First time owner very little knowledge of motorcycle engines just purchased a bike that has been sitting for a while I corrected the few things that the previous owner has told me and after riding a little I noticed a tick tick tick sound that seems to flow with the Rev of the engine looking for advice going to add just the pushrods as I was just told bye my cousin they should be adjusted every 1500 miles if this is not the issue and I have a sticking lifter would it be better to go with solid lifters or hydraulic lifters

 

I shovel is a great 3 rd bike and you need to be mechanical handy - and willing to work on it A LOT in the beginning

20 different things could make a ticking sounds in Harley motors

bring it to a shop that works on them and see what he says / and valve adjustments is a once a year thing for most in the spring I have customers put 10 thousand miles before adjusting solids = and if its HYD lifters never did a adjustment

 

Sound like pushrods, after i got my shovelhead i upgraded it to velva touch hydraulic lifters with chrome molly pushrods. Basically set and forget, never had a problem. The tick tick could be lots of different stuff. I rebuilt mine after i bought it because after buying it, but that's a whole different story.

 

Pushrod adjustment you describe is for solids, not hydraulics. How are you so sure he "ticking" sound is from the pushrods? Need to isolate the sound. Could be your rockers arms (too much freeplay), could be the lifters (tappet guides worn out meaning you need to hone blocks and go to oversize tappets), could be just simple adjustment of the pushrods. When was the last time the tappet screen was inspected?


My 84 FLH is my third bike, after my 65 FLH and my 49 EL. As John has stated you need some mechanical insight to old bikes and some of the old iron needs a bit more TLC to get them right. But once done, its a wrap.

You haven't stated what type of bike your are coming from, but Shovels and Pans have a bit more top end noise than their later counterparts.

 

Take a long handle screw driver, put the handle against your ear and touch various parts of the motor with the other end (tip). It'll act like a stethoscope and help locate the area where the ticking's loudest. That'll make it more easier to help you.

 

"First time owner very little knowledge of motorcycle engines"
Let someone else work on it......you have NO reason to be in there if you don't know what you're doing!

 

Don't talk so stupid. That is what all these tech forums are about, helping someone who wants to learn.

 

because it's my bike and I'll work on it my self if I choose to do so Im not to fancy to do it myself plus I don't have money to get ripped of for thousands when it only cause a few hundred. Ps what's this forum for TO LEARN MORE thanx for no advise though

 

I did and it sounds close to the lifter area going to try pushed adjustment the check if noise continues

 

Tick tick could be small head or exhaust gasket leak (was exhaust for me).