Buell xb9r engine ticking noise

[Guyatt]

Hi fellow buellers;
I was wondering if anyone has came across an xb engine making a ticking noise coming from the rocker box area? I have looked into it on other Buell sites and everyone seems to say it's something they do..lol

Thought I'd get some other options

[bcbueller]

no for sure its what they do . just think traditional chevy with lifters and valves

[Guyatt]

Cool thanks for the inout.. I always like to look into everything just to make sure..!
Just curious do you work in the motorcycle industry?

Ps: thanks for putting together the Web site!

[bcbueller]

actually i work on the parts counter at barnes in langley

[Guyatt]

Oh cool well if parts are needed I guess ur the man to ask first.!

[Dirty T]

Your TICK that you mention could be a combination of things. First and foremost, this is a V TWIN. That being said it is based on 100 year old technology.

The tick that you hear could be either one of four things. could be a worn valve guide, worn rocker, bent pushrod or lifter.

in the case of the valve, or guide be prepared to make many more posts in relationship to "HEADS".

in the case of a rocker, these things do wear, a noisy rocker isn't going to hurt anything bit will need to be addressed in either 2 ways. You can either check side load clearances or, go with adjustable pushrods since either the ball in the rocker is worn out far enough to make the lifter not do its job or on the other end where the rocker contacts the valve. Since these are NOT roller rockers, this is a result of constant metal to metal wear. Or a combination of both.

Pushrods, although they are constant in a state of oiling, may have worn or bent because of some reason.(valve float is a killer another post later)

In the event of a lifter gone bad. or losing the ability to "PUMP UP" is sometimes one of those things that just happen.

Or like my Xb12, and countless other pushrod vtwins, the rocker boxes are somewhat noisy. i know mine gets noisier the hotter it gets.

How bad is it? did it just start doing this or has it always been like this? Milage? Let me know.

[Guyatt]

It's not bad, you can here a kind of ticking noise in the rocker box. I used the stethoscope I use at work and was checking around the engine to see where the noise is coming from and it was the rocker box, the bike has 13000kms on it and I think it always been there. But with the hotter weather I could here it more, to help I went to amsoil 20-50 and Lucas oil stabilizer it helped alot the engine is probley 1/3 rd smother and noise is down.

There has been no adverse effects on the performance of the bike
I'm thinking I will disassemble in the winter and give her a look.

Any further advice is welcome and thx for the reply..!

[Guyatt]

I forgot to mention, there is a you tube video someone posted called Buell engine noise my engine sounds similar to that..

[Dirty T]

They are noisy. it is just the way that they are. the hotter they get the thinner the oil gets, this losing the oil "cushion"

glad i could help

[BuddhaBuell]

I know with the airbox delete BamBam is significantly louder but I do not mind the engine noise, it's just his heartbeat.

(I do wear earplugs tho whenever I ride due to the D&D exhaust and not the engine)

[Sed8ed]

I know with the airbox delete BamBam is significantly louder but I do not mind the engine noise, it's just his heartbeat.

(I do wear earplugs tho whenever I ride due to the D&D exhaust and not the engine)

Airbox delete? The reason why I ask the Buell I picked up has about X10 2 inch holes drilled out in various locations of the airbox housing with a K&N filter..

[Guyatt]

Just a heads up on the issue, i am rebuilding the engine cause if figured why not i already had it out.
One of the valve seals was worn out and all push rods were slightly bent and the springs were also out of spec
with that being said i'm replacing piston rings, cylinder studs, bolts, oil pump drive gear and new valves and spring kit and guides from hammer performance cleaned all carbon off everything and cometic gasket kit.
race ecm and ceramic coated exhaust
cant wait to see how she runs in a month or so

[Dirty T]

Sounds like a fun project hope you will be back together buy the time we do the candy run

[Guyatt]

im going to have her back together for mid march and putting her through her break in period..

So i'll be good for the run

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