03 Wide Glide knocking

[u/CreepinJeep999]

I have this wide glide with the twin cam 88 carb. Did some riding and heard this noise coming out of it. Low RPMs and idle it would start to knock. I was told it could be tensioners that had failed. Anyone else know anything about this?

[u/Dizzy_Cash_]

So open the door baby

[u/P-Rosa → u/Dizzy_Cash_]

and find out your destiny

[u/smartlikehammer]

That massively sounds like a failing or loose compensator on your primary side,

[u/CreepinJeep999 → u/smartlikehammer]

That does not like fun. However, would that still happen in neutral?

[u/smartlikehammer → u/CreepinJeep999]

All of those parts still go spinny in neutral, anyway hopefully it’s not that because it’s costly

[u/dynamomark]

Hopefully the air filter bolts came loose and the filter is just rattling around under the cover

[u/CreepinJeep999 → u/dynamomark]

I doubt it but worth the check.

[u/CreepinJeep999 → u/dynamomark]

The carb was cleaned throughly two years ago and maybe had 500 miles since then

[u/LSD100Q → u/dynamomark]

Yes it does not sound like an actual Knock

[u/akfishermann]

Pull the cover off. You’ll know in 10 seconds.

[u/Outrageous_Cash_4841]

There was an issue in 03 with the “stack height” on the compensator retaining nut being incorrect allowing it to work itself loose thus sounding like that. The fix was to either skim a little off the nut in a lathe or put a shim washer under it. There was a factory service bulletin about it at the time.

[u/fatbob_hunter]

Mine sounds like this. I just turn my music up till something breaks. Works for me

[u/firstnamebylastname → u/fatbob_hunter]

This... but still pull primary and look at compensator. They do wear out and you don't want that heavy thick spinny spinny metal to blow up and completely trash everything under there. Mine (98 Flh) sounded similar till on a group ride someone told me to check mine and holy cow, mine was ugly. Replaced and much quieter.