Thanks guys I guess I'm just a little paranoid, I dont want to lose this bike. I have been riding since I was 8. My first road legal cruiser was a 1995 savage that was back in 1998 I have had quite a few since and between the way it feels riding and that clanking it really just doesn't feel right. I don't really know how to check the rockers and clearance and I don't think I have the tools to measure it. Is there a thread here for that? I have the clymer but I'm kind of dumb so I didn't quite get it.
Funny thing is I had a $1500 budget to buy a bike and I probably could have bought a good running bike, but when I found this one not only had I owned one before and loved it but it looked easy to work on (no syncing carbs and what not) so I figured I could learn to work on bikes with this one to start. Well.... I sure got my wish
Problem is I don't have unlimited money for it

oldNslow wrote on 03/26/14 at 06:48:10:

NO nuts! THANKS THATS GREAT!
This place really is awesome

wickedbiker wrote on 03/26/14 at 07:00:40:


Before you start loosening the rocker arm nuts, take your feeler guages and see what goes in. Start with the smallest (.0003) and work your way up. If the smallest won't go in, they're too tight, if anything larger than the .0005 goes in then they're too loose. Anything in between is within spec.  Save  yourself some trouble that way and you only do the ones that need it.  

The crank rotates twice for each revolution of the cam.  If you have the crankshaft marks lined up and the rockers won't wiggle.....take another full revolution the crank and then see if the rocker wiggle.

If you watch the rockers while you turn you will see that on one revolution at the TDC marks....the exhaust rockers are closing while the intake rockers are opening - you want the other TDC where the rockers are not moving.

Thanks all of your posts have helped me to make a great deal more snese out of the opporation. Im going to go to harbor freight and pick up the feeler gauge and Im waiting on a fuel air screw and a good battery charger in the mail so I will take care of this Saturday so my old lady can entertain the rugrats. Ill get back on here Saturday or Sunday and let you guys know how it went. I really cant thank you all enough. I really am not sure id be at this point without your experience.

This might sound a little off topic.....but if you start hearing strange and horrible noises coming from your engine.....try grabbing the headlight ring, speedometer ring and a few other parts that might vibrate.  I was sure my valves and cam were self destructing and grinding each other away......then one day I reached up and grabbed my headlight and squeezed the trim ring (easy on a Cafe' conversion).....and the noise went away.  Turns out my trim ring had become some kinda rattly noise maker.  I took the ring off and put some rubber tape where the ring clips onto the bucket to provide some padding......and it ceased being a source of noise and was only a source of illumination from then on .

You might also check that the decompression lever is going all the way down, and it not in contact with the rocker when the engine is running.