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[Dan_Lockwood]

I know everyone said to just drive the thing and not worry, but the noise I noticed at 100 miles is still there at over 1,000 miles.

This is a very slight ticking sound and it comes in at about 2,500 rpms and goes away at around 3,200 rpms.

In my opinion, I would equate this to what a slightly noisy lifter would sound like.

Is this what the rocker box clearance issues sounded like?

I'm not sure what the dealer will do about it, but I've noted it in my list of items to review.  I'm sure they'll note it on the report tomorrow after their roadtest after the 1k mile service.

Just wondering if any of the other '08s were experiencing this noise.  Maybe it's typical of the motor, don't know.  I do know that this motor, even with the minor noises, is tons quieter than my '76 Shovelhead I rode last year.

Let me know if I'm just paranoid or if this is an issue that didn't get taken care of on the "extra" rocker box grinding the factory is now supposed to be doing.

Thanks.

[hard10]

This is what my '07 rocker box looked like. It needs to be ground down to stop the valve from hitting the top of the box.

[Chief]

I know everyone said to just drive the thing and not worry, but the noise I noticed at 100 miles is still there at over 1,000 miles.

This is a very slight ticking sound and it comes in at about 2,500 rpms and goes away at around 3,200 rpms.

In my opinion, I would equate this to what a slightly noisy lifter would sound like.

Is this what the rocker box clearance issues sounded like?

I'm not sure what the dealer will do about it, but I've noted it in my list of items to review.  I'm sure they'll note it on the report tomorrow after their roadtest after the 1k mile service.

Just wondering if any of the other '08s were experiencing this noise.  Maybe it's typical of the motor, don't know.  I do know that this motor, even with the minor noises, is tons quieter than my '76 Shovelhead I rode last year.

Let me know if I'm just paranoid or if this is an issue that didn't get taken care of on the "extra" rocker box grinding the factory is now supposed to be doing.

Thanks.

Dan,

AJ is probabaly right on the money about the clearance issue. However..... if it's not driving you nutty, I would hold off on doing anything about it. I hate to say this, but chances are you will have problems with a leaky head gasket. They can clearance the boxes when they're in there for the gaskets.

If you've already got 1,000 miles on it, most of the clearancing has already been done and now it's just making contact instead of digging holes.

Just a couple pennies of thoughts for free.

[skreminegul07]

Dan,

AJ is probabaly right on the money about the clearance issue. However..... if it's not driving you nutty, I would hold off on doing anything about it. I hate to say this, but chances are you will have problems with a leaky head gasket. They can clearance the boxes when they're in there for the gaskets.

If you've already got 1,000 miles on it, most of the clearancing has already been done and now it's just making contact instead of digging holes.

Just a couple pennies of thoughts for free.

What a sad state of affairs.............................................

[FNGw/08SERK]

Dan, I had NO knocking on my 08SERK until AFTER my dyno tune but had only one opportunity to ride it (post dyno) before old man winter moved in. FWIW

Howie

[LRebel]

My 08 SEUC has the same top-end noise between about 2300 and 2800 rpm.  I mentioned it to the dealer when I had the 1K service done.  They said they couldn't hear it, but a little top-end noise is typical for the 110.

Had to have gaskets a couple of weeks ago (2900 miles) and mentioned it again....same story, "its typical".

I am figuring that after more miles the lifter will wear a spot in the rocker box and develop its own clearance.  Besides, its under warranty.

[Chief]

My 08 SEUC has the same top-end noise between about 2300 and 2800 rpm.  I mentioned it to the dealer when I had the 1K service done.  They said they couldn't hear it, but a little top-end noise is typical for the 110.

Had to have gaskets a couple of weeks ago (2900 miles) and mentioned it again....same story, "its typical".

I am figuring that after more miles the lifter will wear a spot in the rocker box and develop its own clearance.  Besides, its under warranty.

I laughed when I read "but a little top-end noise is typical for the 110." Well duh!!! The 110's have a problem! Fix it will ya.

You may have to be prepared to point to the inside of the rocker box and show them where the spring keeper is hitting.

Good luck.

[Dan_Lockwood]

I laughed when I read "but a little top-end noise is typical for the 110." Well duh!!! The 110's have a problem! Fix it will ya.

You may have to be prepared to point to the inside of the rocker box and show them where the spring keeper is hitting.

Good luck.

I'm still curious why it's rpm related.  Why only the limited rpm range that it ticks?

If the spring keeper hits at 2,500 rpms it hits at 4,000 rpms, but the noise isn't there at 4,000 rpms.

A question for those that traveled this road last year, does the noise go away when the rocker box is clearanced a bit more?

I understand that the factory clearancing is still a hand operation and is up to the person doing the grinding to do it right.  From the pictures I've seen, they're already milling in that area of the box, why not just do it right in the first place.

That reminds me of our company.  We're always in a hurry and never have time to do it right, but we always have time to do it over....

Thanks again for the input guys.

[Chief]

I'm still curious why it's rpm related.  Why only the limited rpm range that it ticks?

If the spring keeper hits at 2,500 rpms it hits at 4,000 rpms, but the noise isn't there at 4,000 rpms.

A question for those that traveled this road last year, does the noise go away when the rocker box is clearanced a bit more?

I understand that the factory clearancing is still a hand operation and is up to the person doing the grinding to do it right.  From the pictures I've seen, they're already milling in that area of the box, why not just do it right in the first place.

That reminds me of our company.  We're always in a hurry and never have time to do it right, but we always have time to do it over....

Thanks again for the input guys.

That's a good question and I don't know. Could just be harmonics or something else. Mine seemed worst around 1,800 - 2,400.

Here's a thread I started on the issue last year.

http://www.cvoharley.com/smf/index.php?topic=12405.0

I would say 80% of the noise went away immediately. It was like it was a totally different motor.

[grc]

I'm still curious why it's rpm related.  Why only the limited rpm range that it ticks?

If the spring keeper hits at 2,500 rpms it hits at 4,000 rpms, but the noise isn't there at 4,000 rpms.

A question for those that traveled this road last year, does the noise go away when the rocker box is clearanced a bit more?

I understand that the factory clearancing is still a hand operation and is up to the person doing the grinding to do it right.  From the pictures I've seen, they're already milling in that area of the box, why not just do it right in the first place.

That reminds me of our company.  We're always in a hurry and never have time to do it right, but we always have time to do it over....

Thanks again for the input guys.

Ahh yes, ye old "Do it right the first time".  I remember that one, from back when companies took pride in their products.  Don't see a lot of it anymore, something about getting in the way of making a fast buck and letting the next guy worry about the fallout.  I think that is part of the curriculum at the Harvard Business School these days, along with the "greed is good" philosophy.

Actually, rather than a "hand job" rework on those rocker boxes, why not set up a spare CNC machine to crank out a years supply at one time and be done with it?  A simple holding fixture and CNC program, and all you would need is a person to load and unload the parts.  It would be less expensive in the long run as well as more accurate.  Or god forbid, go back to the original design and just cast the parts with sufficient clearance for all available valvetrain combinations.  That eliminates all the BS and the rework.  Most manufacturing companies I'm familiar with normally prefer one time tooling charges over ongoing labor intensive reworks.

Jerry

[LabRat]

Mine had/has the same knocking issue in the same RPM range. It did seem to quiet down around 4500 miles and now sounds much better. I rode a 2007 Peace Officer E-glide with a 103" and man was that thing quite. Sounded like a damn sewing machine or Goldwing. No knocks on the top at all. Definitely a 110" issue.