Chirping at Idle
Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
Chirping at Idle
I traded a 2007 Sporty with 20k on the clock for a 2007 FLHTCU with 5.5k on it about two weeks back. I needed something better for two up riding as I have been doing a lot of poker runs lately and wanted something I could take weekend trips on (without getting beat to death).
Bike has been great, but.. I took a ~100mi ride over the weekend and it started chirping at idle. Noise is definitely coming from the rear jug. I thought it may be heat shields so I removed them. Tightened up exhaust nuts. Installed the nut that holds the Y pipe to the exhaust bracket (it was missing) and used high temp thread locker. Chirp is still present.
It doesn't do it when warming it up in the driveway, only after it's been run for a bit (engine is hot). It's also intermittent, but if I pull the plug wire from the rear jug it will make a regular chirp-chirp-chirp. After all the easy fixes were tried, I grabbed a cardboard tube and started homing in on the source of the noise. It seems like it's coming from the rear rocker box and from the pushrods. It's actually a little louder at the pushrods than it is up top.
So at this point I think my issue may be a tappet/lifter. Would like some other opinions though.
Have a listen:
I dropped it off at an independent in the morning to have it checked out and am awaiting a call. I was planning to get a 20k service done plus brake fluid flush anyway (I'm going overboard on initial service because of age and I don't know what has been done maintenance wise in the past).
If it does turn out to be lifters I'm going to have Wood Performance Directional Roller Lifters installed... I'm just hoping that I caught it early enough that nothing else is damaged.
So does it sound like lifters to you folks? Or something else possibly?
Thanks,
Rob
Bike has been great, but.. I took a ~100mi ride over the weekend and it started chirping at idle. Noise is definitely coming from the rear jug. I thought it may be heat shields so I removed them. Tightened up exhaust nuts. Installed the nut that holds the Y pipe to the exhaust bracket (it was missing) and used high temp thread locker. Chirp is still present.
It doesn't do it when warming it up in the driveway, only after it's been run for a bit (engine is hot). It's also intermittent, but if I pull the plug wire from the rear jug it will make a regular chirp-chirp-chirp. After all the easy fixes were tried, I grabbed a cardboard tube and started homing in on the source of the noise. It seems like it's coming from the rear rocker box and from the pushrods. It's actually a little louder at the pushrods than it is up top.
So at this point I think my issue may be a tappet/lifter. Would like some other opinions though.
Have a listen:
I dropped it off at an independent in the morning to have it checked out and am awaiting a call. I was planning to get a 20k service done plus brake fluid flush anyway (I'm going overboard on initial service because of age and I don't know what has been done maintenance wise in the past).
If it does turn out to be lifters I'm going to have Wood Performance Directional Roller Lifters installed... I'm just hoping that I caught it early enough that nothing else is damaged.
So does it sound like lifters to you folks? Or something else possibly?
Thanks,
Rob
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
.......... this stuff can blow your ignition system.
electronic ignitions are easily damaged if there is no spark present.
the current engine control modules ( ECM) use an ion sensor on the spark system.
all kinds of problems can result from "fixes" which may have worked on an early model.
mike
Thread Starter
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6th Gear
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: North Carolina
Nothing has been changed at all since I purchased it and it only started doing this after a ~100 mile ride this weekend. Not consuming oil/fluids (checked them all as soon as I heard it chirping during the ride and when I got back home).
I've tried applying pressure on the exhaust manifold to see if the noise changed or went away along with pushing on the pipes in various directions (no luck). Removed all heat shields from the bike in the area where this was occurring, tightened down all of the other heat shields as well. Also tightened down both of the exhaust nuts (where exhaust connects to jug) and secured the Y pipe to the black bracket with a new nut and high-temp loctite (the nut was completely missing when I purchased it).
Using the old cardboard tube method (since I don't have a stethoscope) the noise was definitely emanating from the rear jug. Strongest sound was at the pushrods, but I could also hear it up top. Did the same test/listening along all areas of the exhaust and I couldn't hear it.
Independent seems to think it's probably something very minor as well, given that the bike has less than 6100 miles on it, but I'm not so sure if it will work out that way based on where the sound is coming from.
Thanks,
Rob
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,216
Likes: 102
From: Central Illinois
That sounds more like a squeak like something is rubbing metal to metal. Make sure the exhaust pipes are not touching anything metal and make sure the rear pipe is not touching the top of the primary case.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 528
Likes: 4
From: Alberta Canada
I had a chirp at idle also. I thought it was in the exhaust system, so I tightened everything. I eventually traced it to the rubber mounts at the back of the mufflers...a little lube fixed it, but Im sure those rubber mounts are gonna get replaced soon anyways. Its worth checking.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
I had a chirp at idle also. I thought it was in the exhaust system, so I tightened everything. I eventually traced it to the rubber mounts at the back of the mufflers...a little lube fixed it, but Im sure those rubber mounts are gonna get replaced soon anyways. Its worth checking.
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 759
Likes: 34
From: Virginia
I got rid of a chirping sound at idle by lubing the upper motor mount stabilizer with some light oil and snugging them up.
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Road Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 20
From: Greater St Louis, MO
I had a chirp at idle also. I thought it was in the exhaust system, so I tightened everything. I eventually traced it to the rubber mounts at the back of the mufflers...a little lube fixed it, but Im sure those rubber mounts are gonna get replaced soon anyways. Its worth checking.