Next note: I pulled off the valve cover and I think I found my answer. First off, I was surprised and how black and nasty it was in there considering I've been using Amsoil since the initial break in period and changing oil every 3-5000 miles.. Past that, I ran the starter and the intake valve rocker arm / pushrod aren't moving at all. So I'm assuming that that moves me on to a cause of collapsed lifter/cam problem. Someone somewhere said if you replace the lifter you need to replace the cam too. Only problem is, I may be getting in over my head at this point.......

Eureka! I took it all apart and pulled the lifters out. Found the problem. The intake lifter is completely dished out to the point a hole has worn through the bottom of it. I'm hoping the cam hasn't been damaged, but that's an awful lot of wear on the lifter to not have any damage on the part it rides against. I was reading in the cam / lifter section of the tech articles and read an article in there that specifically said the cams did not have to be replace normally when replacing lifters. So I need to buy new lifters and I guess I might as well go ahead and replace both the exhaust and intake while I'm in here shouldn't I? I've read where people are using Chrysler or GM lifters because they're about a quarter of the price of the Yamaha lifter. Does anyone have a part number cross reference somewhere?

Cam's gone. You can put new lifters on it if you want but the odds are you'll be back in there again. Maybe JD will chime in about his experience in that area.

I don't know about that article but consider this: When removing lifters it's very important that they be put back in the same hole. Each lifter and lobe have worn together. So new lifters on a cam that has supported a lifter with a hole in the bottom...

Paladin wrote:
Eureka! I took it all apart and pulled the lifters out. Found the problem. The intake lifter is completely dished out to the point a hole has worn through the bottom of it. I'm hoping the cam hasn't been damaged, but that's an awful lot of wear on the lifter to not have any damage on the part it rides against. I was reading in the cam / lifter section of the tech articles and read an article in there that specifically said the cams did not have to be replace normally when replacing lifters. So I need to buy new lifters and I guess I might as well go ahead and replace both the exhaust and intake while I'm in here shouldn't I? I've read where people are using Chrysler or GM lifters because they're about a quarter of the price of the Yamaha lifter. Does anyone have a part number cross reference somewhere?
If it were me I would listen to Davej or SKWEARpeg for advice

Thanks, hopefully they'll chime in...

Thanks, makes sense......

The HT-2011 lifters is what many use when replacing the yamaha lifters.

I wouldn't think about using that same cam unless you have a way to verify the entire lobe profile is still good.

And the odds of that are pretty slim.

If you have a hole in the bottom of the lifter, as Scott said your cam is bad. You can check it if you want to (and you should) but it will need to be replaced. You will find the lobe that, that lifter was on is wiped out. Now the next thing is to decide and investigate why it is wiped out. Do you have a good oil supply to that area? do you have the idle on your bike set real low so that you get that Harley lope at idle? if so that could possibly cause a lack of oil pressure at idle and cause issues.

ZDDP, or the lack thereof, comes to mind.

Folks that live near the rev limiter on these engines can't help, either.

Amsoil should have taken care of that, tho.

What's ZDDP? I'm not one of the ones living near the rev limiter. While I do blow it out periodically, I got all my crazy riding out of my system back in the 70's and 80's. I don't lug it, but I don't get into the rev limiter very often either.