First bike is 2002 Road Kings, 23,000 miles. Have a loud "clacking" noise at startup, noise lessens when warmed up but does not go away completely, I've replaced lifters and push rods. I will try to post a link to a short video I made and really appreciate any input what this may be, so far I'm suspecting exhaust leak.

 

sounds like a bad lifter, but you say you replaced them. Was the noise present when you first installed the new lifters? Did you prime the new lifters. If not, it takes them a while to fill with oil. When I did my cam job and put my woods lifters in. It took almost 15 minutes for them to fully prime with oil.


do you have adjustable pushrods?

 

Cover both ends of the exhaust with a big loose cotton towel and I bet it goes away. What you are hearing is a rather rich mixture as the exhaust valve opens still burning. Noise is mostly coming out exhaust. OEM exhaust would probably quieten it some. Just my opinion of course since you did not run the video mic around to detect noise direction. You can fill a manifold leak or see it in time with stain if it's bad enough to matter. Not like carbon monoxide is going to hurt you on a bike...

 

That was my original thought, I replaced lifters with new S&S lifters, is it possible for a new lifter to be bad? I also used adjustable pushrods.

 

If it's a lifter, put a stethoscope on the head and you will almost like fill it. A real two ear mechanics on. And sure, a lifter can be bad or if you have adjustable push rods, set wrong.

 

It was making the noise before I installed new lifters, that was the reason I did that. I've had the lifters in for a few days now and did some limited riding but more then enough time for lifters to fill. Yes I did prime them and I did the push rod adjustment twice to make sure it was correct, cylinder at tdc compression, assure lifters are bottom of cam stroke, install new lifter, adjust pushrod 4 full turns past initial snug, let bleed down until they turn by hand freely but no up and down movement.

 

Sounds like a cracked or broken Y pipe to me on your back cylinder, fire it up and put your hand under the bottom and you will feel the exhaust coming out, had mine tig welded and it fixed the problem also make sure the L shaped exhaust bracket isn't broken if so replace that as well. Good Luck.

rk classic

 

my next thought is what pushrods did you use. What is the turns per inch. if they are 32 tpi push rods, 4 turns would have been correct.


Have you checked oil pressure? Did you un bolt the cam plate? If so, did you replace all 3 O-rings for the cam plate. Make sure they were not pinched when you torqued down the cam plate. If there is no oil pressure, the lifters will not pump up and eliminate valve train slack.


If you didn't touch the cam plate/oil pump. My next thing would be to pull the rocker covers and check for a broken valve spring and check to make sure the rocker arm assemblies are bolted down tight and nothing is loose.


That does not sound like exhaust noise to me.

 

Head gasket or exhaust leak. Heard both sound like that. A lifter is more tinny in sound.

randy

 

Exactly! Sure not a lifter.. [Hope it's just the exhaust!]