I recently purchased my first Harley project bike and am in need of help with timing and setting the points? It is a 1988 Sportster XLH 1200 4spd.I just replaced the cam gear cover and the points/rotor and on first fire I was getting a lot on “knocking” in the motor (sounds like its in the heads) so I shut it down immediately. Bike ran terrible before doing this work but it didn't knock at all anyways... I’m thinking when replacing the cam cover I might have allowed a gear to jump and skip a tooth (I was told my points being off wouldn't cause knocking just a mis-fire) but I have never adjusted timing on a bike (only cars). Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

You need to get a service manual for that year and make, it will have all the data you need. Other than that, how long had it been sitting before the you started it this last time, if real long time it maybe the hydraulic lifters just weren't pumped up yet.

 

Why would you take the cam gear cover off? Lots of moving bits and pieces that need to be timed properly, sounds like they no longer are. You need a Factory Service Manual, you need to take the cover back off and figure out what is incorrect.

That said, points? In 1988? That doesn't sound correct for that year bike. I do remember people hating the early electronic ignitions and removing them for points, maybe this happened to your bike. Good luck.

 

Replaced the cover due to it having a large crack in it and not holding oil. The bike sat for about 2 years so I thought maybe it needed to pump up. Let it idle for about 5 minutes but shut it down because the sound didn’t stop. It’s idling very smooth (minus the knocking).

 

When I had my cam cover off I had to take the timing rotor and stuff off (electronic ignition - after market) and then when I put it all back together it ran like crap. Lining up the timing marks through the site hole was a real PIA. But anyway, I finally realized the timing (ignition timing) was 180 degrees off. The TDC, or timing mark will show through the site hole on the exhaust stroke as well as the compression stroke. If it's the cam timing, the cover will have to come off, but it's fairly easy, thankfully, to tell when the cams are all lined up with all the marks and a workshop manual. Then there are the pushrods, etc., etc. If you have a mechanics stethoscope, that can help tell where the noise is coming from. They're cheap and good to have.

 

ok guys, so with a little more investigation i'm thinking its an oil issue. I have plenty of oil in the bike but don't seem to be getting any circulation. I can't see any movement when i look in the oil tank with the bike running. i also noticed that after fully draining the oil and refilling the level in the oil tank didn't drop at all after starting the bike. When i put my hand on the dipstick hole I can feel suction but there is no movement. I then pulled the oil filter off and cranked the bike over (plugs disconnected) and it is barely flowing out and is not coming out with any pressure at all.

Could I have somehow damaged the oil pump or caused it to be air bound somehow when I replaced the cover?

I did pull the cam cover again and made sure all the oil journals are clear and that the gasket for the cover had all the correct passages in it.

 

I had the same issue on a bike that sat longer. It sheared the oil pump side the pushes oil and no oil return. The pull side worked and it was filling the case with oil. The manual for your bike has a great write up on how to check your pump tolerances. My tolerances were good but i could not find the shear pin so to be safe I replaced the pump. They are $300 on Ebay.

Oil pumps are a bear to get out on older bikes and some years you have to pull the motor. Mine is a 1990 and i was able to get it out with a high quality wobble allen wrench as you have a little angle the frame opening on one of the bolts.

When you have the pump out make sure your brass ring gear looks good if you did not check it already when you had the cam cover off.

Good time to replace your feed and return lines to your tank with 3/8 ID fuel injection hose and use fuel injection hose clamps.

Its a pesky job but can be done with the bike on its jiffy stand. You can park it on a 2x4 blocks to increase the tilt if you dont have a lift.

 

You can lose the "prime" in your oil pump, nothing will move. I did it once on a 1979 XLH, long story. Gray beard told me to remove the timing plug and pump as much oil in the hole as I could. That got the pump primed and all was well again. Not sure how that will translate to 1988, but it worked out for me. Good luck.

 

Take off your in line and make sure you have oil to the pump and it should prime. I had mine off with out issue but its possible.

When I had this issue the diagnosing problem was the pump has a pull and push side. If no oil is pumping to the bag then it could be one side or the other.

I checked google and the pins shear pins seem available. Part 26430-76 if they did break and did not eat up your gerotors.

 

I wonder if you could also prime the oil pump by adding oil down the case breather? I know it will puke it out when there is too much lol.