Motorcycle Repair: Shovelhead Hydraulic Lifters, hydraulic lifters, improper adjustment

Question
Mike: I recently rebuilt my 78 FLH (1200). It's running very good but I'm getting a lot of lifter noise from what I believe is the front exhaust when the motor is cold. After a few miles it goes away. I'm breaking the motor in on straight 60W. Before tear down I was running a 20-50W and did not seem to have this problem but I had so many other noises I might not have heard it.  Is this a weak lifter, improper adjustment or might it have some crud in the valve body ? The tappet screen is clean and the motor is carrying good (for a shovel) oil pressure.  

Answer
What you are hearing is the valve lash you had to put in when installing the pushrods. Most of the old shovels had a rattle to the valve train. Once the motor warms up the vlave lash is tighter, hench the noise gets quiter. Unless the rattling gets worse the is really nothing you can do. You can change the hydrolic lifters, but you might still have the same problem of the noise. If it gets worse or it does it alot at idle then you have a hydrolic lifter that is colaping and needs to be replaced.
Good luck and happy riding
Mike