[mototrekker]

I recently bought an '01 with a 535 top end with aluminum push rods. They seem to  and lose their adjusment and go all clattery after about 2 hours of somewhat spirited riding. Not the normal valve noise, I know what's normal and what's not, but really noisy. When I get back to the shop and check the clearance they always are at about 8 'thou. Do the aluminum push rods have a reputation for this? The bike came with several boxes of spares including some steel push rods so I'll probably install them anyway but I am curious. Thanks.

[UncleErnie]

This should be upstairs in the "Classic" department because the engines are different, but-
I don't think the composition of the pushrods would make that much difference. 
Guesses / checks;  Have you torqued the head bolts in the last 500 miles?  Are you sure the adjustments are at TDC?  Is the engine cold or warm?  Are both pushrods going out about the same amount, or just one?  Could the valves be receding fast?

[mototrekker]

The bike has a self commencer so I thought "Electra" was the right place. Both push rods loosen up the same. Haven't torqued the head yet. I'll take care of that when I put the other push rods in. I'd think if there's a valve problem they'd get tighter, not looser. I adjust the valves at TDC, cold. 

[UncleErnie]

Never heard that one before; "self commencer" means electric start?   I thought that for a long time, too.  Actually, many of the iron barrel models have E-start, but because they have different engines, they're still "Classic". 
The Electria is mechanically an AVL, but has a slightly different frame and comes with a front disk brake.  These bikes have aluminium barrel engines, and some other differences like the type of oil and air filters, decompressor, et al.

The pushrods and barrels are counter-intuitive if you're used to most other kinds of motorcycles.  The rockers are set tight because the rest of the motor expands when heated- which then loosens the pushrods/valves.  I don't think anyone here uses a feeler guage to set valves here.  The lifters just rotate when pushed by finger at the side of the engine.  If you adjust while the engine is cold, but check after a ride- they will feel looser.
If you adjust, go for a ride, and check again the next day (cold) and they've loosened up a lot, I doubt the problem is what your lifters are made of. 

[PhilJ]

It's best to refer to the engine. My AVL is in a classic frame. His '01, I think, would have to be an "Iron".

[The Garbone]

On my iron I set em cold and run it... After a few hundred miles I check em cold again.  I have got more than one comment that the valves clatter, but its fine, these things are a bit noisey..    The only time the noise got out of hand was when I dropped a valve... Not good.       

Just check em cold, they should have 0 play and roll in your fingers but not spin free.. 

Loud valves save lives...

[ace.cafe]

In some circumstances, the pushrods may have soft alloy that allows the tips to pound into the aluminum shafts.
This is not terribly common, but it can happen.
Normally they work fine, and they do get louder when hot.
But, the way this works is that you set them with zero lash, and the clearance "grows" with the heat, so that the engine sets its own lash as it warms up, so to speak.

If you have to continually adjust them, then you should look for a problem, such as soft pushrod tubes, or bent adjusters, or something like that.

[mototrekker]

I removed the push rods last night and, sure enough, they're all mushroomed at the bottom. Soft material is the problem. The rods with the steel adjusters will go in today. Looks like it'll be a great afternoon for a quick test ride through the canyons. Thanks for all the input.

[chinoy]

This is one reason I never purchased a Bullet till they came out with the C5.
This is a known issue on all bullets pre UCE.

Its such a known common issue that most people dont even discuss it any more.
I don't think your going to see any difference by changing your rods.

The guys who say they dont have this problem. Are just not riding the bike like you are.

The only guys who ever fixed this or reduced it. Where the guys who made their own rods.

[jayprashanth]

I removed the push rods last night and, sure enough, they're all mushroomed at the bottom. Soft material is the problem. The rods with the steel adjusters will go in today. Looks like it'll be a great afternoon for a quick test ride through the canyons. Thanks for all the input.

Mototrekker,

Do our host carry the rods with the steel adjusters or steel adjusters separately? Like Ron just said, my LB500s valves clatter a bit when they are warm, but so do all the other LB350/500s I have listened to. Also, please post the results of the pushrod's performance with steel adjusters.

Cheers,

Jay

[UncleErnie]

Well wait a minute- are we talking about the pushrods or the adjusters?

I imagine it's luck of the draw, either way.  I have about 6500 miles and rarely need to adjust the valves.  Good to know I should keep an eye out, though.

[mototrekker]

With the new push rods everything is normal. Usual valve clatter like any of my other old bikes. I don't know where the new rods came from; they were with the spares that came with the bike. Aluminum tubes with steel adjusters - SAE 1\2 " wrench to adjust. This bike's spares selection included several rocker blocks, stainless valves, the afore-mentioned push rods and all the stock stuff. There's a Mikuni VM series carb installed  (30mm?, haven't measured the bore), alloy cylinder, Dunstall copy muffler, alloy rims with Buchanan spokes, right side shift, foot pegs moved up and back a bit with a custom mount for the off side peg ( that's right side for you Yanks) that just barely allows access to the oil cap and a bunch of other little changes. All in all a tidy little bike.
Other bikes in the shed: '58 Velocette Viper, '62 T100SC, '72 T150, '72 Alpina 250, '82 BMW R100, '99 Suzuki DR650, '04 T100, '06 Vespa GT200

[chinoy]

Jay Im doing a few rods in some fancy alloys.
One of the perks of Living next to ISRO. And knowing where they get their CNC work done.

Ill send you some pics when they are done. But like everything these are for the UCE only.

[jayprashanth]

Wow Ron. In a year or so, i'l buy myself a UCE500 and by then hopefully, you'll be working your magic on UCE Bullets too.

Cheers,

Jay

[motocamp]

This is one reason I never purchased a Bullet till they came out with the C5.
This is a known issue on all bullets pre UCE.

Its such a known common issue that most people dont even discuss it any more.
I don't think your going to see any difference by changing your rods.

The guys who say they dont have this problem. Are just not riding the bike like you are.

The only guys who ever fixed this or reduced it. Where the guys who made their own rods.

I dont totally agree with this , we have worked on a lot of 500 and 535's i myself own more than one and have been quite succesful at redcucing clatter most of the time and we always used the stock rods.

The rod's are not always the problem , infact they seldom are the problem unless they are bent or in some cases very old and worn.

In my opinion if your engine is very clattery you need to inspect the whole valve train and the 535 engines and std 500 engines from around 2000 did suffer from a noisy valve train, in this case very well designed pushrods will not really help even though they form a large part of the train.


I say most of the time because anybody who has worked long enough on the bullet can tell you no two engines are exactly the same,The tollerances vary a lot and they are genrally quirky, sometimes even the simplest job takes a lot of experience and feel to complete succesfully.

I know a lot of you guy's are going to shoot me down for this one but, the UCE and the NUCE have nothing really in common with each other apart from the basic configuration and some of the UCE engines suffer from quite a bit of valve clatter as well, it's in the nature of the beast.

That said i love the new Uce and the Royal enfield engines of vintage design , anything that has two wheels sound's beautiful,goes like a rocket and touches my soul.

[UncleErnie]

I was under the impression the UCE employed hydraulic valve lifters.
Is that wrong?

[motocamp]

 You were right the uce engines use a Roller Hydraulic Valve Lifter.

[jayprashanth]

Yes, they do employ hydraulic valve lifters. One more reason for UCE owners to maintain a high oil pressure I guess.

Cheers,

Jay

[jayprashanth]

Motocamp,

I have a doubt. I have a spare set of pushrods lying around. I am wondering what material the adjusters are made up of, aluminum or steel? If they are made of aluminum, where in India can I find steel adjusters?

Cheers,

Jay

[UncleErnie]

Got a magnet lying around the house?

[jayprashanth]

I never though about that. Thank You Uncle Ernie.

Cheers,

Jay