Suspect Noisy Tappet

[AussieHard]

I swapped the mufflers on my bike to some that actually quieten it....

Now I can hear a sound that sounds like a noisy tapet....Doesn' mean it is just is what it sounds like to me.

Any suggestions on how to diagnose, or alternate possible scenarios..........

Know quality threads on this topic..ie something like Curly's Charging System Guide.

 

[gggGary]

Check your valve clearances is the simple answer. A big screw driver as a listening device will often pinpoint the exact location of a noise. Handle to your ear blade on various places to see where the noise is coming from. When set a tad loose for long life a bit of valve "ringing noise" is normal.

 

[AussieHard]

Hap was doing that with the screw driver yesterday and couldn't locate it………..I thought he looked like an old witch doctor…… haha good to know he isn't a mad XSwhisperer.

He told me to go research tappets.

 

[grizld1]

The tips of the valve stems cup over time. If this has happened, a feeler gauge will read the clearance between the edges of the cup and the tappet, not the clearance between the tappet and its contact point on the valve stem. The result is that when you adjust the clearance, it will be wider than the gauge tells you it is. You can check to see if that's an issue with a dial indicator. Set up the indicator with the probe on the end of the rocker, and check the movement as you lift the rocker up and down; that's your actual valve clearance.