'03 1500 questions

[ec7771]

I have a couple of questions that hopefully someone will be able to help me with. I have removed the reed valves, coasters installed, removed the air solenoids and plugged up all associated tubes as per Gadgets instructions, my problem is I am still getting that clanging or knocking sound as if it were still stock. Is that the pinging that everyone talks about? I currently have the stock air cleaner installed and V&H exhaust.

I also have a cobra FI2000R processor installed set at 3-5.5-0 and I don't really notice a difference in the bikes performance. There is a very strong smell of fuel cold or hot which makes me believe the bike is running rich.

Oh yeah one other thing, I have a very annoying squeak coming from the rear Axel/drive shaft area, anyone with a similar squeak? Hopefully someone can understand my late night babble.....

Thanks

Ed

[ringadingh]

Try running some Sunoco Ultra 94 in the bike and see if that cures the engine noise you are hearing. It could also possibly be the vibration dampeners making thae noise as well.

The rear wheel squeeking could be brake pads, or wheel bearings, jack up the rear of the bike and turn it by hand to see if you can narrow it down.

Where abouts in Ontario is home? If your close enough, bring the bike by and I'll take a look at it.

[cyclecat]

Stock air cleaner, fuel processor, smelling gas all the time??? Turn off the fuel processor and see what happens. Check your plugs and see if they are black and fouled. It sounds like your Nomad is running rich and chances are the fuel processor is not needed. We have an '01 and an '03, V&H Baggers, open air kit, all the pollution crap removed, NO fuel processor, and our Nomads run great.

When we got the Nomads and put the air kits on, we listened to everyone and wasted our money on 2 TFI's. Both our Nomads ran like crap so we turned the TFI's off 2 years ago and finally removed them this winter. The Nomads run so much better with the processors gone and we have been in all kinds of weather and altitudes with them off, and no problems at all.

The clanging noise could just be the lifters, mine are quite noisy and Brian's not so much. How long have you had the Nomad?
The engines are quite noisy and most of the time you just have to ignore the noises.

[MAS Tequila]

How many miles are on it?

Check the cam chain tensioners. I'll bet they are fully extended.

An easy way to see if the cam chains are loose is to pull the spark plug tunnels, check for wear marks from the chain slapping the tunnels.

MT

[macmac]

Just setting the cobra pot to a book spec isn't how to set them up. Turn them all off and set up pot 1 first. Probably with the stock airfilter set up pot 1 is too rich. Cobra expect you will have a freer flow intake for the book settings and still these are paper settings not real world.

With the coaster install did you block off the tubing to the throttle body, or plug the line from it?

How many miles/klicks? Timing chain tensioners tend to need extenders at around 30,000 miles.

Ping has a odd rattle sound, and isually occure if the engine is lugging at a too low engine rpm and a harder demand is made for more power. It sort of sounds like nut and bolt being shaken hard and fast till you either down shift to the proper gear, or lay off the throttle.

There is no clang to it..

Other ways to tell of the timing chains are htting the plug inserts is to use a long steel rod you place near the plug inserts with the engine running, and your ear to the other end, like hearing trains 100 miles away on rail road tracks.

Then there are cap you can take off the tensioners, but that ft cly will be tuff with the air tibe cross over pipe installed.

[poppy]

I say take the processors out of the loop and run some good premium fuel for a few tankfuls and see if there is a difference. Also raising the bike up on a jack is a great suggestion to check for the noise being heard.

Of course, the easiest would be stopping by Ringadingh's place!!

[ec7771]

Thanks to everyone who has responded to my questions.

Ring, I'm in Newcastle approx an hour south east of you but thanks for the offer just the same. I am going to do just what you suggested and raise up the rear end and narrow down my squeak hopefully it's just the brake pads making that awful noise and not a bearing.

Cyclecat, I do believe the clanging noise that I am hearing is the lifters as you have suggested but as some of the other guys have mentioned I guess I should check the cam chain tensioner just to be sure it's not that. As for the processor I have had it turned off for quite awhile and just recently turned it back on to see if it makes a difference but i don't believe it does. I think that the bike is rich due to the strong smell of fuel, I am going to pull the plugs and take a look to see if they are fouled or not. This is my second season with this bike so I'm still figuring out all its little quirks and noises.

Dragon/Mac & Poppy the bike currently has 47000 Km or 29200 miles on it so I guess i should be taking a look at the cam chain tensioner. Are there any how to's for this? Is it a DIY project? I have run a couple of tanks of premium through her lately and the noise is still there, my gas mileage increased slightly but no change in noise. As Cat said the noise sounds like the lifters.

Thanks once again, I'll keep you posted.

Ed

[poppy]

http://www.gadgetjq.com/cc_tensioner.htm

Here is the walkthrough I used when I installed the extenders on my '04. It needed them but as mentioned, the Vulcans are slightly clatterly(is that even a word?).....

Just read through the write up several times and decide if you want to try it. I'm no mechanic but it went pretty smooth!

[schoeney]

I have a 2003 completely stock except debaffle. I run 92 octane...no pinging.

[ec7771]

How do you get the spark plug tube out? Looked at them last night and looks like you need a special tool to remove them.

Ed

[ringadingh]

Originally Posted by ec7771

How do you get the spark plug tube out? Looked at them last night and looks like you need a special tool to remove them.
Ed

Use a stamped steel socket that fits into the hex on the spark plug tube, or a large nut or bolt that will fit the hex. They just unscrew once you find something that fits.

[ec7771]

Now I have some concerns. Checked the tensioner and they needed the extenders, took everything apart no problems, went to install the new extensions on the push rod and I wasn't able to get them to fully seat on the end of the rod. I used red locktite in the end of the extension and placed it in the bench vise but they still would not seat all the way. Is there any chance of them coming off? I really wrenched on them in the vise but i have some concerns that they may come off due to the fact they are not fully seated... Please tell me that I won't have any issues when I start the bike up...

Ed

[ringadingh]

If you used the red loctite, and had everthing good and clean, free of oil, and pressed the on most of the way at least, I think you would be fine. Why couldn't you press them on fully? How much more to seat them fully? If its about a 1/16" I would figure its ok to leave, anymore and I would correct the problem.

[ec7771]

Ring, believe me I tried, all the parts were clean, no issues with residue oil and loctite in the end of the tensioner and on the sides. Not sure exactly why they wouldn't seat all the way, i cranked the vise as tight as I could and i got them to within 1/8"- 1/16" from the original depth of the factory end. I don't think that they would ever come off due to the pressure i applied to get them on. How much vibration will they see inside when the bike is running? Is it a severe vibration or are they fairly stable once they take up the slack in the chain?

Ed

[ringadingh]

Once the tensioner is installed on the bike there is really nowhere for it to go, the worst thing that could happen would be for the extender to fall of while you were installing the tensioner, then youd have to try and fish it out, that may be tough.
But Ive never heard of that happening.