My Shovelhead Nightmare Starts
Alright so last Tuesday, my buddy Dave rolls in with his Harley making this godawful CLANK-CLANK-CLANK noise. I mean it sounded like throwing wrenches down a staircase. He goes, “Pretty sure my shovelhead’s trying to kill itself.” Yeah no kidding.
We popped the seat off right there in my garage. Thing smelled like burnt oil and regret. Noticed oil pooling under the motor – classic shovel leak. Then when Dave fired it up again, that nasty knocking sound kicked in louder. I pressed my ear near the bottom end and man it felt like marbles rattling in a coffee can.
What We Did Step-by-Step
Started simple first:
- Checked oil first thing. Dipstick was almost dry! Topped it up with 50-weight – still leaked but the level held.
- Smacked the starter with a rubber hammer. Sometimes the brushes just stick. Nope – still made that dying dinosaur groan.
- Took off the derby cover. Found sludge city inside the primary. Chain looked looser than my grandpa’s suspenders. Tightened it up proper with the adjuster.
Still knocking? Oh yeah. So we ripped into the top end next:
- Pulled plugs. Both pitch black and wet. Wiped ’em clean, checked gaps.
- Peeked at pushrods through the oil hole. One looked bent. Took me three tries getting new ones seated right. My fingers still smell like graphite.
- While we were there, scrubbed the rocker boxes with kerosene. Old gaskets crumbled like stale crackers.
Dumb Luck Saves the Day
About ready to torch this thing when Dave goes, “Wait – is your carb hissing?” Sure enough, the dang fuel line clamp wasn’t pinching tight. Cheap auto store clamp had cracked. Swapped in a screw clamp from my toolbox. Suddenly the motor quit choking and smoothed right out. Smacking noises? Gone. Felt like an idiot but hey – simple fix!
For the oil leak? Turned out the drain plug threads were stripped. Threw in a rubber expansion plug temporary. Works perfect until the new pan comes in.
Quick Fixes I’d Totally Try Again
- Rattle from engine bottom? 80% chance it’s loose primary chain. Always check before panicking.
- Oil waterfall? Wipe everything bone dry then run briefly. Usually just valve covers weeping.
- Knocking on startup? Nine times outta ten it’s pushrods kissing the guides. Quick pop-off fix.
- Sputtering? Bet money it’s crap fuel flow. Hose clamps or gunked-up petcock screen.
Never buying cheap hose clamps again. And yeah – always check oil first. Ask me how I know this now.
