Exhaust System Topics New and old exhaust system discussions. Fitment issues to sound bites and suggestions. Post them here.

Engine seems to tap TOO much...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 18, 2008 | 12:25 AM
  #11  
Comfortably Numb's Avatar
Comfortably Numb
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,007
Likes: 4
From: Vancouver, B.C.
Default RE: Engine seems to tap TOO much...

Sounds like pinging to me.
+1

CN
 
Reply
Old Apr 19, 2008 | 04:20 PM
  #12  
tootal's Avatar
tootal
Tourer
15 Year Member
Liked
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 265
Likes: 14
From:
Default RE: Engine seems to tap TOO much...

The top of the push rod tubes are swedged to form the o-ring seat. The inside diameter is reduced because of this. The bottom part of this tube is 13.5 mm. I took a drill this size and drilled out the top which gave me the clearance I needed. I had the JIM's titanium pushrods and you could see that they were hitting the tube. This pops the pushrod out of the socket on the rocker and when it slams back in you get the tick. SE is now selling a tapered adjustable pushrod that should stop the problem. I can't believe it took this long to figure out the problem, and then to get the cure from HD. The aftermarket really blew this one. RevTech even makes tapered ones for the evo but not for the TC. Wake up people!!
 
Reply
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 11:45 AM
  #13  
neonhomer's Avatar
neonhomer
Thread Starter
|
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 588
Likes: 0
From: Volusia County, FL
Default RE: Engine seems to tap TOO much...

ORIGINAL: kruzin

Sounds like pinging to me. Do you have a tuner on it?
No tuner... yet. Everything is stock. I run 93 octane gas in it. I have no idea what oil is in the engine. It was just changed when I bought it. A friend of mine was telling me to try running 50w oil in it. Given that we are in Florida, there shouldn't be any problems. Just kinda hard to find a 50w synthetic. (Was thinking on running Kendall 50wt in it.)

I got a itch now to crack the cam cover open to see if anything is amiss, but I really don't want to take the exhaust off to do it!
 
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 08:09 AM
  #14  
shoveltrev's Avatar
shoveltrev
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Default RE: Engine seems to tap TOO much...

if you have the patience to got the bolts out of the cover you dont have to pull the exhaust ive done it twice. an allen wrench cut down real short helps.trev.
 
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 12:11 PM
  #15  
BB Sue's Avatar
BB Sue
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 71
Likes: 1
From:
Default RE: Engine seems to tap TOO much...

Get one of those mechanic's stethescopes, or at least a long handled screwdriver against the ear, and probe until you find the noise. The probe stethescope is better as you can tape it to the motor and ride it in case it's a "only on the road" engine noise. But you can hear, not only where the noise is coming from, but what the noise sounds like...

Beware, tho... my Evo was doing the same thing until last Saturday... I knew it was there, figured, hell, after the riding season I'd fix it.

Guess the damn bike heard me and decided, Kewl, the riding season ends... now! ha haha... The innocenttic became a clatter becane a scrapeychunky within a quarter mile.

Oh,it runs really well - but only on the rear barrel. Crap. and Ug.

I knew it was gonna happen, at least I was close to home. Unfortunately, the garage is a mess, the place I go to have work done is backed up 2-3 weeks, so she went ))gulp(( to the local dealershop... Hope they don't freak over the Andrews cams, the Branch heads, the EZ-in pushrods, etc...

I *think* it had stock barrels, tho... so if that's the case (hope hope) I'll have them reddone (make that replaced, by the sound of what went wrong I want to start anew)and not worry about *that* for a while.

Oh, bike had 42K on it. Low miles. Damn. HATE it when that happens...

Find where your tic is. Then you know if you have detonation, or valve tap, oran exhaust leak, ora conrod bearing waiting to make your trip across town an adventure...

Sus
 
Reply
Old Apr 26, 2008 | 06:36 PM
  #16  
neonhomer's Avatar
neonhomer
Thread Starter
|
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 588
Likes: 0
From: Volusia County, FL
Default RE: Engine seems to tap TOO much...

I just returned from the 150 mile roundtrip to Leesburg Bikefest, and the motor did this tapping all the way there. Performance doesn't seem to be affected, but I would swear it's getting worse.

I notice it more around 2500 rpm, and have also noticed a bit of a whine, which almost sounds like a belt whine. However, it goes away when you pull the clutch in. I really don't notice the clatter/tap below 2000 rpm.

Now I am worried about riding this bike too far, as I don't want to cause major damage to the engine. The bike only has 24,000 miles on it, so I seriously hope there is no major engine problems. If it does, it's going to sit a long time until I can afford to rebuild the motor. (Out goes the 88, in goes the 103!).

I thought about running to a thicker oil. Thought about 50w Valvoline or Kendall GT-1...
 
Reply
Old Apr 26, 2008 | 07:04 PM
  #17  
neonhomer's Avatar
neonhomer
Thread Starter
|
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 588
Likes: 0
From: Volusia County, FL
Default RE: Engine seems to tap TOO much...

I just broke out the redneck mechanic's stephescope (a wooden dowel I had laying around), and you can hear a definate "tap" or "click" coming from the rocker covers at idle.IIRC< motors with hydraulic lifters ARE NOT supposed to make this noise, as the lifter is supposed to take up the lash.

So, I wonder what the next step is?
 
Reply
Old Apr 26, 2008 | 09:51 PM
  #18  
panmann's Avatar
panmann
Banned
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Default RE: Engine seems to tap TOO much...

Just my 2 cents but I changed to Lucas synthetic and my 04 RK is much quieter. I know its not technical but I read it in an oil thread here.
 
Reply
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

Jason Momoa Is Turning Classic Harleys Into PHEVs

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-6

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-7

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Apr 27, 2008 | 08:21 AM
  #19  
Jeff Dodson's Avatar
Jeff Dodson
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 140
Likes: 6
From: Lake Jackson TX.
Default RE: Engine seems to tap TOO much...

Werll mines been making this noise for 36,000 miles now and I dont sweat it anymore. Some days, like real humid days its worse, I figured it was the cooling fins on the heads. The motorcross motorcycles I rode when I was kid did the same thing. I am told my MANY Harley techs that its normal and dont worry about it. BTW, I use Royal Purple 20/50 eng., RP 75/90 in tranny, any RP 20/50 in primary. JUst ride it like you stole it.
 
Reply
Old Apr 28, 2008 | 08:18 PM
  #20  
neonhomer's Avatar
neonhomer
Thread Starter
|
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 588
Likes: 0
From: Volusia County, FL
Default RE: Engine seems to tap TOO much...

Can't ride it like I stole it, cause I'm still payin for it!!!!

I changed my oil today to Valvoline Racing 50w, (it is grade SM, but NOT Energy Conserving), and it didn't seem to help. I didn't notice any metal shavings or powder on the magnet when I drained it, but didn't really see the oil as it drained.

I am really worried about this. I called the dealer today, and they are basically telling me "Oh Well". However, they did offer to let me buy a extended warranty. They will backdate it to when I bought the bike, and then I can bring it in to be looked at. It's $700 +tax for 1yr of warranty, and there is a $50 deductible everytime I bring it in. I think the warranty is a good idea, but $700 could be better spent elsewhere (on chrome goodies!)... Anyway, I have until Wednesday to decide if i want to or not.
 
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:42 PM.

story-0
Jason Momoa Is Turning Classic Harleys Into PHEVs

Slideshow: Jason Momoa's latest restoration project blends 1920s Harley-Davidsons with modern electric technology, creating some of the most unusual hybrid motorcycles ever built.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-10 17:18:58


VIEW MORE
story-1
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom

Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 18:28:05


VIEW MORE
story-2
6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

Slideshow: From military-inspired singles to scooters and three-wheel utility vehicles, these Harleys took the company far outside its comfort zone.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-02 18:34:10


VIEW MORE
story-3
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-4
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-5
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-7
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-8
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE