Clank/Tick Coming from Motor

[SuperLow883]

Motor Question for anyone that can help…

I have a 2011 Sportster 883 superlow with pipes, intake and tune. I have recently developed a small knock or tick in the motor. Sounds like it is coming from the first(closest to front wheel) valve train. I performed a compression test and both pistons were around 140-150. I then took the rocker panel off and re-torqued all the bolts I could to spec. Some were a little loose but nothing concerning. I used a mechanical stethoscope to try to pinpoint where the noise was coming from but had no luck. My 02 sensors are reading 4.5-5volts while running. The spark plugs look like they are a tad bit lean. Slapped it all back together and she still knocks/ticks. Could this be a Lifter issue or do y’all think it’s something deeper in the seating of the valves and rockers? Could this also be something with the mapping on the bike as far as AFR and O2 sensor data?

[1Scooter]

Sounds like normal rocker are noise. As they wear, they start getting a tic, tic,tic. If that's the problem there is a cure. ROCKER BLOCKERS. Had em in my 07 Dyna for around 45,000 miles and it did cut down the tic, tic,tic.

[Hippysmack]

It's very difficult to diagnose sounds over the internet.
But a knock and a tick are two totally separate conditions.
It would be good to distinguish that.
A knock may concern piston slap or rod bearings.
A tick could be many less serious conditions.
If you have a collapsed lifter, it's gonna sound like rocks are tumbling around in the bottom end.
You haven't mentioned sounds of that nature so it doesn't sound like lifters.

One of the common areas that tick are the rocker shafts as 1Scooter mentioned.
You can check that off the list (especially since you already have been diagnosing) by removing the rocker covers.

See this page in the Sportsterpedia for the full article:
http://www.sportsterpedia.com/doku.p...evo:engmech04l


This is addresses the ticking / tapping noise in the rocker box area due to back and forth movement of the rocker arm shafts.
This condition can me one think that the lifters are having problems instead but it causes no harm other than the ticking sound.
The shafts are independent of the moving parts.
Although, back and forth arm movement can cause the shafts to float back and forth.
When the shafts reach the end of their travel (hit the rocker box bolt that is installed into the shaft bore hole), shaft stops until rocker reverses again.

You can pull the 2 bolts and check for witness marks but try this first;