Engine noise
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6th Gear
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Engine noise
I have a 2000 Softail deuce, It has 49,000 miles on it. I had a new cam kit, pushrods, and lifters installed due to a loud rattle coming from the front right side of the engine. Got it out of the shop and the noise sounds like it has migrated to behind the aft cylinder.
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Did they replace the cam tensioner shoes when they were in there? Did they replace the inner and outer cam bearings? Stock pushrods or adjustable? If it still has the smae sound then maybe the nosei was coming from elsewhere. I would take it back to whoever did the work. This description is not enough to diagnose the problem. I'm not a mechanic but I play one on TV.
Drew
Drew
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From: Beautiful Downtown Burbank
First thing that comes to mind is exhaust heat shields, but I figure that all got tightened up when the shop did the cams, etc. Another that comes up is wrist pin bushings/piston slap. At 50k miles, its getting close to time. if tahts the case, then I wonder of the spigots are plugged. What condition were your chain tensioners in?
Last edited by kk6pg; Jan 27, 2011 at 10:36 AM.
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6th Gear
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The chain tensioners were replaced. It was a full cam kit, with all bearings. They installed adjustable push rods. I did take it back, they said that everything looks fine. They couldn't find any problems. The bike had set in my garage for about 6 or 7 months before I had the chance to take it in, could it be bad gas? I have the rear rocker box and jug off now. There is a little carbin build up on the piston, but not much.
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From: Honah Lee
These engines are prone to piston slap if they are the least bit out of spec with the clearances. If it only does it at idle and your exhaust is not too loud to hear any thing and you can not hear it at 30 I would not worry about it. However I have see the experts scratch there heads at noise and all you are going to get is a lot of opinions that do not mean anything since we can not hear it. A stethoscope will help here isolate it. I been in three engines for noise and the last one was the wrist pin and I thought it was slap.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Jan 27, 2011 at 09:28 PM.
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6th Gear
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The reason I parked it was because of the noise on the front right side of the engine. After I got it back from the shop the noise migrated to behind the aft cylinder. I'll check the wrist pin. Thanks.
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From: Beautiful Downtown Burbank
Since you've already got half the top end apart, might as well pull the other barrel and slap a big bore kit on it. If one or both wrist pin bushings are toast, youll have to see if you can beg, borrow, or steal a bushing puller and reamer. If you need to buy one, the puller is around 150 bucks, and the reamer is close to 200. Whatever you do, dont exert any side pressure to the rod or you'll twist the little mother, and then you'll be looking at big bucks.
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From: san antonio
I doubt the noise is piston slap. I have pulled TC engnes down with 25k and more miles and the hone marks look new and the coating on the thrust faces of the pistons has not a mark. The piistons in these engines are cast and setup at very tight toleraances; like .0006"-.0015". If the pistons were forged and set up at loower tolerancs, I might by piston slap if the noise was audible on start up but went away when the engine warmed up.
That kind of noise is difficult to run down. Noises don't migrate; if you are sure the noise is coming from a different location; it's a different noise. There are several possibilities and you just have to start running them down, checking the easy ones first.
Start with a general but close inspection of the bike; look for loose fasteners and worn accessories that might be moving and coming in contact with something else. Check the heat shield clamps. primary and check the compensator/engine sprocket. Could be loose, springs could be loose and letting it rattle. Check the primary chain adjustment to see if it is adjusted per spec.
Next is the valve train; are the valves ajusted properly; are the pushrods rubbing the tube at the top; were the rocker boxes aligned when installed; with 49K miles, you could have enough wear in the rocker shafts and shaft end play to generate noise;. Thats a counter balanced engine and you could have something going wrong wih the couter balances.
So many sources of noise on a Harley, some just get ear plugs and ride until something falls of or breaks.
That kind of noise is difficult to run down. Noises don't migrate; if you are sure the noise is coming from a different location; it's a different noise. There are several possibilities and you just have to start running them down, checking the easy ones first.
Start with a general but close inspection of the bike; look for loose fasteners and worn accessories that might be moving and coming in contact with something else. Check the heat shield clamps. primary and check the compensator/engine sprocket. Could be loose, springs could be loose and letting it rattle. Check the primary chain adjustment to see if it is adjusted per spec.
Next is the valve train; are the valves ajusted properly; are the pushrods rubbing the tube at the top; were the rocker boxes aligned when installed; with 49K miles, you could have enough wear in the rocker shafts and shaft end play to generate noise;. Thats a counter balanced engine and you could have something going wrong wih the couter balances.
So many sources of noise on a Harley, some just get ear plugs and ride until something falls of or breaks.