Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Piston Htting heads

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 05:11 PM
  #11  
choochoo's Avatar
choochoo
Banned
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,301
Likes: 4
From:
Default RE: Piston Htting heads

Wrong rods, pistons, or head gaskets, or heads milled too much.
More info on the build.
Is it a stock HD build or a DIY?
 
Reply
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 05:15 PM
  #12  
choochoo's Avatar
choochoo
Banned
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,301
Likes: 4
From:
Default RE: Piston Htting heads

I just love oxymorons. You gave us another example of one.
ORIGINAL: ZD

Engines usually have a tolerance called "Deck Height", which is measured with a depth michrometer from the top of the cylinder wall to the top of the piston at TDC.Some engines require a 'standard' to use as a base if the piston is designed to come out of the bore at TDC.

Should be a no-brainer for the dealer unless they don't do overhauls. If the deck height is wrong, then either the base is machined wrong or the pistons need to be machined for proper clearance and rebalanced.

I'm no expert on Harley engines by any stretch of the imagination, but I have built engines of all sorts, from motorcycles to autos to aircraft over nearly 40 years... I can't imagine that the clearances are so close that this could happen without something being pretty obvious to to the trained HD engine technician.

 
Reply
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 09:16 PM
  #13  
kruzin's Avatar
kruzin
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 656
Likes: 13
From: Des Moines, Iowa
Default RE: Piston Htting heads

You need to check the squish on this while you have it down. This will tell you what the clearance is. There should be about .034 in your engine for best burn and least ping. I would be wondering if it is the gear drive making the noise. One other thing, if the pistons were changed were they forged or cast? The forged will be louder.
 
Reply
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 10:16 PM
  #14  
candyx's Avatar
candyx
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 310
Likes: 1
From:
Default RE: Piston Htting heads


Sounds like a stroker motor with short jugs ????????
 
Reply
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 11:23 PM
  #15  
Harleypingman's Avatar
Harleypingman
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10,449
Likes: 46
From: Roswell, GA
Default RE: Piston Htting heads

What cam are you using; and with what heads? If you used valve springs with insufficient seat pressure with a high lift cam you may be floating a valve--i.e. the valve spring isn't strong enough toclose the valve allowing it to "float",and contact the piston.

Also, were the heads machined at all? Really, there are a bunch of explanations, but without details of the build, machining (if any), and the assembly you'll just be stumbling around in the dark.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
terrapin88
EVO
24
May 14, 2013 09:04 AM
san1sjd
Shovelhead
1
Aug 30, 2012 06:09 AM
HarleyReece
EVO
19
Jul 30, 2012 10:46 AM
Night Hog
Exhaust System Topics
6
Feb 5, 2010 02:09 PM
softail99custom
EVO
6
Jan 21, 2010 08:45 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:01 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE