OK, folks. As you may know, last week I redid my cam chest with the roller chain conversion installing the Andrews Products N21 cams, adjustable pushrods and the TFI fueler. I am impressed with the added pep the bike has, and will see if I need to fiddle with the settings on the TFI based on fuel mileage and the condition of the plugs.
Since doing the project, I am super sensitive to every little noise the engine is making. I started hearing a noise that seemed like pretty bad valve tapping. By accident I found that the front fender running light amber cover was rattling around. I have dampened that out with some loop-side velcro under the edges of the lens. Done.
But there is a valve noise that I can hear. It is more noticeable when accelerating, and I can hear it faintly at constant speed (rpm). If I let up on the throttle and let the bike slow against engine load, there is no discernible valve tap. This may have been the case before I did the up-grade, but I was not sensitized to it or even listening for it over the radio. There just may be more slop in the upper end of the valve train due to wear.
So the question is: should I try to adjust this out with the pushrods? I have this nagging thought that I read somewhere that adjusting for valve-train tapping with adjustable pushrods is counter intuitive and that you DO NOT lengthen the pushrods, but rather adjust them shorter. But this does not make sense to me, so it may be something I am mis-remembering, right?
If I am going to adjust the pushrods, do I collapse the pushrods, let the lifters recover and start over on the adjustment process adding a flat to the adjustment spec (three full turns in my case)? Or should I just readjust to spec and see if I had adjusted them wrong the first time around (don't think so)?
Let me know what you folks suggest.
TQ
Since doing the project, I am super sensitive to every little noise the engine is making. I started hearing a noise that seemed like pretty bad valve tapping. By accident I found that the front fender running light amber cover was rattling around. I have dampened that out with some loop-side velcro under the edges of the lens. Done.
But there is a valve noise that I can hear. It is more noticeable when accelerating, and I can hear it faintly at constant speed (rpm). If I let up on the throttle and let the bike slow against engine load, there is no discernible valve tap. This may have been the case before I did the up-grade, but I was not sensitized to it or even listening for it over the radio. There just may be more slop in the upper end of the valve train due to wear.
So the question is: should I try to adjust this out with the pushrods? I have this nagging thought that I read somewhere that adjusting for valve-train tapping with adjustable pushrods is counter intuitive and that you DO NOT lengthen the pushrods, but rather adjust them shorter. But this does not make sense to me, so it may be something I am mis-remembering, right?
If I am going to adjust the pushrods, do I collapse the pushrods, let the lifters recover and start over on the adjustment process adding a flat to the adjustment spec (three full turns in my case)? Or should I just readjust to spec and see if I had adjusted them wrong the first time around (don't think so)?
Let me know what you folks suggest.
TQ