De-smog'd '03 blew a plug and engine is ticking.

[Valdyr]

So I discovered that the '03 Valk that I have been riding for 3 years now was improperly de-smog'd by the previous owner. He used a liquid gasketed very poor quality freeze plug to cap the forward emissions control system port on the left side of the engine instead of a proper de-smog kit. I was revving through 3rd and when I shifted to 4th heard a backfire then the engine started quietly ticking. No loss of power or vibration though so I took it easy the last few miles to the house, figuring it was an exhaust gasket that gave. Found the plug on top of the engine when I got home along with the corresponding hole (had to do the old wooden dowel to the engine trick to find the source of the tick first).

I have permatex form-a-gasket'd the offending plug back in place as a stop gap until payday when I can order proper parts to fix the problem (this is my daily driver and I refuse to be caught dead in a cage), will see if that resolves the ticking here in about an hour when the permatex sets up. The ticking does seem to be coming from a valve right next to the blown plug.

Mostly posting this as a PSA reminding people that if you jerry rig something that doesn't mean it's fixed but also to start the thread in case I have to go down the rabbit hole of trying to diagnose further to resolve the ticking as this is my first Valkyrie and while I have worked on bikes for years I am not as familiar with the flat 6 architecture yet and may need advice to sort it out. Wish me luck!

[98valk]

see my replies 15 and 16

https://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,105991.0.html

[da prez]

  I am not trying to start a contest. I have not gotten into the engines as far as 98 or many others. I have done many de-smogs. I used kits on the first few.  A 14mm freeze plug  (NOT a 9/16) is the perfect fit when properly installed.  I have many options on the bottom exhaust cover.

                                            da prez

[John Schmidt]

  I am not trying to start a contest. I have not gotten into the engines as far as 98 or many others. I have done many de-smogs. I used kits on the first few.  A 14mm freeze plug  (NOT a 9/16) is the perfect fit when properly installed.  I have many options on the bottom exhaust cover.

                                            da prez

The 14mm freeze plug is also what I used on my ride. Been in there over 20 years. On others I've done, I left the original PAIR valve plug/tube attachment in place and simply cut off the tube about 1/4" from the plug. Then filled the remaining tube stub with JB Weld quick set. That will never blow out of the tube and the plugs are held in place by the little foot that bolts down with the intake runner bolts in the factory set up. Works perfect and will never come out...and costs nothing. For the little doodad under the head, I cut the tube off near the top of the cylinder head. Press some tissue into it so I can fill with JB Weld, the tissue keeps it from running down into the tube. Put a couple layers of Weld in there, never comes out and again...costs nothing. It's a cost free desmog except for buying or creating caps for the vacuum nubs on the back of the intakes and buying some JBWeld quickset.

Like in the military, if you want to find the quickest and easiest way to do something, give it to the laziest guy in the outfit.