting on the out side edge and not in the pocket
rock arm to rocker box end plays ( and ) is the end of the rocker arm cut straight to the pin that going inside
valve to valve guide distance becomes a thing as well if its too loose some make noise some dont
i could go on but you get the idea
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2007
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Johnjzjz, Lifter to bore size. that's what im thinking perhaps as I can just wiggle the top of the lifter in the block. There should be no sideways (lateral) movement should there or is a little allowe? Very little that is.
randy
randy
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From: la la land jerzey
the lifter spec to lifter block bore is .002 loose not snug at the same temp both items
if you can wiggle its worn oval shaped - they make .005 / ,010 .020 oversize lifters for shovels - its usually 100 bucks to get cast iron blocks sunnen end honed to spec - you must tell the shop if they have not done them that the blocks move around when honing and both items need a cool down before checking for a final pass /// doing it with a ball hone will wreck both in 50 miles
if you can wiggle its worn oval shaped - they make .005 / ,010 .020 oversize lifters for shovels - its usually 100 bucks to get cast iron blocks sunnen end honed to spec - you must tell the shop if they have not done them that the blocks move around when honing and both items need a cool down before checking for a final pass /// doing it with a ball hone will wreck both in 50 miles
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