| Author | Message | |||
     S2forever |
My S2 started making noise about 1000 miles ago. The first time I noticed it was when the bike was accelerating but thought I was paranoid. But as I rode it became clear something was wrong somewhere in the engine. Now the noise is most clear when it is idling when hot. When the engine is cold the noise is not there. It is clear metal tone something like hammer hitting on metal bar. The noise seems louder from rear and left side but I am not sure. I have tightened up exhaust stud nuts but nothing changed. Primary belts should be fine but I will double check. On the rear cylinder, base gasket was leaking for long time, rocker box gasket also shows sign of leak. Engine is all stock, just hit 20k miles. What could be wrong? Lifter? I have access to the bike only at weekends so progress will be slow. | |||
| Two_seasons |
Might be primary chain tensioner. Pull your primary cover off and check. | |||
| Harleyelf |
Or just pull the inspection window cover off and feel how much play is in the primary chain. I adjust the primary while engine is idling at operating temperature, start loose and tighten until the noise just goes away. Saves the trouble of looking for the tightest spot. If your bike has sat for years the primary chain might have rusted on the portion not immersed in oil. You'll have to cut down an allan wrench to clear the muffler. A 4" cutting disc on a hand grinder will do the trick. Your bike came with the inferior design adjusting shoe. If it's come apart you will have to pull the primary cover off to change it. You look for the loose spot in the chain by pulling the plugs, putting it in high gear, and rolling a foot at a time and checking the chain with your finger through the inspection window. Adjust at the tightest spot if you do it static. If the chain is tight (1/2" play) at one spot and loose (more than an inch play) at another the chain is shot and needs to be changed. | |||
| S2forever |
Mine already have that beefy tensioner installed. I just checked chain tension OK through inspection cover. Also driving sprocket seems to have no free play when I try to push and rotate it with finger through inspection hole. So I assume sprocket nut is not loose. Everything inside primary compartment seems fine. What else can I easily check before major engine disassembly? | |||
| Harleyelf |
Sure it's inside the engine? Left rear hammer sound might be a rear isolater. If the front sprocket nut was loose you could push the sprocket toward the center of the bike and move it. A shop in Florida replaced my primary chain shoe and failed to torque the main drive sprocket nut, causing it to come off during the ride home. Oil all over the left side of the bike from the shifter shaft and a bad grinding noise from the nut rubbing the primary case. | |||
| S2forever |
I cannot pin point where it comes from but quite sure it is from engine/transmission. It just sounds slightly louder around rear left cylinder but it might be my imagination. Noise is very pure and clear metallic sound. One strange thing is that it shows up only when it gets warmed up. At cold start, everything is normal. | |||
| S2forever |
Isolators also look fine. | |||
| S2forever |
It sounds like exhaust gas coming out of stock Sportster muffler when heard from the seat. Next weekend I will pull primary cover. If it is ok I will continue riding until it snows. I have a plan on major engine upgrade this winter anyway. | |||
| Hughlysses |
Loose crankshaft nut on primary sprocket? If it's a loose nut, and you put the bike in gear, and ease out on the clutch, the noise will go away. Pull in the clutch and the noise should return. That's an easy one to check and fairly easy to fix. | |||
| Natexlh1000 |
Is it possible that something popped loose inside the muffler? | |||
| Harleyelf |
Might be a starter issue. Bell-like ringing from above the clutch, that's where the starter gear engages the clutch basket. Can you grab the starter and shake it to see if it may be loose? | |||
| Reepicheep |
What Hugh said. | |||
| S2forever |
I have already checked clear muffler (supertrapp). I will check starter as well as primary compartment. | |||
| Brother_in_buells |
Did you check the rear exhaust port and gasket? Maybe a small leak that only acts up when hot. | |||
| S2forever |
That was the very first action I took. I just tightened up exhaust stud bolts. I will pull pipe, look into exhaust ports, replace gaskets. | |||
| S2forever |
These come up to my mind; (1) valve train noise creeps through blown cylinder/rocker gaskets and it just sounds a lot louder. (2) engine broken in (mine just hit 20,000 miles), valve train gets noisier to my attention but nothing really wrong. Well I may need to post mp3 coming weekend. | |||
| S2forever |
This recording may help someone identify where the noise comes from;
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| S2forever |
When I downloaded it on my android phone it wouldn't play. So I changed the extension from .unk to .amr and it played ok with music player. Listen to the last a few seconds. | |||
| S2forever |
Starter motor is secure. Pulled primary cover and everything looked fine as expected. No metal debris. Chain tensioner, starter gear and sprocket nut are all fine. Now I expect something is wrong inside rear cylinder or valve train. | |||
| Phelan |
Are you sure it isn't lifter noise? Lifters can be noisy, and are generally noisier when a bike is hot. (Message edited by phelan on September 12, 2015) | |||
| Harleyelf |
Lifters are easy to remove from the rear cylinder. Perhaps you should pull them and take them apart, then rub the residue off them and soak them overnight in a jar of motor oil. Use a magnet and you won't have to pull the cam cover. | |||
| S2forever |
If it is from valve train I think something is wrong with it. It is not just louder but it is different. Did you listen to the sound file above? Last a few seconds of the file could tell something to the experienced. Swapped 10k miles old plugs front and rear (I don't have new one at hand). Will check after putting everything back together. If it does not help I will pull rear cylinder/lifter next weekend. | |||
| Harleyelf |
Leave the cylinder in place! The lifters accumulate sludge which can keep them from fully extending. When warm, the piston of the lifter expands, making the sludge stick to the cylinder and creating extra rocker clearance. This can cause noise from the valve stem where the rocker strikes it. Just pull the rocker cover, remove the rocker assembly, pushrods, and pushrod tubes, and lift the lifters out with a magnet. Disassemble it and rub the sludge off with a rag, then soak it in a jar of oil overnight after re-assembly to prime them. | |||
| Phelan |
I couldn't play the file above from any of my devices. | |||
| S2forever |
Phelan, make sure the downloaded file name ends with .amr. It palyed on my android phone. Harleyelf, that sounds like what should be done next. I will do it next weekend. | |||
| Zac4mac |
I changed to .amr and opened with Quicktime(Apple). Sounded normal, will re-listen. Volume up and, oh yeah Valve-train most likely, can't be more precise. Initial sounds like lifter clearance, last 2-3 seconds is different, sharper tone. More clearance or other contact. hmmmm | |||
| S2forever |
Zac4mac, somehow it just sounds clearer at the last seconds. Actually the noise was the same from beginning part to end, I just moved around the recorder(my phone). That sharp tone is what makes me nervous. | |||
| Harleyelf |
Sticky lifters down by the cams will result in sharp noises up high at the valve stems. Yes, anything that makes a bell-like sound is dangerous, indicating metal-on-metal contact not quenched by an oil bath. You can mushroom the valve stem or crack the rocker arm if you give the rocker enough room to build up momentum before impact. Replacing the lifters would be ideal, but cleaning them will give you a few more years of trouble-free service. It happens to bikes that are allowed to sit for years and to engines run on sub-standard or old oil. It happened to my S3 when I was on chemo and unable to ride for two years. They were stuck solid when I removed them, but free-moving and springy after I cleaned them. | |||
| S2forever |
Recently I put a quart of old oil lying around. I knew it was old but it was still in sealed bottle and it looked ok. I do not remember if I put old oil and then noise started or the other way around but they happened around the same time. That seems to explain everything. Then must I clean up lifters or can I just replace oil and hope they clean up automatically? Is it worth trying? (Am I too lazy?) | |||
| Alfau |
Try Seafoam. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/476 23/626032.html |
Noise