Strange Rattle / Knock

[Ohio HD]

"...and order a pirate motor..."

Arrrr matey...and what be that??   

Michael, It's a 120rrrrrr     

[Durwood]

"...and order a pirate motor..."

Arrrr matey...and what be that??   

You answered your question Michael, with the Arrrrr, 120r that is.

[Ohio HD]

"...and order a pirate motor..."

Arrrr matey...and what be that??   

You answered your question Michael, with the Arrrrr, 120r that is.

Good sleuthing Durwood!

[Ohio HD]

Well fellas, I have the primary apart, just so I don't overlook anything, looks good in there to me. Pulled the rocker covers off last night too, nothing out of place. So this AM after finishing home chores, decided the next course would be pull the cam cover, just have a look. After I pulled the exhaust, I decide I may as well drain the oil. HA!

Have a look at the pics, me thinks I'm gonna find a bronze (corrected, thanks Max) brass wrist pin bushing blown up. Will now soon, but it makes sense, and the knock was similar to a Shovel I rebuilt for a guy once, would only knock at certain RPM conditions, a deeper knock, but kind of the same pattern. Sort of why I suspected a wrist pin problem.

[attach=0]

[Ohio HD]

[attach=0]

[Ohio HD]

[attach=0]

[Ohio HD]

[attach=0]

[Templer]

Have ya'll checked to make sure its not your nut sack ratteling?

[sfmichael]

no bueno...me thinks you're probably right   

[klammer76]

Ohio,

Ever since my bike was new (2002 FLHTC) I have been chasing a gold glitter that appears in the oil when I change it. It is not as much as you have but always been there. I believe one or two others have here have had a similar experience. As you know there is only so much brass in these motors. I have checked it, and also too it to a known shop to check, said all was fine, rocker arm bushings, wrist pin, cam plate. Last winter had the lower end done by dark horse, I wanted to run gear drives and it was out slightly plus I wanted piece of mind, I was concerned about the lower end thrust washer but apparently all was good. After all this I still have some gold glitter but again not as much as what it appears you have. I can't recall who else had a similar issue but I recall them giving up chasing it also and just rode it. I hope you find out what is causing your issue.

Regards,
Klammer

[Admiral Akbar]

Definitely not looking good with that much brass.. Good luck with that Brian..
Max

[02FYRFTR]

I am having the tapered end lube on the dickhead rods on the next half dozen asemblies revised.  I hope that it will ease the gold rush.  Seeing more ssues as they roll the miles on them and stress them beyohd what they were designed to do.

[Ohio HD]

OK, top end off, cam chest apart, checked run out on crank, still less than 0.001" with the cam plate off, all good there still. Rod fit on the crank pin feels fine, no detectable up and down or twist movement. With the pistons still on the rods, I'm holding the rod tight against the crank pin, and flywheel, and grip the piston over the top of it, and can feel a slight rocking motion left to right in relation to the bike. Both cylinders, but the front feels slightly worse. Next to no carbon on the pistons, no more than you would expect. I was hoping to find a smoking gun with a big red arrow pointing at it, but I've never seen any brass in the oil when it was changed before, I change it every 2,500 miles in this one, seeing it gets used hard.

The manual says the pin fit should be 0.0007" to 0.0012", and if it exceeds that, time to replace. Basically you shouldn't be able to feel any movement there at all. I cleaned up my tools, put them away, and will pull the pistons tomorrow and get a close up view of the bushings. But the fact that I can feel a rocking in them, and I have all of that brass in the oil, well, it is what it is. Oil pump looks fine, that's also why I checked the crank run out, and my oil pressure is as it always has been. Rocker arms feel good, fit of the rocker shafts into the arms is snug, I really didn't expect to see any problems with the bushings there.

The thing that has me stumped still, is even with a rocking in the pin and bushing, I just can't see it making that kind of racket. But then again, as it would warm up, it was almost silent.

Will look at them tomorrow, pull the pistons to get a better idea of the pin fit, gonna pull Old Black Betty out and ride her for a while, easy....       

Corrected the pin fit.

[Ohio HD]

Ohio,

Ever since my bike was new (2002 FLHTC) I have been chasing a gold glitter that appears in the oil when I change it. It is not as much as you have but always been there. I believe one or two others have here have had a similar experience. As you know there is only so much brass in these motors. I have checked it, and also too it to a known shop to check, said all was fine, rocker arm bushings, wrist pin, cam plate. Last winter had the lower end done by dark horse, I wanted to run gear drives and it was out slightly plus I wanted piece of mind, I was concerned about the lower end thrust washer but apparently all was good. After all this I still have some gold glitter but again not as much as what it appears you have. I can't recall who else had a similar issue but I recall them giving up chasing it also and just rode it. I hope you find out what is causing your issue.

Regards,
Klammer

I know of a few guys who have also seen a "little" glitter in their oil before. But I have never seen any from either of the Twin Cams I have now. It's definitely wear no matter how you look at it, and with all of a sudden this much brass, and noises too, well, there's a problem.   

[Ohio HD]

Definitely not looking good with that much brass.. Good luck with that Brian..
Max

Yes, I agree Max, as the oil drained into the pan, almost a few seconds afterwards, that flowing stream of brass was floating on the oil. You see in the pic I placed my finger in it, it was covered with brass. Then almost 5 minutes later, stuck that paint paddle in, still a lot.

I think I be screwed and "Potty mouth" with this motor, for now anyway.

[05FLHTC]

Have ya checked the valve guides yet?

[Ohio HD]

Have ya checked the valve guides yet?

They be cast iron, so I haven't. 

[autoworker]

I'm curious to see the rod bushings.

[Ohio HD]

I'm curious to see the rod bushings.

Me too Steve. Enjoying a few cold ones on the deck, after a nice "slow" ride on my Ultra.

Stay tuned, looking at them tomorrow morning.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[koko3052]

If it's got tits, tires, or tracks....Brian.

[05FLHTC]

This motor have them dickhead rods?  Can them bushings be replaced?

[Ohio HD]

This motor have them dickhead rods?  Can them bushings be replaced?

Yes it does...  It would have to be custom work. I'm going to ask my friend at Bore Tech what he thinks. He makes parts for obsolete and antique motors all the time.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ohio HD]

Just a little carbon on the pistons, not really that much.


[attach=0]

[Ohio HD]

The Red Head is pist! She's sitting and Old Black Betty got to go out tonight...

[attach=0]

[Admiral Akbar]

Just a little carbon on the pistons, not really that much.

How did all the oil get on the top of the piston?

Max