Noisy Tappets
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 432
Likes: 63
From: Savage
How many turns did you adjust these pushrods? I did 4 turns but my try 4 1/2 - 5. I'm running the same setup, 57H cams and S&S pushrods.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,307
Likes: 195
From: Ohio
I hear people complain about their noisy, clattering engines all the time. I attribute this mainly to the fact that most fill their crankcases and everything else with synthetic 20W-50 lubricants. The hotter the ambient weather outside the louder they get. Read your owners manual very closely and you will likely see where you can run a 50 weight straight oil or even a 60 weight straight above a certain temperature. Synthetics are great but they damn sure aren't the end all answer to everything. The marketing zonks at the oil companies and the tech monkeys at the dealerships would like you to buy into the notion that synthetics are the answer to everything. There are alternatives out there.
Yesterday I installed Spectro 20W50 HD Golden semi synthetic oil and this makes no difference in the noise my engine makes.
Although I do believe that full synthetic oil can make the engine noise more noticeable , but the oil type alone isn't the real reason for these noises we are hearing.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 157
From: Banning, CA
Pushrod thread pitch
and others are 32 tpi. I've used Smith Bros. dual taper built to length in auto engines
for years and their HD adjustables are 32 tpi; they make for quite a few aftermarket
companies like Rivera. Chromoly, dual taper, ultra light weight adjustables but a few
bucks more.
As stated before even though the lifter has .200 plunger travel setting in the middle
will sometimes make them rattle - I like .125 to .140 down in because HD external
pushrods don't expand as much as the engine does imo.
32 tpi pushrods - .125 preload = 4 turns .140 preload = 4.5 turns
24 tpi pushrods - .125 prelaod = 3 turns .140 prelaod = 3.3 turns
I agree with the statement that some of Bob Wood's cam grinds are noisy and it's
the main reason I went with Andrews 37B's in my latest 103 build. Wood's stuff
sure does work though and some of my friends swear by it.
Last edited by lightweight bob; May 22, 2013 at 07:47 PM. Reason: calculations
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,236
Likes: 95
From: lancaster, pa
+1 get good lifters, cured it for me(black opps by hq if they are available
? ,around 190 a pair) tried new hd lifters no luck,re-adjusted pr no luck.terrible tapping like it was the valves tapping...98&1/2 percent quiter
? ,around 190 a pair) tried new hd lifters no luck,re-adjusted pr no luck.terrible tapping like it was the valves tapping...98&1/2 percent quiter
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,090
Likes: 7
Here is the problem....
Hd's new 'c' lifters have more clearance in the roller bearings. Some engineer decided that if you make the clearance larger, more oil can circulate through the rollers and it will last longer. Now undoubtedly this looked good on paper. Problem is, that clearance is enough to make noise. On top of that, the extra clearance isn't keeping that south of the border agave metal from wearing out prematurely. The fix is quite simple. New (not hd) lifters, and a
nice set of adjustable tapered pushrods. The reason that the dealer is telling everyone that it is normal is because the only lifters that the dealer can provide are JUST AS NOISY AS THE ONES THEY WOULD BE REMOVING! Again, to all of you frustrated riders out there that are still under warranty, buy a good aftermarket set of lifters, hand them to your dealers service manager and tell him 'if this fixes my noise, you owe me xx.xx dollars for these lifters' and let him use a set of Se tapered adjustable pushrods. If it doesn't fix it, tell him you
you will gladly pay the bill. Dealers have the ability to do these things, but they hate to. Once a few dealers realize
that off brand lifters are fixing the issues, something will be done about it in Milwaukee.
Hd's new 'c' lifters have more clearance in the roller bearings. Some engineer decided that if you make the clearance larger, more oil can circulate through the rollers and it will last longer. Now undoubtedly this looked good on paper. Problem is, that clearance is enough to make noise. On top of that, the extra clearance isn't keeping that south of the border agave metal from wearing out prematurely. The fix is quite simple. New (not hd) lifters, and a
nice set of adjustable tapered pushrods. The reason that the dealer is telling everyone that it is normal is because the only lifters that the dealer can provide are JUST AS NOISY AS THE ONES THEY WOULD BE REMOVING! Again, to all of you frustrated riders out there that are still under warranty, buy a good aftermarket set of lifters, hand them to your dealers service manager and tell him 'if this fixes my noise, you owe me xx.xx dollars for these lifters' and let him use a set of Se tapered adjustable pushrods. If it doesn't fix it, tell him you
you will gladly pay the bill. Dealers have the ability to do these things, but they hate to. Once a few dealers realize
that off brand lifters are fixing the issues, something will be done about it in Milwaukee.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,034
Likes: 127
Well then can you explain why my engine which up until yesterday has seen nothing but HD 360 20W50 conventional rattles and ticks like several sewing machines in a Vietnamese sweat shop?
Yesterday I installed Spectro 20W50 HD Golden semi synthetic oil and this makes no difference in the noise my engine makes.
Although I do believe that full synthetic oil can make the engine noise more noticeable , but the oil type alone isn't the real reason for these noises we are hearing.
Yesterday I installed Spectro 20W50 HD Golden semi synthetic oil and this makes no difference in the noise my engine makes.
Although I do believe that full synthetic oil can make the engine noise more noticeable , but the oil type alone isn't the real reason for these noises we are hearing.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,528
Likes: 6,407
From: Honah Lee
The theory behind the roller clearance is not an engineering reality. The lifter is basically a hydraulic jack to take up all clearance between the rocker that opens the valve and the lobe of the cam. The valve spring is strong enough that it prevents the valve from being held open and actually collapses the lifter when it is on the low side of the cam. There is about .2 travel in the lifter so the as built new Harley motor will position the lifter at approximately center of this travel at low cam but it is actually always pressing. Even if the roller bearing had .001 play, it would always be down.
However the nominal play is .0006-.001 with the maximum at .0015 . This apears to go all the way back to 2004 and forward thru 2011 as far as I can tell. ......Note just a thought an opinion.....
However the nominal play is .0006-.001 with the maximum at .0015 . This apears to go all the way back to 2004 and forward thru 2011 as far as I can tell. ......Note just a thought an opinion.....
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 157
From: Banning, CA
There's a lot of interesting info in this thread but the bottom line is many folk with
a noisy valve train have either cured or at least minimized it through replacement
of their lifters with QUALITY aftermarket ones. Just helped a friend a month ago -
new Comp cams lifters pumped up in oil, adjustable pushrods, O rings for stock tubes
which made it a PIA, but when done his rattle trap stocker was quiet. Btw - be sure
to have the valve closed each time you use those bolt cutters on the old pushrods.
Fwiw - the lifters sure looked like Delphi 'vette lifters with a larger oil orifice on the
pushrod end. Being in Socal where it gets real hot at times we set the lifters at .140"
down. I think any good (non-race) lifter would have achieved the same result imo.
a noisy valve train have either cured or at least minimized it through replacement
of their lifters with QUALITY aftermarket ones. Just helped a friend a month ago -
new Comp cams lifters pumped up in oil, adjustable pushrods, O rings for stock tubes
which made it a PIA, but when done his rattle trap stocker was quiet. Btw - be sure
to have the valve closed each time you use those bolt cutters on the old pushrods.
Fwiw - the lifters sure looked like Delphi 'vette lifters with a larger oil orifice on the
pushrod end. Being in Socal where it gets real hot at times we set the lifters at .140"
down. I think any good (non-race) lifter would have achieved the same result imo.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,489
Likes: 23
From: East of Tulsa
VThunder is the best lifter for the money. But if you have to brag to your buddies how much your lifters cost buy those $200-$300 ones. Harley lifters are made in Mexico even the SE ones. Prob cost HD less than $8 each.