Bent pushrod

[fleetmechanic]

1998 Police Road King that we've let set for many years.  Put a new battery in yesterday and got it to fire and run with the enrichener full on for several minutes.
Today I pulled the idle jet out of the carb and cleaned the oriifice and then tried to start it up with a clean idle jet.  Terrible clatter and then noticed the rear intake pushrod was bent and bulging out of it's tube.   Does it make sense that a valve might have seized while cooling off overnight?

[thumper 823]

If it bent a valve it's bent!
- No going back, SOoo try another Push Rod and see what happens.
Or TDC On compression,  it and do a leak dwn.

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Pull the head, and inspect the cam chest also.

[JW113]

Does it make sense that a valve might have seized while cooling off overnight?

Can't imagine how that could be, but what do I know? If the motor was shut off with the rear exhaust tappet up on the nose of the lobe, it's possible the tappet bleed down, got stuck and is now collapsed. So when you fired it up, the pushrod just rattled around in there until it bent.



-JW

[Ohio HD]

The roller on the lifter could have left the building. Then the push rod was hammered.     

[thumper 823]

Did ya pull the lifter and look at it?

[fleetmechanic]

This one is on the To Do list.  I'll post as soon as I get into it.

[fleetmechanic]

Well I got a round tuit and went digging for an answer.  Removed the rear head which looked OK inside and pulled the tappet block where lifters and the cam lobes also looked fine.   Then I removed the intake valve springs and had to use a drift and a hammer to get the valve to move.  Stem looks OK and can't see any bending but I ordered a new valve through Vintage Parts and we'll see how it fits.

[thumper 823]

slippery slope.......what is the guide material?

More than likely all the guides will need replacing anyway....
And if you check all the valves you will probably find they all have the same issue?
I will say you are headed for a valve job .
Check your pinon drive gear too!

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Clean/prep/inspect both heads, and set valve/stem dimensions accordingly.
When remove/replace any guide, a valve job is guaranteed.

[fleetmechanic]

Installed a new rear intake valve and guide seal, new pushrod and upper and lower tubes and the bike runs just fine.
Photos of the valve and pushrod.  When valve stem is rolled along the edge of a desk there is a slight wobble.

[SP33DY]

Starting an engine on very old gasoline that has varnished up has been known to stick a valve.