Piston slap at 30,000 miles?

[BUBBIE]

No adjustable pushrods...Could lifters do this? Bike runs great no smoking or oil consumption. I will cut open a filter but wouldn't I see flakes on drain plug?
Thanks for help guys.

YES on lifters, one or all not pumping up with oil when hot...?

Problem with lifters sounds more logical to me as noise comes on Louder when hot.

The oil gauge IS a good tool JUST to see how much oil pressure there is and IF up or down when hot and noisy.

Your up-grade to Hydraulic tensioner should of had the bigger/better oil pump in it.

signed....BUBBIE

 

[HDSickness]

Yes I got the latest version of the kit which has the better oil pump. Thanks for help. I think I will get a second opinion because this dealer installed kit and lifters ect. and told me a 95" kit and new lifters is the way to go and since they did the previous work maybe all it is is the lifters and they want to make an extra buck.

 

[BUBBIE]

Yes I got the latest version of the kit which has the better oil pump. Thanks for help. I think I will get a second opinion because this dealer installed kit and lifters ect. and told me a 95" kit and new lifters is the way to go and since they did the previous work maybe all it is is the lifters and they want to make an extra buck.

*****************************
99rkc,

Please let us KNOW what you find out so we KNOW...

This is a lot of work here for our members to Help Out and OUR reward is KNOWING the fix..

Use this thread for posting so we can follow the results...

Thanks

signed....BUBBIE

 

[dolt]

Noise is worse when hot do not hear it when cold although a couple times when I started riding cold there was a knock and I shut her off and on restart no knock. Bike is a 99 TC EFI sounds to me alot like loud ticking and has been getting worse. Yes I use 5 micron filters.

Not a symptom of piston slap; should get nosier as the engine heats up and the cylinder expands. The cylinder will expand at a different rate than the aluminum piston and when at operating temperature the piston to cylinder clearance will be max. Additionally, H-D pistons and cylinders just don't wear like that under normal conditions. I have pulled down many with many more miles and the piston coating is barely scuffed and the hone marks still showing in the cylinder walls.

Send an oil sample to Blackstone. if it is piston slap, there will be an abnormal level of aluminum traveling in the oil.

Pull a compression and leakdown test; the results will reveal the condition of the top end.

I agree with previous posters and would be looking elsewhere. The sources of noises like this are very difficult to locate and can be very deceiving. The stethoscope will help locate the noise. I would be looking at primary, valve train, and cam chest.

 

[Jack Klarich]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the TC engines have the lifter blocks cast into the cases, I would have a listen there, do a compression test. If you pull the heads, try to rock the pistons with your fingers, this is not a 100 percent test but it will tell you about piston to cylinder wear and ring wear. You may also check your crank for end play , and the comp sprocket also

 

[SilverFoXD]

Bike has been making alot of noise so I take her to the dealer and they say rear cyl. piston slap. Bought bike 2 years ago with 5,000 miles now have 30,000 and I have used only Redline syn 20/50 changing at 3-4 k miles. How could this happen? Is there something else could have caused this? It's a TC 88 EFI stage 1 air samson s/o and PCIII.

Might be the primary chain hitting the case. Could happen if the tensioner is stuck allowing the chain too much slack.

Can't tell without pulling the primary cover off and inspecting. Drain the primary oil first, and since what the chain would hit is aluminum there would be no metal fragments on the magnetic drain plug (although there might be a very slight metallic grey look to the oil). Look for worn or scrape marks on the inner primary, probably on one of the reinforcing gussets, and check if the tensioner is stuck. If so, free up the tensioner.

Reassemble and add new fluid. Cheap and easy, even with the oil cost and if the gasket needs replacing. Highly doubtful the tensioner itself would need replacing.

Good luck.

 

[BUBBIE]

These Older TC's are easy to check... Remember the shoe for the primary adjustment has a small oval cover to look and see IF the primary is too loose...

UN-like the newer self tensioning primary chains on New TC's that changed in 07 models.
(wished Mine was the OLD way)

If you pull the little cover you can tell IF a loose chain...

BUT If the Nut on the compensator is Loose and causing the noise?? like
SilverFoxXD said, Gotta pull the big cover off.

signed....BUBBIE

 

[SilverFoXD]

Bubbie, thanks. I missed the older TC fact and was thinking of the newer ones.

 

[HDSickness]

Brought the bike home today after talking with tech at dealer who said it sounded like slight piston slap but did no tests( leak down or compression)so I am just gonna ride until she blows or I figure it out because I do not think it anything serious probably just something minor I am missing, these bikes are noisy plain and simple. Thanks for all the help.

 

[BUBBIE]

Brought the bike home today after talking with tech at dealer who said it sounded like slight piston slap but did no tests( leak down or compression)so I am just gonna ride until she blows or I figure it out because I do not think it anything serious probably just something minor I am missing, these bikes are noisy plain and simple. Thanks for all the help.

I agree...

I'd run it until the rear And the front sounded the same so they were a Balanced noise:newsmile100:

seriously, Knowing what the noise is "IS" half your battle here...

IF piston slap.(slight like tech said) I'd run it and when it starts to use Oil in the amount of a quart or so , I would then do the piston/cylinder to correct the problem..

You should get MANY more miles out ot it before you NEED to do the rebuild on top.:bigsmiley23:

Just My Way

signed....BUBBIE