Hydraulic Lifters
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,832
Likes: 67
From: Phoenix
You'll hear louder-than-normal ticking from the valves, because the lifters wouldn't build up enough pressure to eliminate the valve lash. To hear what it would sound like, listen to your bike when it first starts up when the engine's cold, because the lifters haven't built up oil pressure yet.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,898
Likes: 67
From: Saint Amant, Acadiana
You'll hear louder-than-normal ticking from the valves, because the lifters wouldn't build up enough pressure to eliminate the valve lash. To hear what it would sound like, listen to your bike when it first starts up when the engine's cold, because the lifters haven't built up oil pressure yet.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,832
Likes: 67
From: Phoenix
It's not necessarily a problem with the lifters. Keep in mind Sportsters are just noisy, and I can't agree or disagree with you that what you're hearing is unusual, without hearing it myself. Assuming the valves are making more noise than they should, there could be a few reasons the lifters aren't building up enough oil pressure. You could simply be low on oil, an oil passage could be obstructed by some debris, the oil pump could be failing (though you'd probably have other symptoms if that were the case), or it could just be the lifters.
Is the noise coming from both rocker covers, or just one? If it's both, I don't think it's the lifters. Two would have to fail at the same time for that to happen.
Is the noise coming from both rocker covers, or just one? If it's both, I don't think it's the lifters. Two would have to fail at the same time for that to happen.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,898
Likes: 67
From: Saint Amant, Acadiana
First, I have these N4 cams I dropped in years ago, I remember from Andrews instructions the gears may make sound and they say it is not going to harm anything.
Second, there is loud ticking that kicks in around 2800 RPM, what might that be? Cam gears?
Should I just keep riding it and wait until something breaks?
Second, there is loud ticking that kicks in around 2800 RPM, what might that be? Cam gears?
Should I just keep riding it and wait until something breaks?
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Phoenix
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