Top end/lifter noise after dissasembly
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Stage I
Joined: Jul 2019
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From: Norge
Top end/lifter noise after dissasembly
2001 Road King EFI. Recently changed the cam chain tensioners, re-used stock lifters and pushrods so yes i did dissasemble and re-assemble the rockers.
I now have a top end/lifter sound/noise/rattle that i did not have before. I know i did NOT bleed the lifters, but rather torqued the rocker arm bolts to spec right away. The bike did relax for 12 hours after this before starting though, and is running just fine except this noise.
There was indeed some resistance from the lifters as the rocker assembly did not sit flush before torque was applied.
Could i have damaged the lifters by not bleeding them down? Bent pushrods? Also heard about the rocker arm bolt clearance causing top end noise, could that be the case?
Can't dissasemble the bike again for a few weeks due to lack of tools, so thought i'd hear if anyone had some input on what to look for.
Thanks in advance - A Norwegian guy
I now have a top end/lifter sound/noise/rattle that i did not have before. I know i did NOT bleed the lifters, but rather torqued the rocker arm bolts to spec right away. The bike did relax for 12 hours after this before starting though, and is running just fine except this noise.
There was indeed some resistance from the lifters as the rocker assembly did not sit flush before torque was applied.
Could i have damaged the lifters by not bleeding them down? Bent pushrods? Also heard about the rocker arm bolt clearance causing top end noise, could that be the case?
Can't dissasemble the bike again for a few weeks due to lack of tools, so thought i'd hear if anyone had some input on what to look for.
Thanks in advance - A Norwegian guy
Last edited by Gaute Heim; Jul 29, 2019 at 09:31 AM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,557
Likes: 235
From: Texas
I gotta say it, you should have followed the book directions on torquing the rockers. Yes, you might have bent a push rod or valve stem forcing them down. The book warns of that possibility.
I am not sure that the rocker can hit the cover with a stock setup but you can realign the cover and see if that is the problem. The warnings I see about the rocker hitting the cover mostly concerns performance high lift valves.
I am pretty **** about such things, so if I was where you are now, I would be pulling it all back apart to make sure I didn't miss something and check everything I touched, before going back together and trying again...then go from there.
I am not sure that the rocker can hit the cover with a stock setup but you can realign the cover and see if that is the problem. The warnings I see about the rocker hitting the cover mostly concerns performance high lift valves.
I am pretty **** about such things, so if I was where you are now, I would be pulling it all back apart to make sure I didn't miss something and check everything I touched, before going back together and trying again...then go from there.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,156
Likes: 11,244
From: San Diego, CA
The rockers won't sit completely flush until the lifters bleed down.... that's why the FSM tells you:
Make sure the cylinder you are working on is at TDC, both valves closed & on the cam base circle, so you don't open a valve and hit it with the piston before the lifter bleeds down.
Wait until you can spin the pushrod with your fingers (to check that the lifter has bled down) before rotating the engine to put the next cylinder on it's base circle (TDC).
Tighten the bolts in a specific pattern, 1/4 turn at a time... that way you don't tweak anything while tightening the the rocker support plate against the resistance of the pushrods....
If you don't follow these steps, it's possible to tweak/bend/gouge something in the rockers/pushrods/cylinders....
Make sure the cylinder you are working on is at TDC, both valves closed & on the cam base circle, so you don't open a valve and hit it with the piston before the lifter bleeds down.
Wait until you can spin the pushrod with your fingers (to check that the lifter has bled down) before rotating the engine to put the next cylinder on it's base circle (TDC).
Tighten the bolts in a specific pattern, 1/4 turn at a time... that way you don't tweak anything while tightening the the rocker support plate against the resistance of the pushrods....
If you don't follow these steps, it's possible to tweak/bend/gouge something in the rockers/pushrods/cylinders....
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 8,538
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From: SF Bay area
2001 Road King EFI. Recently changed the cam chain tensioners, re-used stock lifters and pushrods so yes i did dissasemble and re-assemble the rockers.
I now have a top end/lifter sound/noise/rattle that i did not have before. I know i did NOT bleed the lifters, but rather torqued the rocker arm bolts to spec right away. The bike did relax for 12 hours after this before starting though, and is running just fine except this noise.
There was indeed some resistance from the lifters as the rocker assembly did not sit flush before torque was applied.
Could i have damaged the lifters by not bleeding them down? Bent pushrods? Also heard about the rocker arm bolt clearance causing top end noise, could that be the case?
Can't dissasemble the bike again for a few weeks due to lack of tools, so thought i'd hear if anyone had some input on what to look for.
Thanks in advance - A Norwegian guy
I now have a top end/lifter sound/noise/rattle that i did not have before. I know i did NOT bleed the lifters, but rather torqued the rocker arm bolts to spec right away. The bike did relax for 12 hours after this before starting though, and is running just fine except this noise.
There was indeed some resistance from the lifters as the rocker assembly did not sit flush before torque was applied.
Could i have damaged the lifters by not bleeding them down? Bent pushrods? Also heard about the rocker arm bolt clearance causing top end noise, could that be the case?
Can't dissasemble the bike again for a few weeks due to lack of tools, so thought i'd hear if anyone had some input on what to look for.
Thanks in advance - A Norwegian guy
As for damaging a lifter... not really . If anything you'd be more likely to bend a valve. A simple compression test would tell you.
It's also easy to drop the pushrod tubes & see if any are bent/loose.
Good luck in the hunt.
John @ Rockout
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Also on amazon.com...
Imitated, never equaled... ROCKOUTS!
