Yesterday I bragged, obviously prematurely, about my completed Stage I install, including the Woods cam and adjustable pushrods....

I need some guidance or suggestions...On my first attempt earlier this week, I started the bike and could hear a ticking sound coming from the right side of the engine near the pushrods. I called Jamie, and after opening them up again, found two of the jam nuts loose. I readjusted all four pushrods and cinched down (I thought!!) the jam nuts, and started it up...ALL QUIET! I was ecstatic, and could hardly wait to test drive it....

So, tonight the rain stopped and I jumped on the bike and took her out. Could feel a tremendous power increase, but then realized I could hear the ticking noise again! Q%^&*&^%$#@!#$%^&%$%^&*()(*&^%$..........Got back to my garage, and yes, the damn ticking has returned!!

What the hell am I doing wrong?!?? I haven't taken the covers off the pushrods again, that will have to wait till tomorrow, but I losing my freakin' mind!! PLEASE HELP!

 

Was there a torque spec for them? Loctite?

 

Are you tightening the nuts on the correct end?
I give mine a good grunting pull when i tighten them.
Never had one come loose.

 

I am using two 1/2" wrenches...One to hold the adjustment nut, and the other to crank down the jam nut. Do I need the use loctite? I didn't think I was supposed to on the pushrods??

 

But are you turning the jam nut in the correct direction?
My S&S rods, jam nuts tighten down, toward lifters.
Some tighten up, towards heads.

Not supposed to use Loctite on those.

It's gotta be something you're doing.

 

Mine tighten up towards the heads. The adjustment nut is above the jam nut. Apparently I just need to crank them down. I have a tendency to break things, so I guess I was just a little leery to tighten them enough?? ****....

 

I have the SE adjustable tappered push rods and I used blue loctite on them. I don't see how this will hurt anything. I put the drops of loctite on the threads and the nut and then turned the nut upward so it spread the loctite around. It worked great. I screwed up and had to remove the pushrods and they were difficult to loosen up. Even after I "broke" the nut loose, if was hard to loosen up the pushrods to get them out...had to clean them up before I put them back in.

 

Tighten those damn things!
You're not going to break them.

While you're at it...might as well tighten the other 2.

 

Okay, now I'm more stressed! I ran out to the garage and popped off the pushrod covers...NO loose jam nuts. ****. Is the ticking sound I'm hearing because they are just not adjusted right!?!? (not enough turns and too loose??)

I'm pretty sure I followed the adjustment procedure correctly! Adjusted each cylinder when the lifters were off lobe and on TDC...

 

I broke a jam nut, beleive me it can be done. They're not steel, some kinda alloy