Questions for anyone with the following setup or close to it:

2009 Street Glide:
-SE255 Cam (installed about 2,000 miles ago with new B lifters & SE Adj PRs)
-Arlen Ness Big Sucker
-V&H 2 in 1 High Output Pipes
-Baisley Spring
-Mobile 1 20-50 oil
-PCV-AT (Fuel Moto base map) Running at 13.8afr

I just recently put the V&H Pipes on (about 400 miles ago), maybe it is an coincidence, but now I can hear loud tapping noise in the valve train between 2.5-3.0rpms, consistently (all gears). I can only hear it when I really lean on the throttle. It doesn't sound a bent valve or anything like that. It sounds like the push rod is slapping down on the cams lobes. It does it at exactly the same rpms in every gear and once I get over 3.0 the sound is gone, even when I am still at full throttle.

So far this is what I did to rule out possible scenario:

-Took the pipes off, put new gaskets in and put the pipes back on, after 100 miles let the bike cool and re-torqued the headers
-Readjusted the push rods @ 3 turns (no adjustment was even needed but I did it anyway)
-Swapped out the spark plugs & wires (I was planning on doing it anyway)
-Changed oil (I was planning on doing it anyway)

I am fairly certain it is not an exhaust leak (no back fire on decel at high speed), I am thinking it is a bad lifter although not sure. The bikes runs great and sounds great at all speeds even between 2.5-3.0rpms as long as I am not giving it hell.

Some other forums members have stated that the 255s increase, substantially, the valve train noise, my issue is that I never heard anything before putting the new pipes on. The pipes I had on before were the Fuel Moto Dyno tuned setup. Maybe the noise was there and I didn't notice it because of the sounds of the old pipe, however the V&Hs are louder and the noise is pretty loud so I would think, I would have heard it before.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

You will get a slight blow back from the intake value being open when the piston starts compression. This will happen on all cams that have a duration greater than 220*
It's odd that some bikes make more noise then others.

 

Good to know, I can hear a slight tap tapping nosie at around the 2,000 to 2,500 range driving easy since my Stage IV install.
I can't hear anything but pure power when I'm cracking the trottle. lol

 

I noticed a clink noise (sounds like two shot glasses hit together) at 2500- 3000 rpm after i added the woods tw6-6 cams on a limited 103. It only does it when I am off the throttle and roll it on and only makes one clink. I can roll it on and off and repeat the sound but only at that rpm range and it does it in all gears. I took my bell off but it wasn't that. Thought it might be an amplified sound from the stainless 2-1-2 headers from fuelmoto cause it sound like its coming from front header area. Not saying its a problem with header just wondered if stainless amplifies sound differently.
Bike runs great but the sound is annoying cause it makes you wonder wtf. Never heard it before the cams and header. Almost sounds like some tension slack issue. I am not a wrench and describing noises is difficult but this sounds like the same issue and would like to know the answer. Help Mr. Goodwrench.

 

Bump Bump, anyone have additional thoughts.

The above does sound exactly the same, different duration of sound but I bet it is caused by the identical issue/or item. I have a feeling the new pipes (which come with new headers) are thinner walled so I hear the noise through the pipes. Plus I don't have heat shields on the new pipes so I have a feeling the noise was there all along, but I didn't hear it only because the stock headers are different material and had heat shields which may have muffled the sound.

Either way I am taking the bike to a local dyno to get tuned in correctly since I am still have issues off the line with the bike lagging in throttle response. The guy i plan to take it to in Jersey is a AHDRA pro, he also builds his own 103 kits for harleys. He'll know what the sound is, if no one else chimes in.

 

Certainly sounds like pinging to me...

lp

 

Since putting on the 95" kit and Andrews 21N cams, I'm getting some valve train ticking consistenly in the 2000-2100 rpm range. It immediately stops once going past that engine speed or under it. It's more pronounced if the bike is unloaded...coasting or decelerating through the range and not as much when under load.

It's not bugging me too much, but if there's a way to stop it, I'll do it.

Oh, I used the stock, solid pushrods, stock heads, valves and valve springs. Tappets were not changed, and they're my only concern at this time. But man, the bike hauls like never before! LOVE the cams and extra displacement!

 

I had the same problem. I changed the oil a few times help a little then Amsoil still did it but a lot less. I just took her for a long hot 600 mile ride and it quit doing it. I am convinced I had a piece of something caught uo in a lifter or an oil passage somwhere but its gone! The valve train noise you will get with the cams is not that is is just a little more noise going on but no taps like that.

 

ok I can buy the pinging but mine is just one ping. To clarify I have tw6-6 cams fm headers 2-1-2, pcv with at and a fuelmoto map ( base map set up for everything but the +4 gear) and it only pings, clinks whatever at 2500-3000 rpm on any throttle roll on. Does the plus four gear increase pinging and would better gas stop it? because I could run some octane boost to see if it got better but I am running 93 gas but it is 10% corn. I will let it autotune when i can and get a dyno tune if needed but cant yet and need to ride to wyo and sturgis.

 

Woah, I've been worrying about the same exact noise on mine. 2800rpm is the most prominent rpm to make the sound. Bothered me enough on my trip today that I kept the bike at 3000-3100rpm.

I had 2 different shops ride and and nobody thought it was odd. Said it was normal with cams and a high duration. I'm still going to take some timing out of the bike on those rpms this week and try it again. Doubtful that it's going to help since it's in all gears but worth a shot.



I'm running:
SE255 cams
Fuel moto (SE Intake)
Cored 2 into 1 Stock Pipes
Jackpot exhaust
PCV


Dyno'd it and had the noise before/after dyno.

I'd call mine more of a knocking sound. Switching from HD SYN in all 3 holes to Mobil1 in the primary, 75-90 Synthetic in the trans and Bel-Ray primary in the primary. valvetrain noise is significantly quieter now. Shifting is much softer. Lifter rattle is still there but not as annoying.

I also used the cigarette smoke test around the exhaust ports and no exhaust leak. I sometimes think it's the stock pipe with no cat harmonics at that rpm but that's just speculation. Used a mechanics stethoscope and can't hear any mechanical noise that sounds similar when not under load (in neutral)