Tapping engine noise

[Big dog papa]

Hi y'all,,, hoping someone can help me out...
Started hearing a tapping noise going down the road on my 2003 chopper with 107 motor. Sounds like a lifter or rocker arm tapping . First I cleaned lifter screen. No change. Changed the oil and filter. No change . I don't hear anything at idle. Has anyone had this problem before? Thanks.

 

[Mr. Wright]

Yup they rattle. Had close to 90,000 miles on my 03, with it sounding like a sewing machine. No problems. My 04 sounds the same way. Many have some modifications to stop the noise with success.
I will say S&S recommends changing the lifters at 20,000 miles.

 

[Big dog papa]

Yup they rattle. Had close to 90,000 miles on my 03, with it sounding like a sewing machine. No problems. My 04 sounds the same way. Many have some modifications to stop the noise with success.
I will say S&S recommends changing the lifters at 20,000 miles.

Thank

Yup they rattle. Had close to 90,000 miles on my 03, with it sounding like a sewing machine. No problems. My 04 sounds the same way. Many have some modifications to stop the noise with success.
I will say S&S recommends changing the lifters at 20,000 miles.

Thanks for the info Shannon, that makes me feel a lot better. My bike only has 15,000 miles.thanks again. I'm not going to worry about it.

 

[SKOGDOG]

Pay attention to the location of the sound if you can. I bought a mechanic’s stethoscope but Mr. Wright (first name ‘Always’) recommends a nice long sturdy screwdriver. The tappets are in the cam chest below the pushrods, and I’m sure the pushrods can make noise too.
I had an exhaust valve guide go out and it made a clicking sound—-in the head. The clicking sound would get more noticeable as the engine warmed up. The guide is actually a sleeve and once it starts moving it slides back and forth and will wallow out its position in the head and ruin it. S&S refused to work on mine—too much wear, so I had to buy a new head. A machinist (like Mr. John Sachs or Mr. Wright) can press in an oversize guide if the wear is minimaI. I understand it’s more common for the Ex valve bcs of the heat.

 

[Big dog papa]

Pay attention to the location of the sound if you can. I bought a mechanic’s stethoscope but Mr. Wright (first name ‘Always’) recommends a nice long sturdy screwdriver. The tappets are in the cam chest below the pushrods, and I’m sure the pushrods can make noise too.
I had an exhaust valve guide go out and it made a clicking sound—-in the head. The clicking sound would get more noticeable as the engine warmed up. The guide is actually a sleeve and once it starts moving it slides back and forth and will wallow out its position in the head and ruin it. S&S refused to work on mine—too much wear, so I had to buy a new head. A machinist (like Mr. John Sachs or Mr. Wright) can press in an oversize guide if the wear is minimaI. I understand it’s more common for the Ex valve bcs of the heat.

Thanks for the info Rick. Were you pushing oil past the exhaust guide and into combustion chamber?

 

[john sachs]

Worn valve guides, are generally a problem on S&S engines, with TP Rocker Boxes. It's all about geometry. If damage hasn't set in, Curtis sells shims to help correct the geometry. If valve to guide clearence is more than .003", the guide needs to be replaced.
John

 

[Sven]

Were you pushing oil past the exhaust guide and into combustion chamber?

I'm going to assume yours does this now with a question like that being asked out of the blue (pun intended).

A rocker angle is going to push the top of the valve one way, the bottom of the guides holds the cocked angle the other way at the end of the guide, tick-tick is the wear pattern, correct?

So that's a telltale sign of not holding back the oil with a more closer tolerance at the guides. Then, a path for oil to be sucked out of every intake stroke. In the morning with the drips gathering up behind a closed valve, the intake charge of gas washes the valve off, lights the oil up, puffs out of the exhaust and then stops once idling.

If say a fire up would continue to smoke, then it would point to rings. Oil into the combustion chamber would be excessive and that would point to rings. The telltale sign on this one is oil up the spark plug threads.

The question are; do we have dry or wet spark plug threads for rings. The next question is; does the engine smoke upon startup and clears for guides?

a. Tick-tick would be an out of tolerance piston skirt clearance. The tick of the offset for the piston to pass TDC, then tick again moving past BDC. Piston tick.
b. Tick-tick would be [a new one on me being] an out of tolerance valve guide clearance. The tick or the smack of the valve cocking open, cocking closed: is the guess of one bad guide only. (Unless John says it takes two worn guides to tick-tick).

 

[Big dog papa]

I'm going to assume yours does this now with a question like that being asked out of the blue (pun intended).

A rocker angle is going to push the top of the valve one way, the bottom of the guides holds the cocked angle the other way at the end of the guide, tick-tick is the wear pattern, correct?

So that's a telltale sign of not holding back the oil with a more closer tolerance at the guides. Then, a path for oil to be sucked out of every intake stroke. In the morning with the drips gathering up behind a closed valve, the intake charge of gas washes the valve off, lights the oil up, puffs out of the exhaust and then stops once idling.

If say a fire up would continue to smoke, then it would point to rings. Oil into the combustion chamber would be excessive and that would point to rings. The telltale sign on this one is oil up the spark plug threads.

The question are; do we have dry or wet spark plug threads for rings. The next question is; does the engine smoke upon startup and clears for guides?

a. Tick-tick would be an out of tolerance piston skirt clearance. The tick of the offset for the piston to pass TDC, then tick again moving past BDC. Piston tick.
b. Tick-tick would be [a new one on me being] an out of tolerance valve guide clearance. The tick or the smack of the valve cocking open, cocking closed: is the guess of one bad guide only. (Unless John says it takes two worn guides to tick-tick).

Hey sven,,, no my bike doesn't have oil smoke coming out the pipes so I don't think my noise is from worn valve guides. I'm going with Shannon's thinking .
thx for the info

 

[Big dog papa]

Worn valve guides, are generally a problem on S&S engines, with TP Rocker Boxes. It's all about geometry. If damage hasn't set in, Curtis sells shims to help correct the geometry. If valve to guide clearence is more than .003", the guide needs to be replaced.
John

Thanks for the info John

 

[john sachs]

I'm going to assume yours does this now with a question like that being asked out of the blue (pun intended).

A rocker angle is going to push the top of the valve one way, the bottom of the guides holds the cocked angle the other way at the end of the guide, tick-tick is the wear pattern, correct?

So that's a telltale sign of not holding back the oil with a more closer tolerance at the guides. Then, a path for oil to be sucked out of every intake stroke. In the morning with the drips gathering up behind a closed valve, the intake charge of gas washes the valve off, lights the oil up, puffs out of the exhaust and then stops once idling.

If say a fire up would continue to smoke, then it would point to rings. Oil into the combustion chamber would be excessive and that would point to rings. The telltale sign on this one is oil up the spark plug threads.

The question are; do we have dry or wet spark plug threads for rings. The next question is; does the engine smoke upon startup and clears for guides?

a. Tick-tick would be an out of tolerance piston skirt clearance. The tick of the offset for the piston to pass TDC, then tick again moving past BDC. Piston tick.
b. Tick-tick would be [a new one on me being] an out of tolerance valve guide clearance. The tick or the smack of the valve cocking open, cocking closed: is the guess of one bad guide only. (Unless John says it takes two worn guides to tick-tick).

I bad guide will tic as well.
John