I recently rebuilt the top end on my 01 Harley FLHTCUI and now I"m having some concerns about some noise that could be coming from the lower end of my motor.
I've got almost a 2000 miles on it since the rebuild and it was running great up until the last few hundred miles. She still runs great but it's developed a nasty ticking noise. It started off (after switching to full synthetic) quiet but has gotten louder with time and it's turned into more of a knocking noise. It sounds like it's coming from the front cylinder, down low on the left side and it's mostly noticeable while riding, under light load around 3000 rpm's which makes it even harder to diagnose. The ticking/knocking also kinda pulsates (quieter, louder, then quieter over the course of a couple of seconds at highway speed), kinda similar to the pulsating noise you hear when you have a wheel bearing going on a car which has me concerned that it's a bearing going in the bottom end (all other bearings (cam, inner primary, transmission) have been replaced). The noise does not exist when I pull the clutch and coast.
I'm in the process of going through the motor to try to narrow it down. I've pulled the primary to check the compensator and clutch bolts and both were tight per spec, refilled primary to the correct level and noise still present. I've pulled the cams and checked the bearings and all looks good there, reassembled and noise is still present. I've verified clear passages through my push rods and adjusted from .130" to .140" and the noise is still present. I've got the top end apart now to check the rockers and those were bolted down solid and checked side to side play in the rockers and those seemed within the acceptable ranges (0.005" to 0.015"). I did install the ROCKOUT rocker shaft inserts although I don't believe those will make a big difference since the shafts were solid and bolts had no indication that the shafts were moving. At this point, probably this evening I will be pulling the heads and jugs to check the valves, cylinder walls, pistons and to see if there's any up and down play in the piston to crank assembly. I've also done a variety of other checks like cranking on the exhaust mount bolts, tightening exhaust chrome covers, making sure there's no unwanted areas of contact but at this point, I'm pretty sure it's internal to the motor. I'm thinking, if I don't find anything there, I'll try new lifters but the ones that are in there are S&S and were new with the rebuild so I'm not too optimistic that'll have an impact. Beyond that, I'm kinda at a loss as to what else it could be. Maybe the compensator but that doesn't seem likely as generally that seems to have more of an effect on the sounds when starting and shutting off the motor. So, what else can I think other than something going in the bottom end...
The fact that, to me it sounds like a bearing and considering I've changed just about every bearing except for the ones in the lower end, I'm thinking that it must be coming from the lower end. I've been in contact with Darkhorse and he's quoted me for a lower end rebuild (truing and balancing the crank, changing out bearings, new connector rods...). I just don't want to go that route right now if I don't have to $$$ but I also worry that I'll get the bottom end rebuilt and it'll still make the noise when I re-assemble....
Any ideas guys, would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Chris
01 Harley FLHTCUI 90,000 miles
converted to carb
CV40 carb 48/200 jets w/Sporty Needle adjustment screw 2.5-3 turns out
SE Breather with K&N High Flow Filter
Stock heads, reworked by BigBoyz
TC88 jugs bored out to 95" w/mcr
SE 95" Flat Top Pistons
Andrews 37g cams advanced +4
w/stock plate and oil pump (Beasely spring)
S&S Lifters and Adjustable Pushrods (0.140")
0.030" Gasket
DTT Ignition Module Single Fire, Initial @4/Advanced @ 6
9.8:1 - 190ccp
Heads cut 0.04"/80cc
I've got almost a 2000 miles on it since the rebuild and it was running great up until the last few hundred miles. She still runs great but it's developed a nasty ticking noise. It started off (after switching to full synthetic) quiet but has gotten louder with time and it's turned into more of a knocking noise. It sounds like it's coming from the front cylinder, down low on the left side and it's mostly noticeable while riding, under light load around 3000 rpm's which makes it even harder to diagnose. The ticking/knocking also kinda pulsates (quieter, louder, then quieter over the course of a couple of seconds at highway speed), kinda similar to the pulsating noise you hear when you have a wheel bearing going on a car which has me concerned that it's a bearing going in the bottom end (all other bearings (cam, inner primary, transmission) have been replaced). The noise does not exist when I pull the clutch and coast.
I'm in the process of going through the motor to try to narrow it down. I've pulled the primary to check the compensator and clutch bolts and both were tight per spec, refilled primary to the correct level and noise still present. I've pulled the cams and checked the bearings and all looks good there, reassembled and noise is still present. I've verified clear passages through my push rods and adjusted from .130" to .140" and the noise is still present. I've got the top end apart now to check the rockers and those were bolted down solid and checked side to side play in the rockers and those seemed within the acceptable ranges (0.005" to 0.015"). I did install the ROCKOUT rocker shaft inserts although I don't believe those will make a big difference since the shafts were solid and bolts had no indication that the shafts were moving. At this point, probably this evening I will be pulling the heads and jugs to check the valves, cylinder walls, pistons and to see if there's any up and down play in the piston to crank assembly. I've also done a variety of other checks like cranking on the exhaust mount bolts, tightening exhaust chrome covers, making sure there's no unwanted areas of contact but at this point, I'm pretty sure it's internal to the motor. I'm thinking, if I don't find anything there, I'll try new lifters but the ones that are in there are S&S and were new with the rebuild so I'm not too optimistic that'll have an impact. Beyond that, I'm kinda at a loss as to what else it could be. Maybe the compensator but that doesn't seem likely as generally that seems to have more of an effect on the sounds when starting and shutting off the motor. So, what else can I think other than something going in the bottom end...
The fact that, to me it sounds like a bearing and considering I've changed just about every bearing except for the ones in the lower end, I'm thinking that it must be coming from the lower end. I've been in contact with Darkhorse and he's quoted me for a lower end rebuild (truing and balancing the crank, changing out bearings, new connector rods...). I just don't want to go that route right now if I don't have to $$$ but I also worry that I'll get the bottom end rebuilt and it'll still make the noise when I re-assemble....
Any ideas guys, would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Chris
01 Harley FLHTCUI 90,000 miles
converted to carb
CV40 carb 48/200 jets w/Sporty Needle adjustment screw 2.5-3 turns out
SE Breather with K&N High Flow Filter
Stock heads, reworked by BigBoyz
TC88 jugs bored out to 95" w/mcr
SE 95" Flat Top Pistons
Andrews 37g cams advanced +4
w/stock plate and oil pump (Beasely spring)
S&S Lifters and Adjustable Pushrods (0.140")
0.030" Gasket
DTT Ignition Module Single Fire, Initial @4/Advanced @ 6
9.8:1 - 190ccp
Heads cut 0.04"/80cc