The dreaded 103 noisy engine
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 570
Likes: 4
From: New Mexico
With the engine warmed up and revved up a bit you can spray a mist of water in the carb or throttle body throat not enough to kill the engine and damn sure not enough to hydro lock it and that will remove the carbon.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 413
Likes: 7
From: Oklahoma
I to when I can run 93 in my new bike in my old softail I HAD too....As far as the RPM Q? Now, this is just me but daily I ride 40 miles hwy and about 10 side roads, when Im gettin on the hwy I hit 4k before I change gears, now I havent ran into the same problem (as of yet, hopefully I wont) but I'm only at 2100 miles yet.....just had it almost a month.....once I get to the 5k mark that remains to be seen...fingers crossed
Funny thing, I had a Yamaha Road Star and the 1700cc engine sounded like a handful of bolts in a dryer...man that made some noise. My current 2001 FLHTC TC-88 run so quiet and smooth.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 876
Likes: 65
From: CT
That's what I did to a GM 350 in a boat once, seemed to work real well.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 445
Likes: 0
From: Tulsa, OK
Mine has become more noisy than when I bought it with about 4300 miles on it, same with buddies 12 RK. I keep getting told it's normal. It is definately louder at the 26-2900 range.
I am feeling your frustration! Same deal here on my '12 Limited. Pings like crazy on 91+ octane from several different brands, including HD friendly Shell.
Took it in for my 5k service 2 weeks ago and was told that Harley's do that and then they asked if my pipes were stock- everything is still stock.
Between 2700 and 2900 it pings when accelerating. They also reminded me it is still under warranty. I had my voltage regulator replaced under recall and they also tightened my primary chain. Left the dealership and still experienced the ping. I am running liberal amounts of Lucas fuel injector cleaner and that helps a little. Maybe I will try the Seafoam.
I never had this issue on my '08 RK 96 engine. I will be heading back to the dealer and inquiring on the carbon buildup issue you have shared.
Adding also that usually cruise at between 2500 and 2700rpms. Is this too low an rpm for the 103?
Took it in for my 5k service 2 weeks ago and was told that Harley's do that and then they asked if my pipes were stock- everything is still stock.
Between 2700 and 2900 it pings when accelerating. They also reminded me it is still under warranty. I had my voltage regulator replaced under recall and they also tightened my primary chain. Left the dealership and still experienced the ping. I am running liberal amounts of Lucas fuel injector cleaner and that helps a little. Maybe I will try the Seafoam.
I never had this issue on my '08 RK 96 engine. I will be heading back to the dealer and inquiring on the carbon buildup issue you have shared.
Adding also that usually cruise at between 2500 and 2700rpms. Is this too low an rpm for the 103?
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 10,216
Likes: 224
From: Glendale AZ
Only way I got mine to stop pinging was to retard the timing in the RPM ranges I was having the problem....which required a tuner that allows access to the timing tables.
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Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 570
Likes: 4
From: New Mexico
Hard to believe that HD makes the engine so close to detonating that the motor is fine till you get a few thousand miles on it and build a little carbon. Here in Alaska you can't always get supreme gas which is normally 91 octane but we don't have vodka in our gas either.
5th Gear
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Baltimore
Where I live we have a Sunoco station that sells 100 octane unleaded pump gas. I've been adding about 2.5 gallons every two or three tank fulls and with Startron every time right after it started getting noisy. It's sounds like I think Harley thinks it should sound like, quiet though out. At 9 dollars a gallon makes a little costly to make it quiet but it was so bad I could not live with it. To get some of the carbon out we use to use top engine cleaner sprayed or pored thru the carb or throttle body steady than heavy to stall the motor. '11 FLHTK