Readjusting pushrods
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,945
Likes: 3
From: Victoria, Australia
Joe and Stone Cold, I am at .126 preload now (3 turns). The reason for the pushrods/lifter change was to eliminate the noise from the top end and I thought that I would do the cam as well. I think the biggest change has been the RPM that the noise is at, at least the highway speeds are quiet now. I have had three HD's and this is the only one that I have had the noise with. The fact that it is intermittant makes me think that I can fix it but I am wondering now if I just blew $ 850.00.
I think I will try a quarter turn more this week and see if it helps. It will tak me to .136 preload. Thinking the way a hydraulic lifter works I have my doubts but it will not take that long. My other bikes were Dynas and a sporty and the side exit pipes may have drowned the noise out.
I think I will try a quarter turn more this week and see if it helps. It will tak me to .136 preload. Thinking the way a hydraulic lifter works I have my doubts but it will not take that long. My other bikes were Dynas and a sporty and the side exit pipes may have drowned the noise out.
I'm at 3.25 turns on my SE tapered p-rods in the 09 BargeGlide with Woods directional lifters and it sounds like a sewing machine. Very happy.
I would have no problem running @.145 or .150 if it made the difference between quiet or not.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 342
Likes: 1
From: Greenville, South Carolina
I got ya. I didn't read carefully enough. But I would still go back to zero lash and ensure that you have the proper preload, especially now that the lifter springs and valve springs have been flexed for a while with the new cams.
Where I said "factory" I meant dealer. I was thinking that maybe the dealer had installed the adjustables for you initially.
So at 3 turns on a 24 pitch rod, you are already down .125" with your current preload. I wouldn't go past .150, but that's just me. What's the point of largely eliminating the functionality of the hydraulic lifter by going so deep? Remember a piece of paper is .005" thick, so at a preload of .150, you will have the equivalent of the thickness of 10 sheets of paper worth of lifter travel remaining in a .200 bore. Stack ten pages up and take a look, not very thick is it? And that is the amount of lifter travel you will have left if those woods lifters have a .200 bore length.
There are going to be noises, ticks, pecks, putts, rattles, and such with these motors. I have come to accept that and forget about most of what I am hearing. If it breaks, then I'll fix it.
Where I said "factory" I meant dealer. I was thinking that maybe the dealer had installed the adjustables for you initially.
So at 3 turns on a 24 pitch rod, you are already down .125" with your current preload. I wouldn't go past .150, but that's just me. What's the point of largely eliminating the functionality of the hydraulic lifter by going so deep? Remember a piece of paper is .005" thick, so at a preload of .150, you will have the equivalent of the thickness of 10 sheets of paper worth of lifter travel remaining in a .200 bore. Stack ten pages up and take a look, not very thick is it? And that is the amount of lifter travel you will have left if those woods lifters have a .200 bore length.
There are going to be noises, ticks, pecks, putts, rattles, and such with these motors. I have come to accept that and forget about most of what I am hearing. If it breaks, then I'll fix it.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,945
Likes: 3
From: Victoria, Australia
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carbo
One thing I heard before was it was optional to use red loctite on the jam nut. Has anyone ever did that before with these Adjustable rods? I know the FM ones they recommend it. Just wondering if it is necessary with the SE ones.
I had 4 SE tapered rods come loose on me 40 miles after installation. I KNOW I locked them down, and used 3 open enders to do it properly.
On re-installation I used a little red locktite and good to go. Later when I changed the lifters to the Woods directionals the locktite was easy enough to break free. Just need to be careful that the locktite swarf doesn't drop into the lifter casing-- a rag will fix that, then clean up the p-rods to get all the locktite off before reinstalling.
Originally Posted by Carbo
One thing I heard before was it was optional to use red loctite on the jam nut. Has anyone ever did that before with these Adjustable rods? I know the FM ones they recommend it. Just wondering if it is necessary with the SE ones.
On re-installation I used a little red locktite and good to go. Later when I changed the lifters to the Woods directionals the locktite was easy enough to break free. Just need to be careful that the locktite swarf doesn't drop into the lifter casing-- a rag will fix that, then clean up the p-rods to get all the locktite off before reinstalling.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 414
Likes: 26
From: Red Rock, Arizona
Lifter hole orientation
Yeah.....me tooI would be very interested also, that's where mines been since 5k miles. Good info to know the option of 1/4 turn is there. Sounds like the fun just begins after you put it all together.
Update:
I just took everything apart in preparation for the lifter and SE rods coming next week the hardest part of the project is complete. I'm starting my pre-load at 15 flats putting me at .105 pre-load. I will post my findings but I have no illusion the rods and lifters are only two components in many. Right now I want to restore perfect function to the lifters. With the bleed down I'm getting after just 15 minutes of sitting after complete warm up I've got at least one failing lifter. One thing I did notice that I found interesting, all the lifters had the oil hole facing to the center except one (front exhaust lifter). The jug that's been getting noisy since the 5k mentioned above. Notelling if this is the bastage that's been bleeding down but replacing em all rules out not getting to the right one.
Update:
I just took everything apart in preparation for the lifter and SE rods coming next week the hardest part of the project is complete. I'm starting my pre-load at 15 flats putting me at .105 pre-load. I will post my findings but I have no illusion the rods and lifters are only two components in many. Right now I want to restore perfect function to the lifters. With the bleed down I'm getting after just 15 minutes of sitting after complete warm up I've got at least one failing lifter. One thing I did notice that I found interesting, all the lifters had the oil hole facing to the center except one (front exhaust lifter). The jug that's been getting noisy since the 5k mentioned above. Notelling if this is the bastage that's been bleeding down but replacing em all rules out not getting to the right one.
I too do my own wrenching to keep riding with out selling my children into slavery. No one has addressed the lifter hole orientation. I read that I should have observed the lifter hole orientation on dissassembly. My bad. However I can find no information on lifter hole orientation. can anyone help me with this?
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,912
Likes: 328
From: Arizona
Men, I am going to readjust my SE tapered pushrods and Woods directional lifters to .150 preload to try to remove the noise from my 2013 Road King. All the procedures make sense , but after getting lifters on the low point of the cam do I have to wait or can I readjust right away on the first set? I realize about bleed down before doing the other set. Also should I add the half turn or start from scratch and then go to 3.5 turns . Thanks I am obsesseed with the noise that has been there from when I left the dealers lot when new.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,335
Likes: 5
From: CT
I too do my own wrenching to keep riding with out selling my children into slavery. No one has addressed the lifter hole orientation. I read that I should have observed the lifter hole orientation on dissassembly. My bad. However I can find no information on lifter hole orientation. can anyone help me with this?
I too do my own wrenching to keep riding with out selling my children into slavery. No one has addressed the lifter hole orientation. I read that I should have observed the lifter hole orientation on dissassembly. My bad. However I can find no information on lifter hole orientation. can anyone help me with this?
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 4,741
Likes: 45
From: Indian Land, SC
That's what the manual says but when I pulled the stock ones out of mine, the holes were facing in the opposite direction. So much for that!!!
So with the Redshift dual piston tensioners and the Baisley oil spring what is your noise level like?
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 541
Likes: 3
From: Sherwood Park AB Canada
I have the FM rods and 19 flats gives me .0989 preload on the lifters. I don't know what pitch they are off hand, but obviously not 24 like the SE rods. Mine are loud when hot, particularly between 2500-3000. Perhaps if I adjusted them down to 125-150 preload it would quiet them down. But the instructions for the FM rod install says 19 flats (.0989 preload). Could I run into problems if I went to a 125-150 preload. I have the stock HD lifters, which I should have changed when I did the TW222 cams. I believe they have .200 total travel. If that is the case, I should be OK increasing the preload. Maybe that will quieten things down. Assuming I can break the red lock tight I used to lock them down!
Last edited by the warden; Oct 7, 2013 at 09:47 PM.