don't know if i should be concerned or not but there is this loud ticking noise coming from the engine. it sounds like the ticking you get from a car engine when the rockers are loose. bike is a 2005 fxd w/ 3200 miles. any info would be great.

 

Check for a bad lifter...and change over to Redline or Mobil oil.

 

thanks for the advice. i have heard that this is just normal and not to worry. i usually gets louder as the engine gets hotter. are you talking mobil synthetic or just regular mobil?

 

Mobil 1 V-Twin 20/50 or even better..Redline 20/50.Any valve train will get "noisier" as it warms hot...specially EVO,s.

 

"just normal and not to worry" ...if that came from a Harley Stealer...worry about it!

 

My just normal has turned out to be a wrist pin problem and a misadjusted adjustible pushrod. After weeks of just normal I carried it to a second wrench who diagnosed it in 10 minutes. If nothing else, seek a second qualified opinion. If it's nothing, y're out a few bucks, if it's something, you might have saved yourself a bundle.

Good luck

Bubba

 

You bring up a common issue with our TC88's. You will hear man opinions and what it is, what it could be and what to try to tame it. First, what oil are you running? What part of your engine is it coming from? Does it get louder with RPM's? There has been lots of people who have changed out the oil pressure relief spring (Baisley spring) and this simple mod fixed their ticking noise. This stiffer spring allows oil pressure to increase about 5 to 9 PSI which gets more oil up to the rocker boxes silencing the ticking and other "normal" noises. This spring didn't seem to change my ticking. Mine is liklely something else. I put this spring in in about 2 hours, it's in the cam plate. And yes, alot of Harleys just make noise. and it is normal-sometimes