Started 04 Electraglide Standard this morning. Took off and got a few miles down the road and started hearing a clapping sound coming from around front cylinder. Noise went away for a little while then came back. Took it back home and parked it. Any ideas on possible cause of noise?

2004 Electraglide Standard
95 Cubic Inch.
SE HP Forged Pistons.
SE Performance Heads.
SE 257 Cams.
SE Race Tuner.
V&H 2 into 1 exhaust.
38000 Miles.

 

It's happy that you took it out for a ride?

 

It's possible an adjustable pushrod has loosened and is flopping around. Easy enough to check.

 

A stethoscope is your best new friend.
Does it do it while idling?

 

Agreed on pushrod except that it wouldn't probably go away...however, sounds like a classic lifter problem...easy fix...as always, I recommend that if it is a lifter, don't shop value...shop for the best part...S&S or JIMS, or equivalent. Very common problem on Harley big twins, anywhere from, say, 25,000 miles or up...

 

Yeah, sound like a lifter to me as well. I just got done replacing them in my 08 FXSTC because of a similar problem just a few weeks ago. I got 52K out of the OEM's. These are a direct replacement for HD 18538-99B, and what I put in my FX

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111077386540...#ht_285wt_1007

I'm more than happy with them, and for $7.50 each, that's just another reason to love them. These lifters run for hundreds of thousands of miles in GM vehicles, so I don't anticipate any problems with them in my bike. Spend $100 a lifter if you want, but in my opinion, big name lifters are a waste of money. My gaskets and PR cover o-rings cost me more than my lifters did.

 

Totally agree with xwhyz1959: Comp Cams 850-1 at $11.99 seem to run just as good as the $45 Black Ops Lifters they replaced. Hell if they're good enough for a 450 hp Corvette.... (!)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/380783374771...84.m1423.l2649

 

Made me laugh, good one

 

Before you go ripping it apart, check your entire engine area for loose parts. Wiggle them all. Wifey and I were out on a ride one day and we were about 60 miles from home and I started hearing a noise from the inner primary (or so I thought). I had just changed out the inner primary and put in the SE Compensator a few days prior. The noise was a rattle that only did it at idle or near idle. Never while under load. I told my wife that I hoped it would hold together till we got home. It did. Once we got home I tore open the primary to see what I had done wrong. I couldn't find anything wrong. I scratched my head. Put it back together. Went for a ride and same thing. Rattle at idle but not at speed. I brought it back home. I was on my knee next to the bike, put my hand on the cylinder head near the spark plug area and the cover moved. The little set screws had come loose and the matching finned spark plug cover was rattling around. I just shook my head and laughed. Needless to say the covers never went back on the bike and haven't put a set on the new bike. Lessoned learned. Check around before you go ripping into it. I did get extremely proficient at removing the outer primary cover and changing the fluids.

 

Yes, I agree that one must start with the basics...I've had to learn that same lesson many times over the years.