Valve train tapping?
- Thread starter TQuentin1
- Start date
Redfish-Joe
Senior Member
I agree. One more question if you don't mind. With the SE pushrods zero plus 2.5 or would you go a full 3 rounds?
Redfish-Joe
Senior Member
Will do. Thanks my friend. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Joe,
If you want to number crunch the thing, check this out:
The standard "B" lifters from HD have about .250" of total stroke on the lifter plungers. So you want to be about half way (or maybe a bit more) down on the plunger from zero lash. Here is how you figure that:
(0.250/2) x (the tpi of the p/r) = number of turns from zero lash
So if your p/r's were 24 tpi, you would turn them out 3 complete turns from zero lash. In my case, I wanted to go .140" out from zero lash so I turned my adjuster 3 1/3 turns or 3 turns and two flats.
0.140 x 24 = 3.36 turns (about 3 1/3)
Now in your case, if the tech was trying to get to 0.125" out from zero lash and that equals 2 1/2 turns, you would have to have p/r's that were 20 tpi. Don't think anyone makes those. So it seems like your rods are under adjusted (JMHO).
TQ
dolt
Well-Known Member
New the forum but I have been chasing valve train noise on my latest build, an Axtell 107", for about six months.
First, I am not a tech but just a shadetree hack that does all his own engine work and most of the other stuff, help out a couple of buddies with their engine work and keep my brother's 95"FXST running good.
I don't think you can completely eliminate valve train noise from a Harley and when performance cams are installed the noise will usually increase.
Roller rockers are noisier than stock and if you don't like valve train noise, avoid rollers until valve lift approaches .600". I have removed a set of SE roller rockers from my 1078" and going back to stock with cams that lift .570". I am sure the stock rockers will be quieter.
Another approach to adjusting pushrods to be sure you are in the middle of the lifter plunger travel is to adjust until there is not vertical movement and then, counting the turns, adjust until bottome out. If it took 6.5 turns to bottom out, back of 3.25 turns and you are there.
Of course, this assumes that the lifter is on the heel of the cam; if you don't get the lifter on the heel of the cam, no adjusting procedure will work.
Once you are sure that the pushrods have been adjusted correctly, and from the lifter position being on the heel of the cam, you have got valve train noise reduced as much as possible. If it still bugs you, a heavier weight oil, say VR1 or Redline 50w or 60w will dampen the noise a little more.
With beehive springs and cam lifts under .550", rocker box clearance should not be necessary.
The new SE Quick Install Tapered pushrods will eliminate, in most cases, any contact with the pushrod tube.
There is another "trick" that I have tried on my 107" but don't know how much, if any, it helped reduce rocker noise. The rocker arms, as you know, move horizontally on the shafts and as the pushrod comes up, the rocker arm is "pushed" against the boss on the valve side of the rocker support. I don't know what the factory endplay tolerance is but the ones I have checked varied from about .010" to about .015". I have had my roller rockers on the 107" cut down so that I could use shims from .015"-.020" and shimmed the end play down to .003"-.005". I don't really think this modification was worth the effort but tried it trying to chase down vlave train noise.
You can find some TP rocker boxes on Ebay, blems, for about 1/2 price and, as I am told, they will dampen the noise significantly.
At the end of the day, I don't think all valve train noise can be eliminated and is inherent with the TC engines; something to learn to live with. And, for some reason, the front cylinder seems to be the worst offender.
First, I am not a tech but just a shadetree hack that does all his own engine work and most of the other stuff, help out a couple of buddies with their engine work and keep my brother's 95"FXST running good.
I don't think you can completely eliminate valve train noise from a Harley and when performance cams are installed the noise will usually increase.
Roller rockers are noisier than stock and if you don't like valve train noise, avoid rollers until valve lift approaches .600". I have removed a set of SE roller rockers from my 1078" and going back to stock with cams that lift .570". I am sure the stock rockers will be quieter.
Another approach to adjusting pushrods to be sure you are in the middle of the lifter plunger travel is to adjust until there is not vertical movement and then, counting the turns, adjust until bottome out. If it took 6.5 turns to bottom out, back of 3.25 turns and you are there.
Of course, this assumes that the lifter is on the heel of the cam; if you don't get the lifter on the heel of the cam, no adjusting procedure will work.
Once you are sure that the pushrods have been adjusted correctly, and from the lifter position being on the heel of the cam, you have got valve train noise reduced as much as possible. If it still bugs you, a heavier weight oil, say VR1 or Redline 50w or 60w will dampen the noise a little more.
With beehive springs and cam lifts under .550", rocker box clearance should not be necessary.
The new SE Quick Install Tapered pushrods will eliminate, in most cases, any contact with the pushrod tube.
There is another "trick" that I have tried on my 107" but don't know how much, if any, it helped reduce rocker noise. The rocker arms, as you know, move horizontally on the shafts and as the pushrod comes up, the rocker arm is "pushed" against the boss on the valve side of the rocker support. I don't know what the factory endplay tolerance is but the ones I have checked varied from about .010" to about .015". I have had my roller rockers on the 107" cut down so that I could use shims from .015"-.020" and shimmed the end play down to .003"-.005". I don't really think this modification was worth the effort but tried it trying to chase down vlave train noise.
You can find some TP rocker boxes on Ebay, blems, for about 1/2 price and, as I am told, they will dampen the noise significantly.
At the end of the day, I don't think all valve train noise can be eliminated and is inherent with the TC engines; something to learn to live with. And, for some reason, the front cylinder seems to be the worst offender.