I just changed out my rocker boxes on a 2004 standard and now I have a question. I followed the book and no loaded the push rods like it said. Piston at top dead center and the pushrods were spinning by hand. After I finished installing the rocker assy. the push rods didnt spin. I havent tried starting the bike yet due to darkness (want to be able to see any oil leaks). Will there be a problem when I do start the bike or is this normal? I figured it should be ok since I didn't change any adjustment. Stock push rods I believe are not adjustable. Anyone experience this before?

 

Piston should be at TDC on the compression stroke to unload the valve springs when you install (or adjust) p-rods for that cylinder. If you can't twist the p-rods w/your fingers after the lifters bleed down I wouldn't turn the motor over till I figure out why. Are you sure you got intake/exhaust p-rods in the right places? They're different lengths.

VicW.

 

I never removed the push rods. Just swapped out the rocker boxes.

 

Sounds like the lifters hadn't bled down then. Still got one of the pistons at TDC? See if the p-rods will twist now, if so get other piston up & check those p-rods.

VicW.

 

What do you mean by lifters needing to bleed down? I can put airplanes back together but motorcycle maintenance is kinda foriegn to me. I have the bike back together right now. When it gets to be daytime here (Japan) I will check the push rods out.

 

Hyd lifters need to bleed down when they're compressed (or many times when RE-compressed as in this case). If it were me I wouldn't crank it up until I was sure that the p-rods of both cyls will twist w/piston at TDC COMPRESSION stroke.

BTW, on compression stroke the pistons be will pushing air out thru the spark plug holes.

VicW.

 

Start it up! this is normal as 1 cylinder 's valves will be in a different position than the other ones. Unless you rotate the engine until all the valves return to TDC one ata a time you will always have tight pushrods. They are non adjustable so there are no worries .. Have fun and ride safe..Mark..

 

...HUH??

VicW.

 

If the cylinder you are working on IS at TDC then the push rods on THAT cylinder should spin after the lifters have had time to bleed down (2 to 10 min.) However, the opposit cylinder WILL NOT BE TDC COMPRESSION and these push rods will not rotate.

 

Well today I raised the back tire off the ground and put each cylinder to tdc. The push rods spun freely. I started the bike and now notice a little ticking sound. Don't remember if it was there before. Other posts I have read say a little ticking is normal. Who knows it may have been there before and I never noticed it.