ADJUSTED VALVES AND NOW THERES IS SMOKE ON 75 HARLEY IRONHEAD

The Harley forums are full of great advice.

sportster valve adjustment

Harley Davidson Forums https://www.hdforums.com > ... > Classic > Ironhead
Sep 10, 2012 - Option 2: Adjust on the looser end of the range: Set the adjusting screw to finger tight so that you cannot turn the push rod between forefinger ...

Valve Adjustments - Harley Davidson Forums
Aug 21, 2007
99 Sportster 883, are valves adjustable?
May 11, 2010
Valve Adjustment - Harley Davidson Forums
Apr 21, 2008
valve adjustment on TC96? - Harley Davidson Forums
Dec 17, 2007
More results from www.hdforums.com

..

Jets probly need pro ajustment..doin it w out xperienc can burn the engine.

If you're bike was made after 1985, there is no adjustment on the valves. They are equipped with hydraulic tappets just like the ones in modern automobile engines. If you have a Shovelhead or an Ironhead Sportster, please re-post telling me what model bike you have and I'll tell you how to adjust the valves.

Good Luck
Steve

Not uncommon on the Ironhead. As long as it's just a little white smoke for a short while. Probably some oil ran down the valve stem. You can do a compression test or a leakdown test to check the rings.

Good luck
Steve

There is no adjustment to the valves on your Evo Sportster. The tappets are self adjusting hydraulics unless someone has changed them. Take a look at you pushrod tubes, are they should be one-piece tubes.

Sorry but I cannot explain why your crank sensor keeps giving trouble. I know nothing of the electronics on the newer bikes. But I do know that the last Sportster that used solid tappets was the 1985 model Ironhead. All Sportsters since have hydraulic tappets and require no adjusting.

There are a few reasons for this to happen. You could have a vacuum leak on your intake manifold. You could have a bad spark plug. You could have a valve adjusted too tightly. You could have low compression. The list is long.

When is the last time you adjusted your valves? The Ironhead Sportster has solid lifters instead of hydraulics like the rest of the Harleys. They must be adjusted on a regular basis or you can have problems such as running on one cylinder. With the engine stone cold, you must adjust the pushrods so that they can just be rotated with your fingers. I bring the piston on one cylinder to TDC on the compression stroke and adjust both the intake and exhaust valves. Once finised with that cylinder, bring the other one to TDC and do those valves.

Put a new set of plugs in the bike. Ironheads are notorious for fouling plugs and once fouled, they usually won't "clear up" like on other models.

If you suspect you have a vacuum leak on your intake, you need to replace the 'rubber bands" on the intake manifold. If the clamps are in rough shape or are a poor design, replace them as well. A set of clamps are not that expensive.

Run a compression test or a leak down test on both cylinders. If they vary more than 10% between the two cylinders, this warrants a top end job.

Good Luck.