when will you be on the Blue Ridge?? Be sure to stop/stay at Little Switzerland, it's a great place to run from. We will be down there during Laconia week. Decided not to go to Laconia this year as we've been there so many times it's beginning to hurt!!

 

Supposed to be leaving here June 12th. We have 8 days to see the sights.
I'll check out Little Switzerland, thanks for the tip

 

We are leaving Albany, NY on the 12th going to the American Classic museum in Ashboro, NC first , then to the outer banks and finally the Blue ridge and Tale of the Dragon. Check out the museum at: http://www.heartofnorthcarolina.com/...ndex.pl?id=517 you may want to stop there too. We will have to exchange cell phone numbers, maybe we can hook the two crews up!!

 

Had the bike out yesterday for a good run, working really well. Nice tan plugs. The only issue is the tick is back when it gets really hot.
I mic'd my old lifters the shop gave me back .8425" OD +/- .0001" . Took 2 of them apart and flushed, inspected, reassembled and put them in a clean pil bottle soaking in oil.
Anyone know what the OD of stock EVO lifters is? I was assuming they were stock.
I am debating on dropping the old lifters back in. None of this ticking started until I had new lifters installed.
AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH!!!!
Can anyone verify the OD of stock lifter for me???
THX
Mittsy

 

Sounds like a plan. our schedule is very fluid on our trip. We have 8 days to ride. (one shovelhead with us, so we may burn a day or two fixing it HAHAHA - 2 EVO's and 1 TC) No reservations and no schedules.
Will check the link

 

Well after all that... I took the lifters out and inspected and disassembled. The front exh bled down real quickly. Got a new lifter from the shop and put it in.
NO MORE F***ING TICK!!!! Well, they all tick, but it's an EVO. At least they all tick the same amount!
That lifter only cost me 2 weeks and $2000.
Well, at least I have a fresh top end and I have blueprinted all the parts and tolerances.

Hope this helps someone in the future.
Happy riding, and thanks to all those with suggestions and input.

 

Aw now isnt that F'ed up!!!!

I've been following your thread because I'm a VERY similar boat.... Looks like I'll be buying new lifters (again)....

Glad to hear you got it..

 

First thing I ordered during tear down through the winter was new OEM lifters but also I had put in an HQ - Rumble Stick cam and can't really say its been noisy other than the rockers dancing a bit.
This has been a very informative thread and I'm sure it will help many, I like the way you diagnosed the problem, expensive but very well done and now have a fresh top end.
When you redid the rockers did you change the entire rocker assembly with OEM parts? This may get rid of the Top end dancing in my motor.
I'm curious what kind of oil your running?

 

I mic'd all the parts and replace anything close to being at the top of the tolerance. Rocker shafts had only .0002" of wear, so they stayed. front 2 rocker arm bushings were .0005" above the wear limit (front gets oil last), so I changed rocker arms straight up. ($100 / pair). All OEM. (My shop recomends a lot of HD parts, and they been doing it for 25 yrs). Back ones were good.
It still has some clatter in the top end, but it's an air cooled pushrod engine, no really loud noises that sound bad.
I run Kendall 20/50. Been using it for 25 yrs. Tried synthetic, but like a lot of EVO's mine didn't like it.
Mittsy

 

Thanks for the info
Funney you say that about Evo's perhaps not liking synthetic, I did the rebuild and engine around head gasket leaked and thought it was under torqued, did top end again and still leaked and was convinced it was the syn oil, rebuilt again and used stright HD 20/50 and still eventually leaked the same, I then changed the cylinder studs and nuts and no more leak and 1200 miles later tried the SE synthetic and after another 1000 miles is still leak free.