Incredible engineering from H.D!! Doesn't inspire a great deal of confidence for the rest of the bike....Pay a fortune and take your bike home,to strip and fix with large hammer!! Incredible!!
g.g. 63, The comical part is that this flaw started in 84 with the EVO motor, then the Sportster had the same flaw, and continued in the Twin cam. Usually a company tries to eliminate problems with a new design HD just kept building it in because they wanted to reuse some of the same parts. Sorry about the big hammer, this video version was fairly early in the development of the Rocker Lockers and is obsolete, we have since found a better way to install them using a bolt to pull them in.
It's only a noise. If noise bothers you then avoid air-cooled engines and get a Gold Wing. That simple, that easy. I'm a multibrand mechanic and don't have a dog in the fight. I own Harleys, two Norton Commandos and a Honda Interceptor at the moment. Rebuilding the Honda was most unpleasant compared to the easy of doing Harleys.
The Harley-Davidson parts schematic shows that there are shims that go inside each end of the rocker arm pin, yet I have not heard anyone talk about replacing those. Can you elaborate on that? Thx.
Carlos Martinez I believe you are talking about the rocker arm bushings as HD calls them. LOL They are a bearing Inside the rocker arm. They normally do not see a lot of ware, you are going to see excessive wear on the foot of the rocker arm before you see excessive wear in the bearing, And normally you would replace the whole rocker arm with a low mileage take off instead of replacing the bushings. The bushings need to be pressed in and then they need to be reamed and honed to fit the shaft which is more work than it's worth. I have not heard of anyone complaining about noise from worn bushings in the rocker arms. I have heard of people complaining of noise from excessive end play on the rocker arms, that's covered in my other video however the majority of rocker arm noise problems are cured with a set of rocker lockers that stop the rocker arm shaft from rotating and hitting the bolt.
I dont understand why nobody sells a bolt with a collar on it. Then would not have to remove the brass bushing if needed to disassemble the rocker assembly. Just swap out 2 bolts and done.
I put rocker lockers in 2 years ago in my twincam roadking .Still has a lot of ticking. Pulled apart and checked everything recently it sounded so bad.Put new piston rings in while apart. No sign of anything wrong. There is no way to really make these engines more quiet like say my old BMW boxer twin. Rocker lockers dont cure it. These are just rattly motors. which is shit. If you hate rattly motors dont get a harley. or buy loud pipes to hide the shit mechanical noise
I've replaced my lifters, front rockers, changed oil to mineral 20\50 and I still get a tick \ rattle from front rocker box at idle. The rocker shafts are a tight fit so I can't see that being the problem, I'm out of ideas and the bike has only done 12000mls (2001 Sportster). It was upgraded from an 883 before I got it, do you think that could have anything to do with it? Great video's bud.....
GerbilFrenzy, Sorry it took so long to get back. We talk a lot about how the rocker arm shaft when it is cold will be very tight in the tower of the rocker arm support plate, but when it gets hot it gets very loose and starts to rotate. It does this because of the different rates of expansion between the steel shaft and the aluminum towers. The aluminum is about twice the expansion rate so even if the shaft needs to be pressed out when cold it can still rotate when the assembly gets hot. That is why it is usually quiet when the bike is cold. (not always but usually) Normally you will see witness marks on the bolt, but not always. We have also noticed that the front cylinder exhaust rocker arm was the worst culprit for this. Of course there are several places that the top end can make noises but don't rule out the rocker arm shaft rotation just because the shaft is tight. It is a cheap easy fix and we feel it should be addressed first before going any deeper.
@@harleycruiser4331 thanks for your reply, mine makes the noise from cold and I'm convinced it's from the rocker arm as I've used a stethoscope and it's loudest at that point. I'll try the rocker lockers to see if it helps but otherwise just learn to live with it as I can't find anything else worn.The only time the noise disappeared is when I filled the replacement lifters with oil ( with a syringe) and it then ran sweet for approx 2 minutes..
lol "it centers everything so that every time its aligned the way that harley designed it"... clearly not! i like how after pointing out another MASSIVE harley design flaw and how to fix it you still give harley credit.
sorry about that:-) after about thirty takes, filming, trying not to read what I was saying I got off script, and was to tired to fix it. I think there was supposed to be a "should have been" in there. lol
Why do you need to remove the rocker arm assembly (plate) from the Motor? Seems to me like you should just be able to just beat each one of these into place and get one side done at a time without having to remove the entire assembly from the Motor.
Kenneth Wise - You can do it that way. But go easy as the shims are very thin copper and easily bent. And be sure to swab out any oil, that drains into the bolt holes, with a couple q-tips before replacing and torquing the bolts. Otherwise you could end up with a cracked head and a much louder tick...😳
I had the exact same noise, took me a few months to figure it out, my 88 has 58K miles and it could have been a bunch of stuff, the noise comes and goes and it`s in the top of the front cylinder and thats where I found, the noise doesn`t bother me any more now thatI know It`s harmless, when I put the 100 cid pistons and cylinders in I`ll put in the lockers.
Yes, very annoying but harmless. Mine started out with one clicking at about 50k, by 100,000 miles several were talking to me, it was embarrassing it stop at a stop sign, wearing ear plugs helped. That is when the cause showed up on the internet and I invented the inserts, Rocker Lockers. Other solutions were to locktite the shaft, set screw in the shaft, the inserts are the easiest and simple solution. I was amazed at the improvement. I had worked on my top end several times before my problem started so I don't blaim you for waiting.
I have a question, i just ordered a kit for my 2010 Dyna wide Glide model. I got a Kit with 8 of these lockers in it, 4 of them are longer and the other 4 are shorter. On the description of the kit it says it is for twin cam engines (dyna) till 2017 and as well for after market rocket srms as well. Alright in the description it is said that 4 of the lockers are correct and the other 4 are not, so far so good, now i used the longer ones cause i thought the locker has to be even with the plate up- and downside but the thing is the locker was going into the whole pretty hard, even that hard that i know can get the bolt just with a hamer through the plate.. Obviously i jused the locker which is simly to thick for my whole, so whats now? And the other ones the shorter ones don’t have the correct length compared to the plate, does it matter that the locker has to be even with the plate? Please Help🙏
You have the kit for aftermarket plates, use the inserts that fit the best, go in fairly easy. After market plates have a variety of size holes that is why the different inserts. They should be flush with the top of the Rocker arm plate top. They will not be as tall as the plate, but will go past the Rocker arm shaft. Don't hesitate to ask more questions.
@@harleycruiser4331 Alright thanks for your help then i will use the one which slides into the hole easy, but as i said, the one which slides into the hole are the shorter ones, they are not even with the plate, does this have an impact?
@@harleycruiser4331 That I see your Still responding. Seeking any Help identifying a noise in front Head on right side. Only some tough life spots keep me from being on it. It is an 04' 1200 with 25,000 miles. Sounds good but a Nice metal clang sound. I just started looking it up and was thinking Rocker arm bushings. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Rocker Locker didn't help my bike even after new lifters, cams, cam plated, oil pump. Had this ticking from new bike. Wrong , the rocker locker don't center everything , they only take up the space between the shaft and the bolt and they try ( doesn't always work) locking the shaft from moving . All four mounting bolts has play causing movement in the plate, rocker lockers don't effect this play.
There are many causes of ticking on air-cooled engines. If ticking isn't due to something actually causing wear or damage I ignore it. It's only noise. If you want a silent motorcycle buy an electric bike. Yes, really. My first Evo ticked in various ways for thirty years. No harm done, at all, and I'm still on the stock bottom end.
Kerry, the top cover needs to come off, and the Rocker arm base plate needs to be loosened. The kit comes with instructions, but you should have a factory manual. Taking the tank off, makes the job easier, so takes a couple of hours or so to do the job, faster if you know what you are doing.
Kerry Lewis -Just raise the back of the gas tank and remove the rocker box cover. Run them in one shim/ bushing at a time with the rocker plate bolts. Go easy as they are soft copper, and be sure to swab any oil out of the bottom of the bolt holes before you replace the bolt...
Make sure your lifters are on the heel of the cam before loosening and re-installing the rocker bolts with solid pushrods, or loosen your adjustables the same beforehand.....just sayin'!
Maybe a stupid question, but later on how would you take the rocker apart .say to remove or change out the rocker shaft.seems like a cool deal as I did order a set .I am assuming you would have to get it pressed out to replace the rocker .am I right? Great solution though as Harleys fo have that tic
Shoboli nan tanna you can turn the plate over and use the flat end of installation tool as a punch to tap them out, or you can use a flat punch to tap them out. They are recessed in the bottom by about a quarter inch and pretty easy to catch the edge and they come out very easy. Most of the time if you are careful you can reuse them if you don't damage them with the punch. This is shown at about the 60 second point in this video. ruclips.net/video/2TgYZPvAPTs/видео.html
Bid D, you turn the rocker arm assembly over and use a punch to tap them out or you can use the centering tool as a punch. They usually come out very easily and can be reused. For normal mantance on the top end you just leave them in, only time they need to come out is if you want to change rocker arms, or set the end play on the rocker arm.
doesn't work, i installed them. same stupid tick. now how to remove them? drill and pin them with a grub screw. a long screw so that if it backs out it will hit the rocker cover before it can come out. safe and better way.
Jimbo actually the thermal expansion makes the problem with the design flaw worse. Let me explain what is happening, the shaft is not supposed to rotate, the rocker arms do. The shaft is a tight fit from the factory, and the bolt is supposed to lock the shaft, but since there is a gap because they used a smaller then designed bolt the shaft rotates when the motor warms up. This is because the aluminum in the towers of the rocker arm assembly expands more than the steel in the shaft, what was a tight fit is now a loose fit and the shaft is able to rotate and hit the bolt causing the loud tick. As the engine wears the shaft get even looser and the tick get worse. The Rocker Lockers go in the gap and lock the shaft so that it cant move. It only goes in one end so that the rocker arm tower can expand more than the rocker arm shaft. This is called the coefficient of thermal expansion between two different types of metals. All the Rocker Lockers do is take up the gap and lock the shaft it does not affect the rocker arm at all. I hope that explains it better. This video is obsolete while we were developing the Rocker Lockers we updated many things, the new video is here, ruclips.net/video/2TgYZPvAPTs/видео.html
I just ordered a set. Looks like a great engine mod. Thanks.
Incredible engineering from H.D!! Doesn't inspire a great deal of confidence for the rest of the bike....Pay a fortune and take your bike home,to strip and fix with large hammer!! Incredible!!
g.g. 63, The comical part is that this flaw started in 84 with the EVO motor, then the Sportster had the same flaw, and continued in the Twin cam. Usually a company tries to eliminate problems with a new design HD just kept building it in because they wanted to reuse some of the same parts. Sorry about the big hammer, this video version was fairly early in the development of the Rocker Lockers and is obsolete, we have since found a better way to install them using a bolt to pull them in.
@@harleycruiser4331 Pleased to hear it....the hammer looked a little brutal!
It's only a noise. If noise bothers you then avoid air-cooled engines and get a Gold Wing. That simple, that easy. I'm a multibrand mechanic and don't have a dog in the fight. I own Harleys, two Norton Commandos and a Honda Interceptor at the moment. Rebuilding the Honda was most unpleasant compared to the easy of doing Harleys.
It would've cost them another $1m annually in wages to have assembly line workers tapping in bushings? 😕
I agree you have to enjoy working on your bike, which I do, but the money I spent for it, you would think I wouldn’t have to rebuild it
It came in so soon to put a end to tapping rockrrs,thanks so much for video
How do you get than rocker shaft out after installing these?
Oh hell yeah! I need to get these. Plus it will give me an excuse to buy the new top box covers I've been wanting.
i have Harley Street xg750 and also have that kind of ticking sound.. do i need to fix it immediatly? or can i just leave it like that?
Will you hear the tick only while you ride it? Im getting a tick and cleeking. Scared to find it. Dont wanna fuckmit up
Do you have any ideas how to extract a bushing that mushrooms inside?
Thanks...Great video
Q: Does 1 set - 9pcs a set of rocker lockers, do both cylinders sportster xl1200c
Yes one set has 4 insers two for each cylinder.
The Harley-Davidson parts schematic shows that there are shims that go inside each end of the rocker arm pin, yet I have not heard anyone talk about replacing those. Can you elaborate on that? Thx.
Carlos Martinez I believe you are talking about the rocker arm bushings as HD calls them. LOL They are a bearing Inside the rocker arm. They normally do not see a lot of ware, you are going to see excessive wear on the foot of the rocker arm before you see excessive wear in the bearing, And normally you would replace the whole rocker arm with a low mileage take off instead of replacing the bushings. The bushings need to be pressed in and then they need to be reamed and honed to fit the shaft which is more work than it's worth. I have not heard of anyone complaining about noise from worn bushings in the rocker arms. I have heard of people complaining of noise from excessive end play on the rocker arms, that's covered in my other video however the majority of rocker arm noise problems are cured with a set of rocker lockers that stop the rocker arm shaft from rotating and hitting the bolt.
I dont understand why nobody sells a bolt with a collar on it. Then would not have to remove the brass bushing if needed to disassemble the rocker assembly. Just swap out 2 bolts and done.
CORRECTION------4 bolts.
I put rocker lockers in 2 years ago in my twincam roadking .Still has a lot of ticking. Pulled apart and checked everything recently it sounded so bad.Put new piston rings in while apart. No sign of anything wrong. There is no way to really make these engines more quiet like say my old BMW boxer twin. Rocker lockers dont cure it. These are just rattly motors. which is shit. If you hate rattly motors dont get a harley. or buy loud pipes to hide the shit mechanical noise
I've replaced my lifters, front rockers, changed oil to mineral 20\50 and I still get a tick \ rattle from front rocker box at idle. The rocker shafts are a tight fit so I can't see that being the problem, I'm out of ideas and the bike has only done 12000mls (2001 Sportster). It was upgraded from an 883 before I got it, do you think that could have anything to do with it? Great video's bud.....
GerbilFrenzy, Sorry it took so long to get back. We talk a lot about how the rocker arm shaft when it is cold will be very tight in the tower of the rocker arm support plate, but when it gets hot it gets very loose and starts to rotate. It does this because of the different rates of expansion between the steel shaft and the aluminum towers. The aluminum is about twice the expansion rate so even if the shaft needs to be pressed out when cold it can still rotate when the assembly gets hot. That is why it is usually quiet when the bike is cold. (not always but usually) Normally you will see witness marks on the bolt, but not always. We have also noticed that the front cylinder exhaust rocker arm was the worst culprit for this. Of course there are several places that the top end can make noises but don't rule out the rocker arm shaft rotation just because the shaft is tight. It is a cheap easy fix and we feel it should be addressed first before going any deeper.
@@harleycruiser4331 thanks for your reply, mine makes the noise from cold and I'm convinced it's from the rocker arm as I've used a stethoscope and it's loudest at that point. I'll try the rocker lockers to see if it helps but otherwise just learn to live with it as I can't find anything else worn.The only time the noise disappeared is when I filled the replacement lifters with oil ( with a syringe) and it then ran sweet for approx 2 minutes..
I've uploaded a video of the engine running recently with the noise if you wanted to have a listen, your opinion would be much appreciated
Cheers.
lol "it centers everything so that every time its aligned the way that harley designed it"... clearly not!
i like how after pointing out another MASSIVE harley design flaw and how to fix it you still give harley credit.
sorry about that:-) after about thirty takes, filming, trying not to read what I was saying I got off script, and was to tired to fix it.
I think there was supposed to be a "should have been" in there. lol
How is a tick "MASSIVE" (and I think you mean "major" since noise has no mass). Major defects cause failures, not mere noise.
Why do you need to remove the rocker arm assembly (plate) from the Motor? Seems to me like you should just be able to just beat each one of these into place and get one side done at a time without having to remove the entire assembly from the Motor.
Kenneth Wise - You can do it that way. But go easy as the shims are very thin copper and easily bent. And be sure to swab out any oil, that drains into the bolt holes, with a couple q-tips before replacing and torquing the bolts. Otherwise you could end up with a cracked head and a much louder tick...😳
I had the exact same noise, took me a few months to figure it out, my 88 has 58K miles and it could have been a bunch of stuff, the noise comes and goes and it`s in the top of the front cylinder and thats where I found, the noise doesn`t bother me any more now thatI know It`s harmless, when I put the 100 cid pistons and cylinders in I`ll put in the lockers.
Yes, very annoying but harmless. Mine started out with one clicking at about 50k, by 100,000 miles several were talking to me, it was embarrassing it stop at a stop sign, wearing ear plugs helped. That is when the cause showed up on the internet and I invented the inserts, Rocker Lockers. Other solutions were to locktite the shaft, set screw in the shaft, the inserts are the easiest and simple solution. I was amazed at the improvement. I had worked on my top end several times before my problem started so I don't blaim you for waiting.
these worked !!!! love'em
Brenton Cochran glad they helped.
Thanks for the video, you could have used more light on the assembly though.
I have a question, i just ordered a kit for my 2010 Dyna wide Glide model.
I got a Kit with 8 of these lockers in it, 4 of them are longer and the other 4 are shorter.
On the description of the kit it says it is for twin cam engines (dyna) till 2017 and as well for after market rocket srms as well.
Alright in the description it is said that 4 of the lockers are correct and the other 4 are not, so far so good, now i used the longer ones cause i thought the locker has to be even with the plate up- and downside but the thing is the locker was going into the whole pretty hard, even that hard that i know can get the bolt just with a hamer through the plate..
Obviously i jused the locker which is simly to thick for my whole, so whats now?
And the other ones the shorter ones don’t have the correct length compared to the plate, does it matter that the locker has to be even with the plate?
Please Help🙏
You have the kit for aftermarket plates, use the inserts that fit the best, go in fairly easy. After market plates have a variety of size holes that is why the different inserts. They should be flush with the top of the Rocker arm plate top. They will not be as tall as the plate, but will go past the Rocker arm shaft. Don't hesitate to ask more questions.
@@harleycruiser4331 Alright thanks for your help then i will use the one which slides into the hole easy, but as i said, the one which slides into the hole are the shorter ones, they are not even with the plate, does this have an impact?
@@mathiasbehmann1763 as long as they go all the way in you are fine .
@@harleycruiser4331 That I see your Still responding. Seeking any Help identifying a noise in front Head on right side. Only some tough life spots keep me from being on it. It is an 04' 1200 with 25,000 miles. Sounds good but a Nice metal clang sound. I just started looking it up and was thinking Rocker arm bushings. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Rocker Locker didn't help my bike even after new lifters, cams, cam plated, oil pump. Had this ticking from new bike.
Wrong , the rocker locker don't center everything , they only take up the space between the shaft and the bolt and they try ( doesn't always work) locking the shaft from moving .
All four mounting bolts has play causing movement in the plate, rocker lockers don't effect this play.
There are many causes of ticking on air-cooled engines. If ticking isn't due to something actually causing wear or damage I ignore it. It's only noise. If you want a silent motorcycle buy an electric bike. Yes, really. My first Evo ticked in various ways for thirty years. No harm done, at all, and I'm still on the stock bottom end.
I hate to say it but the only true way to stop the ticking is rip the harley motor out and put in a honda or yamaha V twin
@@andrewedwards121 .... Right , Harley should have call the Twin Cam , Twin ticker .
I ride hd for 30 years and i hate them..
How much of the top end has to be disassembled in order to install your fix?
Kerry, the top cover needs to come off, and the Rocker arm base plate needs to be loosened.
The kit comes with instructions, but you should have a factory manual.
Taking the tank off, makes the job easier, so takes a couple of hours or so to do the job, faster if you know what you are doing.
+Harley Cruiser looks like about 30 minutes start to finish.
Kerry Lewis -Just raise the back of the gas tank and remove the rocker box cover. Run them in one shim/ bushing at a time with the rocker plate bolts. Go easy as they are soft copper, and be sure to swab any oil out of the bottom of the bolt holes before you replace the bolt...
Make sure your lifters are on the heel of the cam before loosening and re-installing the rocker bolts with solid pushrods, or loosen your adjustables the same beforehand.....just sayin'!
You'd think for what they charge they would do this themselves
Maybe a stupid question, but later on how would you take the rocker apart .say to remove or change out the rocker shaft.seems like a cool deal as I did order a set .I am assuming you would have to get it pressed out to replace the rocker .am I right? Great solution though as Harleys fo have that tic
Shoboli nan tanna you can turn the plate over and use the flat end of installation tool as a punch to tap them out, or you can use a flat punch to tap them out. They are recessed in the bottom by about a quarter inch and pretty easy to catch the edge and they come out very easy. Most of the time if you are careful you can reuse them if you don't damage them with the punch.
This is shown at about the 60 second point in this video.
ruclips.net/video/2TgYZPvAPTs/видео.html
Harley Cruiser ,thanks for info
How do you remove them to remove the shaft at a later time?
Bid D, you turn the rocker arm assembly over and use a punch to tap them out or you can use the centering tool as a punch. They usually come out very easily and can be reused. For normal mantance on the top end you just leave them in, only time they need to come out is if you want to change rocker arms, or set the end play on the rocker arm.
RevBiker Big D - Punch them out with a drift punch. They come out real easy. Go easy on them and they are reusable.
doesn't work, i installed them. same stupid tick. now how to remove them? drill and pin them with a grub screw. a long screw so that if it backs out it will hit the rocker cover before it can come out. safe and better way.
Remove the rocker plate and turn it over and you can drive them out from the bottom with a punch or use the installation tool.
I installed my rocker locks with the help of my hot air gun. They almost fall in.
This seems like a bad idea due to heat expansion. Jus my 2 cents . Father bless us.
Jimbo actually the thermal expansion makes the problem with the design flaw worse. Let me explain what is happening, the shaft is not supposed to rotate, the rocker arms do. The shaft is a tight fit from the factory, and the bolt is supposed to lock the shaft, but since there is a gap because they used a smaller then designed bolt the shaft rotates when the motor warms up. This is because the aluminum in the towers of the rocker arm assembly expands more than the steel in the shaft, what was a tight fit is now a loose fit and the shaft is able to rotate and hit the bolt causing the loud tick. As the engine wears the shaft get even looser and the tick get worse. The Rocker Lockers go in the gap and lock the shaft so that it cant move. It only goes in one end so that the rocker arm tower can expand more than the rocker arm shaft.
This is called the coefficient of thermal expansion between two different types of metals.
All the Rocker Lockers do is take up the gap and lock the shaft it does not affect the rocker arm at all. I hope that explains it better. This video is obsolete while we were developing the Rocker Lockers we updated many things, the new video is here, ruclips.net/video/2TgYZPvAPTs/видео.html