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Noisy as hell with stock valvetrain, made some noise (single lifter tapping) after FM 107" kit installed (valves were mis-adjusted to HD specs not Woods specs per FM website)...once valves adjusted to Jaime's (with Wood's lifters) specs, quiet as a mouse across complete RPM range...did I mention no more lifter noise...anywhere...
i had my SE 103 kit w/255 cams put in my SG this feb and 2500 miles on it and its a little noisier than the 96 was but running strong. i was getting a little chatter from the primary side and after ratcheting the chain up alls quiet. im running mobil1 20w-50 mc oil in the engine and primary and royal purple in the tranny.
I rode a TC88b for 10 years and the engine on my TC103 FLHR sounds the same to me. There is a lot going on with the reciprocation going on in the valve train. I don't know how it could not be relatively noisy. Thing is, it is probably much noisier to the rider than to others around you. I hear bike go by all the time running the same hardware as me and none seem excessively noisy to me.
I consider the shifting "clack" more annoying and I am a little self conscious about that.
My 2012 FLHX sounds like it's coming apart in the same RPM's mentioned above, I did my own 1k service, now I'm thinking I should have let them do it so there are no issues blamed on me when this thing lets go. It has about 2300 mile on it, running Redline in all three holes.
Misery loves company...I'm glad i'm not the only one getting annoyed by this. I can handle and understand (and kinda like) what we have always called the "sewing machine" noise but the racket of loud tapping just drives me mad. My 1000 mile service is next week, i'm fully expecting the "oh thats normal, no problem" speech.
Try a 20w-60 oil.
My top end was loud as hell using mobil 1 v-twin,so no more of that for me. I tried royal purple 20w-50 auto oil and it made a significant difference in noise. Plain old mineral pennzoil 20w-50 auto oil has made it the least noisy so far.
I have an oil change of motul 20w-60 for next month. Then amsoil straight 60 for the summertime. Once fall hits I will go to rotella t 15w-40.
I got er planed right out.
I just put in S&S 106 BB with S&S 583 ES cams and Fueling lifters and its the LOUDEST motor ive ever had. Wishing I would of gone a different route. Ive had rockers off twice. On rebulid I had Manley 600 lift springs put in so Im guessing thats the issue. Im so frustrated. When I put the first BB kit in I had the valve spring collar break on dyno (1200 miles on build) which took out the top end and I was hearing things then that I hear now. If it goes again im going to the full 107 kit. Very disappointing to say the least.
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