hey guys,
just a couple questions...
I just put new chrome pans on my bike. I had those ugly thich aluminum pans with the ribs that deadend the noise of the lifters. I was told I would notice the noise of the lifters and valves more now...but my question is how loud are they? I can clearly hear them ''ticking'', more as it gets hotter...how loud is too loud??????
My other question is a little oil is being blown out my pipes,(straight dragpipes)...I think oil is getting past my rings or getting through my valves?? The motor runs strong, sounds good, lots of power...
Is this normal for these old gems??????
my plugs are fowling up a little with oil, not much to panic about, but I dont know if this is a sympton of problems to come or is it normal...
Thanks to you all... you have solved all my problems so far and I know you guys will again!!!
Im going to try and upload a pic but im not a computer guy (1 hour to typethis) so it might not work!?
thanks again ,
DAN
general q's
Forum rules
Please do not start new topics here, but here: New Panhead and Flathead topics
Please do not start new topics here, but here: New Panhead and Flathead topics
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dragpipe
- Inactive member
- Member
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:04 pm
- Location: canada
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VT
Hi dragpipe - Probably a little of all that mentioned. You might consider using one of these, while you ride the machine until it needs top end work. The people in cars next to you would appreciate the designed sound - maybe by smiling, instead of rolling up the window or as is done in L.A., they just shoot you with a handgun and leave you bleeding on the hot pavement, with your open primary spinning on your bare leg.
"Loud pipes do not save more lives, more than they annoy most people".
IMO, loud pipes are telling everyone within hearing distance....."Bla-da-da Bla-da-da....look at me....I've got a problem (twists throttle) I've got a problem....share my pain" (these days straight pipes are dangerously lame).
You have a lot of originality in the machine as it sits. Back-pressured mufflers help the motor. "Straight pipes without reversion tubes (cones installed at the header hub) will ruin a motor due to a spear of cold-air intake that rockets back into the head at the speed of sound" - Loosely translated from an earlier Jerry Branch (Flowmetrics®) booklet. His technical writing's suggest straight pipes are only for the track.
Rigid (top) and swing-arm versions (bottom) versions of the Mello-Tone as originally designed by Harley-Davidson® IMO, the shorter swing arm (22") looks better on either rigid or swing.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Your first-time pic is great. Once you get it wired it's all fun.
For people with smaller screens it would be helpful to keep the images to 640 x 480. I know you posted this on the hydra-glide site's internal pic-posting program. I know there's a special PC download program you can get that will reduce the resolution from "1750 x huge" to 640 x 480.
Maybe Panhead could get an automatic 640 x 480 feature hooked up to this site so that 640 x 480 would be the max. resolution.
If you post just one huge pic like the one of your Glide, it means every text pic and post afterwards will necessitate scrolling over to the right, in order to see the entire image and to read the text.
It seems to me, that if we get the pic posting to a max of 640 x 480, then the only other thing left to create are replica 3.5 gallon tanks.
Some things we have to live with - that's understandable.
"Loud pipes do not save more lives, more than they annoy most people".
IMO, loud pipes are telling everyone within hearing distance....."Bla-da-da Bla-da-da....look at me....I've got a problem (twists throttle) I've got a problem....share my pain" (these days straight pipes are dangerously lame).
You have a lot of originality in the machine as it sits. Back-pressured mufflers help the motor. "Straight pipes without reversion tubes (cones installed at the header hub) will ruin a motor due to a spear of cold-air intake that rockets back into the head at the speed of sound" - Loosely translated from an earlier Jerry Branch (Flowmetrics®) booklet. His technical writing's suggest straight pipes are only for the track.
Rigid (top) and swing-arm versions (bottom) versions of the Mello-Tone as originally designed by Harley-Davidson® IMO, the shorter swing arm (22") looks better on either rigid or swing.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Your first-time pic is great. Once you get it wired it's all fun.
For people with smaller screens it would be helpful to keep the images to 640 x 480. I know you posted this on the hydra-glide site's internal pic-posting program. I know there's a special PC download program you can get that will reduce the resolution from "1750 x huge" to 640 x 480.
Maybe Panhead could get an automatic 640 x 480 feature hooked up to this site so that 640 x 480 would be the max. resolution.
If you post just one huge pic like the one of your Glide, it means every text pic and post afterwards will necessitate scrolling over to the right, in order to see the entire image and to read the text.
It seems to me, that if we get the pic posting to a max of 640 x 480, then the only other thing left to create are replica 3.5 gallon tanks.
Some things we have to live with - that's understandable.
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1950Bobber
Re: general q's
dragpipe wrote:hey guys,
just a couple questions...
I just put new chrome pans on my bike. I had those ugly thich aluminum pans with the ribs that deadend the noise of the lifters. I was told I would notice the noise of the lifters and valves more now...but my question is how loud are they? I can clearly hear them ''ticking'', more as it gets hotter...how loud is too loud??????
My other question is a little oil is being blown out my pipes,(straight dragpipes)...I think oil is getting past my rings or getting through my valves?? The motor runs strong, sounds good, lots of power...
Is this normal for these old gems??????
my plugs are fowling up a little with oil, not much to panic about, but I dont know if this is a sympton of problems to come or is it normal...
Thanks to you all... you have solved all my problems so far and I know you guys will again!!!
Im going to try and upload a pic but im not a computer guy (1 hour to typethis) so it might not work!?
thanks again ,
DAN
Wow, nice looking Pan. I like the individualism you achieved...I like ALOT of OEM stuff on my bikes but just shy of stock. Those decals look good on your bike too. Nice!
I do agree with VT (not often however!), try the smaller "cigar" muffler...it would look REALLY classic and sound real good too!!! Good job with the bike AND the pic
Jim in Seattle "1950 Bobber"
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dragpipe
- Inactive member
- Member
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2006 8:04 pm
- Location: canada
First of all... I dont live in L.A...I live in Canada!. We are not that ignorant to shoot someone for making a little noise...BLAA, BLAA, BLAA, is what you said, thats not what my bike sounds like! I dont care what any one says... Loud pipes do save lives. If all the cars stay away from me, as they do. How is that not helping... We dont have as many bikes on the road as you do...Drivers arent looking out for bikes here, they do a quick look to make sure no cars are coming, and out they pull... I have a 75 sporty with mellow sounding pipes on it, and im getting cut off all the time! I have had a few close calls, ones that make youre heart jump out youre throat...On my pan, they stay well clear of me, they give me tons of space, they hear me coming long before they see me, and they sit there until they see where the noise is coming from!!!
If you were meaning to tell me my pipes were the cause of my problems,you should say so and explain why...I didnt want youre personall opinion on how YOU want MY bike to sound!!!
My question was how loud do the valve and lifters get when the bike is running hot... and is a oily residue on the inside of the pipes normall.
If the oily residue is due to backpressure then thats something Ill consider (baffles), other than that, ill keep my pipes the way they are and stay clear of L.A.
I just want a couple questions answered, not people picking me or my bike apart!
If you were meaning to tell me my pipes were the cause of my problems,you should say so and explain why...I didnt want youre personall opinion on how YOU want MY bike to sound!!!
My question was how loud do the valve and lifters get when the bike is running hot... and is a oily residue on the inside of the pipes normall.
If the oily residue is due to backpressure then thats something Ill consider (baffles), other than that, ill keep my pipes the way they are and stay clear of L.A.
I just want a couple questions answered, not people picking me or my bike apart!
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steve_wood
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:32 am
- Bikes: 56 FLH, 2007 FLHRCI
- Location: Belleville, Ontario, Canada
- Has thanked: 49 times
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Dan:
If I had to guess, I would say that your valve guides are worn and you're getting oil in the combustion chamber which is getting blown out the pipes. Fairly significantly if you can actually detect it inside the exhaust pipes.
But if you're serious about diagnosing your problem, get a leak down tester. It will tell you exactly where your leak(s) are coming from and how bad they are.
As for drag pipes vs mufflers, there are strong opinions on both sides. I think what VT meant to say is that it is a sound shock wave that travels from the pipe tip back up the tube into the combustion chamber where it disrupts the normal intake and mixing process in the chamber. Think of the noise level at the tip of the pipe.... that noise is a pressure differential in the air... if it's strong enough it will travel in all directions including back up the pipe. It's unlikely that this is the cause of your oil problem, but it is almost certainly affecting the performance of your engine.
As for Canadians, I'm Canadian too but currently living in the US. Please don't criticize our American brothers until you've walked (or rode) a mile in their shoes.
steve
If I had to guess, I would say that your valve guides are worn and you're getting oil in the combustion chamber which is getting blown out the pipes. Fairly significantly if you can actually detect it inside the exhaust pipes.
But if you're serious about diagnosing your problem, get a leak down tester. It will tell you exactly where your leak(s) are coming from and how bad they are.
As for drag pipes vs mufflers, there are strong opinions on both sides. I think what VT meant to say is that it is a sound shock wave that travels from the pipe tip back up the tube into the combustion chamber where it disrupts the normal intake and mixing process in the chamber. Think of the noise level at the tip of the pipe.... that noise is a pressure differential in the air... if it's strong enough it will travel in all directions including back up the pipe. It's unlikely that this is the cause of your oil problem, but it is almost certainly affecting the performance of your engine.
As for Canadians, I'm Canadian too but currently living in the US. Please don't criticize our American brothers until you've walked (or rode) a mile in their shoes.
steve
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fourthgear
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- Location: north florida
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Did you install the felt pads in/on the covers? They will dampen some noise . Could be your lifters are out of adj. or if you are running hydraulics , they could be going bad or not getting enough oil .
Oil in the pipes could be as has been said about the valve guides and also could be blown head gaskets . Of course, you did remove the heads to replace the covers ? Or was it getting oil in the pipes before ?
Bro , you can run any kind of pipes you want on your scoot !
Oil in the pipes could be as has been said about the valve guides and also could be blown head gaskets . Of course, you did remove the heads to replace the covers ? Or was it getting oil in the pipes before ?
Bro , you can run any kind of pipes you want on your scoot !