Need input

[DYankee]

2013 FLHTK with 140,000 miles on it. Flywheels replaced and heads rebuilt at 83,000 miles.

I've got a new noise that sounds like it's coming from the front head (right side of bike). It happens when the engine is shut off. Might be doing it when it's running but cant hear it over exhaust noise. It sounds like 1 or 2 metallic clicks. Kind of like a belt buckle hitting some metal.

I just took it on a 600 mile trip and it used about a half quart of oil, which surprised me. I'm wondering if it could be a loose valve guide.

One other thing that I'm not sure is related, but I've been wondering about is about a year ago it started to make quite a bit of noise when it was cold that I chalked up to throttle body noise. It had never done it before that and it came on kind of suddenly. When it's warmed up it is real quiet. So I would like to know if throttle body noise is temperature sensitive.

Would love to hear opinions.

[Thermodyne]

Could be a guide, could be a lot of stuff.  Guide should be showing some oil somewhere.  Plug or pipe, smoke at start up.

Short of tearing it down, one of those little bore scopes might tell the tail.  I got one off of Amazon that hooks to my laptop, but they have them for phones too. 

I got one that was intended for plumbers bout $35 IIRC.  15 feet of flexible stem on it.  I've actually run it up an exhaust pipe and looked at a valve.   

[FLDavetrain]

I would assume you replaced both cam chest chain shoes at 83k?

[rredneckn2]

I know it's not common but I had a 120 making strange noise chased everywhere turned out to be cam chain shoe done. Wiped out a lot.

[DYankee]

Cam tensioners were replaced at 83k.

[rredneckn2]

  :up:Just saying

[DYankee]

The cam chain tensioners make a lot of sense. I'll look at them.

Thanks for the inputs.

[DYankee]

It wasn't the tensioners. They were about half worn.

The rear plug looked great, but the front one had a lot of crap on it.

I pulled the lifter covers and when I came back to pull the lifters I discovered the front lifter anti rotation pin was not in the place. I looked all over for it but couldn't find the pin. Not sure if it popped out when I took the lifter cover off or it was assembled without it 60k miles ago. Seems like I would have noticed something before now if it was left out.

The old lifter block gaskets looked like they both had the anti rotation pin in them.

It all just makes me shake my head and wonder.

Now I'm thinking about having a spare set of heads rebuilt and putting them on. Called two Harley dealers in the area and was told by nr 1 that Harley won't allow them to rebuild heads unless they take them off the bike and nr2 said they didn't have the right tool to replace the guides on a twin cam. Harley dealers aint what they used to be.

[smoserx1]

I would think any decent machine shop could do the heads.  As far as that anti-rotation pin you GOT to have that in place.  If that lifter rotates it will spell disaster.  Can't imagine it being out for 60K miles.

[koko3052]

60K...NO WAY!   

[sfmichael]

60,000 miles on your rebuild...couldn't hurt to freshen the heads and throw a set of lifters in it

several guys on this forum are very well versed in head rebuilding

[rredneckn2]

Freshen them heads make sure the pins not in the cam chest roll on

[DYankee]

I pulled the heads and will have them checked out. The anti rotation pins are definitely not in the cam chest. I had the cam plate out and replace the inner tensioner. Not many places to hide something as big as the anti rotation pin in an empty cam chest.

[Boe Cole]

I pulled the heads and will have them checked out. The anti rotation pins are definitely not in the cam chest. I had the cam plate out and replace the inner tensioner. Not many places to hide something as big as the anti rotation pin in an empty cam chest.

I'd be pulling out my little magnet on a stick and running underneath the motor to see if it fell between the motor and the frame.  Got to be somewhere - just can't imagine going 60k without it and not lunching the motor.  Possibly between the exhaust pipe and heat shield?

[Hossamania]

That was my guess, that it fell out unnoticed and is hiding somewhere if not in the cam chest.

[chaos901]

Amazing where that stuff can hide.  Drop something, not hear it hit the floor and spend twenty minutes with a light and the magnet on the stick before finding it.

[DYankee]

Update!
I got it running again today. Can't believe I've been without it for a month now. Good thing I've got a Wide Glide for backup.
I had an oil leak from the gasket between the engine and Tranny. I got that replaced and had the heads freshened up. This build has close to 60,000 miles on it. I checked the compression on it this morning and both cylinder has 205 PSI on it. Was pleased to see that.

The noise is gone. I don't really know what it was, but it looks like I'm in pretty good shape now.

Oh, I did find the missing anti rotation pin. It was hung up on some wires under the motor.

[sfmichael]

Update!
I got it running again today. Can't believe I've been without it for a month now. Good thing I've got a Wide Glide for backup.
I had an oil leak from the gasket between the engine and Tranny. I got that replaced and had the heads freshened up. This build has close to 60,000 miles on it. I checked the compression on it this morning and both cylinder has 205 PSI on it. Was pleased to see that.

The noise is gone. I don't really know what it was, but it looks like I'm in pretty good shape now.

Oh, I did find the missing anti rotation pin. It was hung up on some wires under the motor.

Great news