I just changed out the stock cams for a set of SE cams in my 04 1200R.

Jeeeze, these cams are noisy! I am getting alot of what sounds like valvetrain noise (sounds like a sewing machine when it idles). I used a screwdriver to listen to the engine. I believe the noise is coming from inside the cam gear case and not the rocker boxes.

The thing is, these SE cams are supposed to be drop-in replacements. Supposidly they have the same base circle as the stock cams, so I don't believe it's a problem with lifter preload. BTW, the rocker arms are non adjustable on the Sporty. You torque the rocker bolts to there torque spec and that's that. Anyway, if the cam has the same base circle as stock, that would not effect lifter preload when using the stock length pushrods.

As I said, the noise seems to be coming from inside the cam gear case. Jeeese, these cams should not be that loud. There are no shims to adjust the end play on the cams, so you just fit them in there with the timing marks lined up ... and that's that.

I went to an Indy today, and he said they were way too loud. I know they have fast ramps, but I feel there is too much "valvetrain" noise just the same.

Anyone have any ideas? .... The motor has not gottin any louder, nor any quieter in the 40 miles I have now put on it since doing the cam swap.

What's your thoughts?

Thanks,
Ron

Hey turbota. Some of the noise comes from the cam gears. Each set is "fit" for the motors cam cover/case. When you change the cams you kinda get a generic set of gears to fit all motors. We are only talking thousandths of inches in gear size but it does matter. My N2's were nice and quiet but the N3's are a bit noisier. It may have to do with lift as well but not sure. I believe up until the 04's HD had like 7 different size gear sets marked with colored dots on them.

Talk about sewing machine, you should here my bike at idle! I also have the .551s. I keep reminding myself it is a mechanical symphony, then I twist the grip and forget about those noises and enjoy a few other ones.

--Sean

Ever ride an Ironhead? To quote someone frome another site," Noisy? Naaah! Sometimes if ya listen real close, you can actually hear the dragpipes over the valve train!"

Well, you guys are starting to make me feel better! :)

My Andrews n8's are noisy as hell and the ignition pickup broke after 3000 miles twice before I shimmed them properly. If your bike just does one day look under the cam cover and you will probably find the pickup in two pieces. Easy to fix.

Dunno guys ... I've done quite a few now and a little extra noise on some is not unusual but nothin like an old iron head....


what was the colour of the colour coding spots on your old cams????

My .551's are also noisier than the original engine and as I know I mentioned before the engine "sounded" different after the carb swap.

Being a Harley novice I just put it down to the type of engine.

Dunno guys ... I've done quite a few now and a little extra noise on some is not unusual but nothin like an old iron head....

what was the colour of the colour coding spots on your old cams????

Stevo ... I don't remember seeing any color spots on the old cams. I will check them again though.

The colour coding is for size matching ..... sorta like blueprinting....

I havn't done an '04 yet but all the earlier models had colour codin and hand matched

My mechanics took my bike apart again after my 04 cam change but they are just noisier. Like SportsterSpive said, I just give it gas and who care about the tick. Yours is probably fine.

After I installed my SE .536 cams I noticed a big differance in valve train noise. Nothing bad, but it does sound like a sewing maching and maybe an old type rider underneith me. I just twist the throttle to get ride of the noise :D .

Ah, but it's a good noise! I had been hearing Harley riders for years commenting on the valvetrain noise (close to 50 years...). Similarly, I had heard nothing but praise for the quiet demeanor of a BMW. Because of a dirt road situation, a chain drive was out for me, so I bought a '78 BMW. Loved it, especially after I got a local machinist(lead machinest for the FSU nuclear physics lab) to flycut the fins out of the way and mill, drill and tap me a location for a second set of sparkplugs for its hemi-head cylinder head. The Bimmer was sweet, yes. But its valvetrain was noisier than ANY Harley I was riding with in the thirteen years I rode it.

Kim

At around 3400 rpm's, I swear it sounds like the drum solo from In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.

At around 3400 rpm's, I swear it sounds like the drum solo from In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.

You say that like it's a bad thing.... :p :laugh


Bart

SportsterBart

Love your Avatar!!!!! :clap :clap :smoke :clap :clap

Just a heads up. When you pull out the old cams, there should be a color mark on em. Different colors will have slightly different sized gaers. Mine from the factory were white, which is right in the middle of the sizing. I also have the bolt in .551 cams. They also had a color mark on them. My SE pair was also white. And they arent really noisy at all. My valvetrain does have more noise than stock, but I also have roller rockers,adjustable pushrods,Jims hydrosolid lifters etc.

The 04-05 specific cams are not color coded anymore. I heard that they now are produced to more exact specs and the matching of gears and color codes are now not needed.

In my case, there was no gear noise, just a tapping sound like a set of solid lifters. Anyway, the motor is tore down again for different pistons and Stage 2 heads.

Ron,

There is a possibility they they arent color coded anymore, but I personally cant discount the fact that all my gears had a hand painted white dot on them from the 04', and the new SE gears we picked up a few months back also had handpainted white markings on them. Stock lifters are hydraulic on the XL's. How many miles did you put on the SE setup before you tore it down again?

MIne had white dots on them too.

I think you are confusing color marks for gear matching with the small white line they paint right on the timing mark on one of the gears. Mine had that, but I believe that was painted strickly for timing. Painted right over the timing mark.

Just my opinion...

No, not on mine, the painting marks were quite large and were in no way associated with the alignment marks that are engraved on the cam gears. The only white mark that WAS associated with timing was on the pinion gear itself next to the oil pimp shaft. No big deal either way though.

Cam gears of the Sporty model have always been loud. You've got the crank gear, 4 cams gears and an idler gear all meshing together at high speeds at one time!!

Since the Evo models...Cams Tolerances are closely matched to each other and the cover by the Factory to meet ever stringent Fed noise requirements imposed on them......I think the Evo cam cover themselves are thicker then the old Ironhead cover too. Its not just the Mufflers on the exhaust!!

Your new aftermarket cams will not be as quiet. That doesn't mean anything is wrong. Just listen to any Ironhead motor....sometimes they sound like their about to explode.....but they run like a raped ape!

Actually, if you read the manuals for Ironheads...you'll see some clearances posted as .....'Snug fit....

Did you mic all the cam bushings/bearing to see how much clearance exist? Its the only way to know exactly what amount of slop is there. Don't trust any color codes...we're talking thousandths of an inch hear...You may have to put in a set of bushings/cam bearings to get a closer tolerance.

Hey Turbota -

What kind of air cleaner is that you have?

Shamdog ...

Here is link to a thread and some pics about it:

http://www.xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=313