tap/rap is getting to me!!!!!!!!!

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dnice1702

New member
I have a 07 electraglide classic and this past spring I installed an S+S 106 BB kit, SE 255 cam and polished the chambers of the heads. I also have Rinehart TDs, SE air cleaner and SERT. I put almost 6k on the build and I must say, the bike does run good. But it has a terrible tap/rap between about 2700-3400 rpm. And some days, it is very, very loud!!!!

I started working on the tap/rap sometime ago by shimming the rocker arms and installing a baisley spring. Still the tap/rap was there.

Okay, now I'm scared!! This past Monday evening I start to tear it down again! I finally open up the cam cavity and whew! That little bit of oil was brown and very smelly!!!!! Just like oil that has been fried! And I just changed it about 1500 miles ago. Amsoil to boot!

I pulled the pushrods out and removed the tubes and something caught my eye on the front cylinder! There is discoloration of the black crinkle finish to a gray color. No, it wasn't dirt! It was discoloration!

Now my mind is racing! Did I forget to make sure that one of the wrist pin clips were in right and I now hosed this engine? My mind is awash with all sorts of scenarios.

So after this long story, I guess my question is this. Is it possible for a loose wrist pin to cause that amount of heat and discolor the crinkle finish or am I over reacting? But it seems to me, either way, I'm going to have to pop the heads off.

Any commenst are appreciated.
Keith
 
I just pulled my top end for another reason but I did have a noisier valve train than I would like around the 2500-3000 rpm range. Found that the pushrods had been rubbing inside the tubes and the valve springs had been hitting the rocker boxes. Replaced the SE quick install pr's with the SE tapered adjustables and used a dremel to clearance the rocker boxes as not to interfere with the valve springs. If you had a loose circlip and the piston pin is loose the cylinder will be most likely ruined. Pop the head off and get the piston to bdc and all will be revealed as far as damage if the circlip came out of the groove and the wristpin moved the cylinder wall will most likely be trashed. Just my experience with that scenario.
 
most good automotive shops have those bore-scopes now..kinda a eyeball on a stick you can feed in the spark plug hole and a tiny video screen..i messed with one and the picture was plenty clear enuff to tell if your cylinder is ok or damaged...save a bunch of tear-down
 
Just my two cents but when my c clip on my 09 flhtc came out after a 103 build it only lasted 20 miles befor it siezed so if you got 6 k i would find it hard to believe the wrist pin was coming out.
 
Its highly unlikely you have a wristpin walking out. It would be wearing a groove in the cylinder wall and you would be loosing power faily quickly. I would do a compression test first, then you know if you have a problem in the cylinder. The boroscope will then help you figure out the problems cause if there is one, but I doubt it. Just calm down and be systematic. Im expecting valvetrain noise is what you are hearing. I went to a fast ramp cam and my engine became quite a bit noisier, thought somthing was wrong but it was just the nature of that cam. My dealer listend to my bike and told me it was normal for that cam. He let me hear a few other bikes with cams and I felt a lot better knowing that what I heard was normal.
Good luck
 
That is the one thing that has perplexed me from the beginning. I kept thinking to myself that if I did forget to make sure that the c clip was in right, that thing would have grenaded on me a long time ago.

Sorry about your 103
 
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