Harley Davidson Forums banner

Valve chatter

7K views 16 replies 4 participants last post by  Dave63 
#1 ·
I have an 08 softail with just over 10,000 miles. Just got it a few weeks ago so still getting familiarized with it. In 6th gear at 60mph just light cruisin it sounds like a spark knock on front cylinder but I always put high grade gas in it. It also has V&H big radius 2 into 2 on it and thought maybe it was just the sound at that rpm was messin with me. I dig in or roll out of the throttle or down shift to 5th its fine. No power loss and no engine lights. Or could it be the tensioner everyones been talkin about? Thanks for any advise.
 
#2 ·
Not your tensioners, as you have hydraulic.

BUT....it's highly likely your shifter linkage is rattling. Shifter linkage, exhaust, exhaust shields, horn, etc all can rattle on accel due to most vibration and engine torqueing. That the time of the most resonant vibration in the engine.

Bet ya a beer, though, it's the shifter.

Ride it again. Hold light tension on the shifter with your boot/shoe/flip-flop.

One guy found that rotating the socket boots 180* on the shift linkage makes them tight again and stop rattling.

Mine rattle.
 
#4 ·
Make sure the shifter arm, on the trans, at the shifter shaft, is really good and tight. They're prone to loosening and if they get loose enough, the soft aluminum teeth on that arm will strip, and you have to remove the inner primary to replace it.

If it continues to loosen, replace bolt and use locktite blue.

Replacing the bolt is mandatory, because the threads get damaged from hitting the shaft. If you force the damaged threads into the aluminum, it tears it up.

Also.....60mph in 6th, is almost the limit for shifting into 6th. The slightest incline and it's back to 5th.

If it WERE spark knock, the Delphi ignition should be backing timing down to stop any pre-ignition, (Ion sensing feature) unless you're running an aftermarket plug like SPLITFIRE, or anything other than HD brand, or NGK. I've found those two work flawless.
 
#7 ·
If it WERE spark knock, the Delphi ignition should be backing timing down to stop any pre-ignition, (Ion sensing feature) unless you're running an aftermarket plug like SPLITFIRE, or anything other than HD brand, or NGK. I've found those two work flawless.
I hope this isnt hi-jacking but that should apply on my 07 too, wouldnt it? On the V&H map I developed a noise under acceleration in 4th & up that I thought was slight spark ping, went back to the SE map and the noise went away. Running NGK's. I thought maybe running auto tune disabled the ion sensing function but it did it when not in auto tune too.
 
#6 ·
Tappets are hydraulic and non-adjustable. Even with aftermarket pushrods, which do get adjusted, it's a once and done deal, unless they're removed.

Shift into 6th at 65mph.

If you have an aftermarket air filter and pipes, and NO tuner. despite it having o2 sensors, some bikes will run leaner than others. It's seen, mostly in the midrange. That's about where you are at 60 mph.
 
#8 ·
It does have pipes but haven't opened breather box to check filter yet and not sure about a tune. I figured they wouldn't run well or set off engine light if it hadn't been tuned for aftermarket pipes. I try not to use 6th below 65 but I dropped speed once in 6th and when I heard it I got paranoid. New bike new noises... overly paranoid
 
#10 ·
Relax. Probably just mild pre-ignition. But on a bike that's air cooled, pushrod driven and WWII technology, you're gonna hear noises as it vibrates. And although you have counter balance shafts (2) your engine is mounted to the frame. No rubber mount.

So....when that bike lugs, it'll cause vibrations to resonate everywhere, unlike a rubber mounted bike. More energy transfer when an engine is mounted to a frame solid.

Lean issues won't set a light, unless it's so ubber lean the O2 sensors don't switch for a specific period of time, and THEN and only then, will a hard code be stored.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dsmspickdad
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top