intermittant noise in front cylinder . . .

Just when I think everything is going to be alright for awhile . . . . Yesterday about a quarter mile from home I hear this sound like the piston tapping a valve? Or? Let off on the throttle and it stopped. Pulling into the yard and it started again for a few seconds and stopped. Sounds like metal hitting metal in the front cylinder, up high. Motor runs okay most of the time.

Phoned Tattoo and he said check the (solid) lifters and make sure nothing came loose. I checked all of them and one of the front ones was only very slightly tight. Started the ol' sled up and the sound was still there after revving her up in neutral.

That's where things stand right now. Gotta love 'em.

Bummer...Just in time for the weekend...

You said that it increases and decreases with engine rpm? If that is the case I would be looking seriously hard that the rocker arms and valve train in general. Sorry to hear about the issue.

well my boy hate to say it but running it a while back with no oil in the motor is coming back to haunt ya

Gosh, I forgot about that! That was about the stupidist thing I've ever done in my life. I cringed when you reminded me! But there was some oil in the motor - it wasn't completely dry. Well, I took the lifters out and discovered some more half- assed work done by my original "engine rebuilder" (remember Buster?) LOL. Anymore, it's getting to be expected. Some genius had actually ground down the tappets on one side and they all were half hydralic/half solid. ! And they did not move all that freely inside the base blocks. Blocks were scored and two of the tappets were on their way out - bearings shot. At the very least, these have to be replaced anyway . . .

We figured this was a good place to start, though we don't know for certain what's causing the noise yet. I will order a Sifton chrome lifter & pushrod assembly from J&P, which includes the base blocks, and since I have a gold card, my cost will only be $375 including shipping.

Problem is, no money till payday, October 14th. Tattoo is going to check his resources and maybe float me a loan to save a couple weeks waiting time. We have a biker shindig coming up on the 19th, and he would like to see me go with him and the rest of the boys.

We'll see . . . It's a bitch bein' poor - but poor, white AND ugly don't stand a chance these days . . .

I agree. The shovels have been around longer and have had more time for mechanic wanna-bees to mess them up. Plus, the AMF days weren't all that illustrious either.

Now, if it turns out that after I put in all that new stuff and still have the noise . . . I suppose the next thing to look at would be the rocker arms. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced the problem lies in the valve train somewhere, like Johnny said.

The heads were recently rebuilt and have all new parts, so I'm thinking it's not likely to be valves or springs . . .

Does your issue sound anything like this?

I hear there's this guy up Minn. way just dyin to try out a new leakdown tester...LOL!

At least give S&S parts a look see.

Yes, but it comes and goes . . . I will look into S&S . . .

This guy did another video and his rocker arms were super loose. Loose rocker arms are not a good thing. I am assuming that the rocker arms were shimmed properly? This video came from HTT.

JoshBob, here is another video of he same bike that shows how the rocker arm is moving.

Same bike.....

As you can tell from the video, the noise only started, so it seemed, when he was at the gate parked the first time to pay a toll. From that point on, the noise came and went, but it was mostly there. It didn't seem like he lost any power really, but that is deceiving. I hope this helps JoshBob.

Good work JB!


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Thanks, Johnny. Yes, I have the same symptoms. It could be the rocker arms also, but I must get the rest of the stuff first as I shitcanned my old blocks & tappets. As posted above, they were a mess and had to go. When I replace those (in a week or two), we'll see if things have improved. If not, then the next thing to look at would be the rocker arms. I expect I'll be replacing the entire valve train (except the valves & springs, which are new).

The only thing I don't like about the Sifton blocks is that they do not remotely resemble the original ones. They look squared off around the outside of the tappet holes instead of rounded like the OEM ones. Little by little, my shovel is beginning to be less and less like an original motor , but I guess I have to settle for what I can get at a reasonable price. And being Sifton, I'm sure the quality will be pretty good.

BTW, the videos you posted had some weird audio: the first one was about some Asian belly crap and the next one had commentary about somebody having cancer. Definitely not motorcycle related LOL. I couldn't even get the first video to come up . . . do I detect a virus in the cyber air?

Do they make shims for that? Seems they should.