New 98" build started
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2008
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Well, your predicament certainly sucks. I'm only looking at this on my iPhone and it appers that it's running a little lean just by seeing the pics of the plugs but, no worse than they look you'd expect that it would still run really strong. You wouldn't think the tune would help that much. Let us know how it pans out. That's one sweet RK you got there BTW.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
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From: GA.
Pulled the rocker boxes back off today. It looked like the intake valve springs might have been just touching the lower boxes on both cylinders. Took a dremel to them and clearanced them. Also used the oil pump alignment screws to center and align the lower boxes during reassembly. Checked the end play of the rocker shafts. Both shafts on the front cylinder have .011 clearance, and both on the rear cylinder have .014 clearance. Put everything back together and fired it up.
At idle with the engine cold it sounded much better. So I went for a spin. The bike actually seemed to run a bit better today, but what I did today really shouldn't have effected anything as far as how it runs. When I got back with the bike hot, there's still too much noise at idle. It's a tinny sound, almost a 'tink,tink,tink' kinda sound. Using a large screw driver as a stethoscope, I can't really pinpoint it either. It's frustrating, to say the least. I'm gonna leave it alone and see what the tuner says on Monday.
At idle with the engine cold it sounded much better. So I went for a spin. The bike actually seemed to run a bit better today, but what I did today really shouldn't have effected anything as far as how it runs. When I got back with the bike hot, there's still too much noise at idle. It's a tinny sound, almost a 'tink,tink,tink' kinda sound. Using a large screw driver as a stethoscope, I can't really pinpoint it either. It's frustrating, to say the least. I'm gonna leave it alone and see what the tuner says on Monday.
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Outstanding HDF Member
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From: GA.
They were opening fine. They might have been hitting slightly when closed. I put a different set of rocker boxes on it than what I had when I tore it apart the first time. My original ones had some of the chrome peeling off, so I picked these up at a swap meet. The uppers had already been clearanced, but I honestly don't remember what the bottoms looked like before I installed them. After looking today, they were definitely close to the springs, and had some contact marks on them, but I'm not sure if the marks were from before I got them, or after I installed them. Either way, they're clearanced now and I know that's not a current issue.
I may try to take some video and see if the noise shows up on camera and maybe someone can chime in with a thought......
I may try to take some video and see if the noise shows up on camera and maybe someone can chime in with a thought......
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: SE Florida
Since I'm having a brain fart here looking at the carbon build up, I need to ask a dumb question. Is the build up typically from too lean, or too rich, or too hot a plug? Last time I replaced the plugs I looked down the shoot with a flashlight and it was similar to the pics. Not as bad, but just dark.
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Joined: Dec 2005
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They were opening fine. They might have been hitting slightly when closed. I put a different set of rocker boxes on it than what I had when I tore it apart the first time. My original ones had some of the chrome peeling off, so I picked these up at a swap meet. The uppers had already been clearanced, but I honestly don't remember what the bottoms looked like before I installed them. After looking today, they were definitely close to the springs, and had some contact marks on them, but I'm not sure if the marks were from before I got them, or after I installed them. Either way, they're clearanced now and I know that's not a current issue.
I may try to take some video and see if the noise shows up on camera and maybe someone can chime in with a thought......
I may try to take some video and see if the noise shows up on camera and maybe someone can chime in with a thought......
Have you checked for any contact marks on the pushrods or tubes?
Zach
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Outstanding HDF Member
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From: GA.
Since I'm having a brain fart here looking at the carbon build up, I need to ask a dumb question. Is the build up typically from too lean, or too rich, or too hot a plug? Last time I replaced the plugs I looked down the shoot with a flashlight and it was similar to the pics. Not as bad, but just dark.
It could be from running rich, oil consumption, plugs, and/or a combination of all, and then some. I thought it kinda strange how the front piston has the clean ring on it. Venting the motor into the intake doesn't help, I'm sure, as the oil mist from the vent lines end up in the combustion chamber. I'm sure someone on here that's smarter than me can comment better on the carbon.
Last edited by cuda67bnl; Jun 25, 2010 at 06:36 PM.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
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From: GA.
Have you ran that cam before, or heard the same cam in another engine? Might just be the characteristics of the ramps. Woods cams are not known to be the quietest things out there, but they seem to work pretty damn good.
Have you checked for any contact marks on the pushrods or tubes?
Zach
Have you checked for any contact marks on the pushrods or tubes?
Zach
I've been running that cam since the week before Daytona this year. This particular sound didn't start until the motor work the other day. I checked tubes and rods yesterday when I readjusted them. That's not it. I just took some video, but didn't let the bike get hot enough to hear the 'tink' sound. Plus the camera makes the whole bike sound totally different. I'll try to get it uploaded and post it.
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About the carbon build up, I noticed the clean spot on the piston also. I thought the pistons really looked pretty clean. As cuda stated, venting into the air breather I'm sure is part of that but a guy that I know here locally that does headwork on HDs says the valve angle on harley heads is really poor and that is the main cause of carbon buildup. When he does a set of heads, he changes the angle of the valves and says this cures a lot of the carbon deposits. I haven't been inside a motor after putting heads on one that he had worked, but I have seen several that did not have headwork (some with low mileage) and I haven't ever seen any with less buildup than the pistons in your picture you posted. Were those pistons ran with stock heads? I don't know if bean or other guys do this or not but I'd almost be willing to bet they do change the valve angle.
Last edited by 1931jamesw; Jun 25, 2010 at 09:36 PM.