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Harley Riders
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Member Posts: 168,427 ✭
Just recently I have heard a slight whine somewhere in my 95 Electra Glide, It is belt driven, when I went to the Harley Shop, the tech there said "The front drive Pully might be trying to come off" He also stated that it is very common, after a lot of mileage is put on them.
If this is the case it costs about a grand to fix.
My question would be "If this is a common problem, then it is a defect in the design and shouldnt Harley Davidson be responsible for the repair?
My 95 has 68,000 on it and never been wrenched on before.
"A wise man is a man that realizes just how little he knows"
If this is the case it costs about a grand to fix.
My question would be "If this is a common problem, then it is a defect in the design and shouldnt Harley Davidson be responsible for the repair?
My 95 has 68,000 on it and never been wrenched on before.
"A wise man is a man that realizes just how little he knows"
Comments
Do any of ya collect the Harley Marbles?
I got 42 of em, All different but 5 of em. [^]
I have the only 2 inch I have ever seen, (the * one)
"I dont care how thin you make a pancake, it still has two sides"
"A wise man is a man that realizes just how little he knows"
But alas Old age is creeping up and I dont go like I used to, but still ride and will till I cant hold one up anymore, then might try a three wheeler, [:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]
"I dont care how thin you make a pancake, it still has two sides"
"A wise man is a man that realizes just how little he knows"
First of all, I'd get a second opinion. Out of warranty means you're
"SOL". My '95 Road Toad has whined for a long time. Our mechanic has listened to it and says "no problemo", they all do it a little. Unless it's REALLY "whiney" I wouldn't worry too much about it. But try a second opinion just to be on the safe side. I've been wrong before. (I believe it was 1953 but I could be mistaken.)
Don't mean to cast asparagus on you H-D dealer but a grand sounds WAAAY too much for that job.
You can do a visual check yourself. Look at the drive belt to see if the outside edge shows any evidence of rubbing on something. If your front pulley has moved, it HAS to move the belt too. Sooner or later the belt will get out of alignment enough that it'll start rubbing on something. You might be able to hear rubbing. Once the pulley gets to a certain point, you'll also get vibration 'cause it'll be out of alignment will the rear pulley.
Mudge the HOG driver
I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!
Edited by - mudge on 07/03/2002 16:08:28
I really don't see how they COULD come loose. The transmission mainshaft nut that holds the pulley on is torqued to 120 foot lbs., plus or minus, and there is a small set screw that threads into the pulley alongside of one of the flats on the big nut. This keeps the nut from moving. In order for the front pulley to come loose, the set screw would have to come all the way out and then the big nut would have to back off. Not too likely.
Is the whine in all gears? What kind of oil are you using in the transmission? Any chance the noise is coming from your primary chain? How often do you check the tension of the primary chain and the final drive belt? A too-loose or too-tight belt will make noise. Also if your rear wheel isn't set dead-nuts straight it will cause the belt to run to one side of the front or rear pulley and will make noise.
Several yeaers ago I installed an "M-6 Chain Tensioner" on my primary chain. It replaces the manually-set factory chain tensioner with a spring-loaded unit that automatically takes up the slack as your chain stretches. I've never had to mess with my primary chain since I put the M-6 on my bike in 1994.
If I were you I'd get a second opinion about the noise. The front pulley coming loose is the last thing I'd ever expect to happen. I HAVE heard of the front primary sprocket (compensator sprocket) coming loose on Harleys, but I don't think this is very common either. Since it doesn't have a keeper screw like the front belt pulley there's a better chance of it coming loose.
Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
1.PULL PRIMARY COVER OFF,
2.INSPECT BELT FOR MISSING COG'S OR EXTREME WEAR.
3.THE PRIMARY PULLEY IS HELD ON WITH A 1 1/4" BOLT, REMOVE BOLT, YOU CAN TAP THE FRONT PULLEY LIGHTLY WITH A PLASTIC HAMMER TO WORK IT LOOSE, OR BETTER BUY A CHEAPO GEAR PULLER & PULL IT OFF. INSPECT THE PULLEY FOR WEAR, CHECK THE SEAL BEHIND THE PULLEY FOR LEAKAGE, REPLACE IF REQUIRED.
4. ALSO INSPECT THE REAR PULLEY FOR ANY WEAR.
5. RE-ASSEMBLE IN REVERSE ORDER
THATS IT!, 1 OR 2 HRS OF PLAYING WITH YOUR HOG SAVES YOU A GRAND!
CANT BEAT THAT!, TAKE THE $1,000 & BUY THAT NEW GUN YOU WANTED!, TELL THE WIFE YOU SPENT THE $ ON THE HOG.
BEST OF LUCK - WALTER
I'm certainly no pro. Harley mechanic but I'm not a beginner either. I had about ten hours in replacing my front pulley. You also need to replace the transmission mainshaft oil seal and the started jackshaft oil seal when you put it back together.
Anybody who says the pulley is behind the primary cover and can be fixed in an hour has never seen the inside of a Harley Davidson.
Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
BUT! I CAN DO IT IN ABOUT 1.0 OR 1.5 HRS. ON THE 75 FXE.
ILL CHECK WITH THE BOYS HERE IN THE SHOP THEY ARE OLD TIMERS & KNOW THE EVO'S BETTER THAN I DO.
(HOPEFULLY IAM NOT TOO FAR OFF, CANT TELL, MY LUCK) WILL LET YOU KNOW
LOWRIDER IS PROBALY RIGHT, BUT I WILL CHECK
LATER
THESE GUYS HAVE & STILL OWN AT LEAST 2 EACH FOR THE PAST 30 YRS.
GET A NEW BELT,SEALS & 12 PAK OF BUD!
YOUR LABOR IS CHEAPER THANT THE DEALERS, PLUS YOU LEARN SOMETHING!
ITS NOT THAT BAD OF A JOB, NOT LIKE REBUILDING THE TRANS.
EATING CROW...UMMM GOOD!
THE FEATHERS ARE HARD TO EAT, THEY KEEP STICKING BETWEEN THE TEETH!
LATER. GOOD LUCK - WALTER
"What we have here... is Failure to Communicate"
I use the synthetic gear oil that Harley Supplies , and check it once a month,
I guess it is just the normal moans and groans that come along with a lot of mileage.
If it aint broke, dont fix it
"A wise man is a man that realizes just how little he knows"
dealer near here that wants $32.0 labor plus the oil ($5.99/qt)
plus the oil filter just to change the oil on my Yamaha.
Is $65/hr for labor out of sight or is it normal?
Classic said to tell you that 65 an hour seems a bit high.. the harley dealer here charges 40 bucks an hour..It would cost about,
at most, 35 for an oil change at the harley shop, and that includes labor and oil....
By the way guys.. if any of you know of a basket case harley.. 86 and up sportster ... let me know.. I want to build my own...We have looked all over here but cannot find one... Yes I am serious...*S*
One woman's opinion
If I knew then, what I know now.
Thanks, Grizztribefans@sssnet.com
Little people talk about people,regular people talk about things,and big people talk about ideas.
Edited by - Bushy AR on 07/04/2002 13:49:03
The bike will go faster than I want to go, accelerate faster than I
need to, carry all I need & climb anything I intend to go up so why do I need a larger engine? Note: I do intend to replace the seat the first day.
The only reason I can think of would be that you could achieve all of the above at lower RPMs thereby reducing vibration & stress on the engine. Are there any other reasons & how significant are the above items if these are the reasons. If the only reason is for more power
I would note that I have been rideing for fourty-eight years & this would be the largest engine I have ever had.
If I knew then, what I know now.
I prefer the Big Twins because I like 'em heavier for stability in high winds, longer and lower for the same reason plus they look and ride better and are much more comfortable 'cause you can stretch out while riding, wider with a low seat height so it feels like you're actually settled down into the bike instead of perched on top of a razor blade, bigger tank so I can ride 3 or 4 hours between gas stops and rubber-mounted so the engine vibration stays in the engine, not in the frame, seat, footpegs and handlebars.
Nothing looks sillier than a big man riding a Sportster.
But hey, each to their own.
Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
Classic, the noise could be from lots of things, including the cam bearing that somebody mentioned. Try listening with a stethoscope, to get a better idea of where the noise is coming from. As far as 8 hours to fix the pulley problem...I think there is some confusion as to whether you mean a PRIMARY belt drive, or the final drive. If it's the engine pulley, the hour or so estimate to pull it apart is right on target, as only the outer primary has to be removed. If it's your transmission pulley, then the inner primary will have to come off, and that will entail a good deal more labor.
However I assume you are talking about the much larger machines & not just jumping up to the 1200 cc engine.
Are the problems with vibration specific to Harleys or are we simply talking about all bikes with smaller engines? The bike I now have is a
750 cc Yamaha that runs about 5000 RPM at 70 Mph. The last bike I had was a Honda CX500. If anyone has experience with either of these bikes & the smaller Harley could you give me a comparison of the vibration & other rideing factors between these bikes.
All Harleys vibrate. The Sportsters don't have a rubber-mounted engine so they transfer a lot of the vibration into your feet, hands and *. The non rubber-mounted Big Twins, like the Heritage Softails and Fat Boys, also carry the engine vibrations through the frame and bars but there's more frame mass to help dampen it and the vibrations are of a lower frequency, compared to a Sportster.
Most of the Japanese bikes have a totally different type of vibration, a higher frequency buzz, compared to more of a shake from the Harleys.
You may be completely satisfied with a Sportster, lots of people are, but a helluva lot more folks who buy one trade it off for a Big Twin in pretty short order. Ride a Sporty and ride a big Harley and compare them yourself. In fact, if you're serious about buying a Harley, ride as many different models as you can get your hands on.
Some of the Japanese Harley look-alikes aren't bad bikes either. My brother rides a 1500cc Kawasaki Vulcan and he likes it fine. Another friend rides one of the 1600cc Yamaha Road Stars and he really likes it. A good friend of mine rides one of the Polaris Victory motorcycles and wouldn't trade it for any Harley on the road. There's lots of great bikes out there. If I had unlimited funds I'd have a warehouse full of every make and model motorcycle in the world.
Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
If you're looking for a cruiser style bike and don't want to spend the bucks on a full-sized Harley you should look at the Honda 1100cc Shadows, the Kawasaki 1500cc Vulcans, Suzuki Intruders, Yamaha V-Star or Road Star; all good bikes. Liquid cooled, plenty of power, nice looking, comfortable, all better bikes than a Sportster and all much cheaper than a Big Twin Harley.
I wouldn't get anything smaller than 1100cc.
Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
Now it's no longer the money, there's just nothing out there I want.
All of the bikes set up for cruising are just too big.
The 600 cc Silverwing was perfect, I hated the back end of the Pacific Coast but I would learn to live with it if they made them now & I really would like a 600 to 800 cc BMW but they are gone.
Little people talk about people,regular people talk about things,and big people talk about ideas.
Thanks, Grizztribefans@sssnet.com
Little people talk about people,regular people talk about things,and big people talk about ideas.
I think I may just decide to be satisfied with what I have. If not then Kawasaki, Honda & BMW all have touring bikes that are only a little over one Liter so I may be back with more questions.
Edited by - gruntled on 07/07/2002 01:23:20
It went away when I got Divorced.
Remember...Terrorist are attacking Civilians; Not the Government. Protect Yourself!
NRA Lifetime Benefactor Member.
Eric S. Williams
Eric S. Williams
Williams: Love those V-Maxs. A good friend of mine just bought one. He's been riding a 500cc BMW since 1969, and one day a couple of months ago he went to the Yam. shop, and his 55 year old * came riding home on a Max. His ol' lady thinks he's flipped his lid, but even if he IS crazy he's having a real good time. Now he's got the horsepower bug and he wants to change the stock exhaust and re-jet the carbs and anything else you can do to those to make them even faster. They're one damn strong bike. Kinda like a Hemi Charger on two wheels.
Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
Edited by - Lowrider on 07/07/2002 04:07:30
Eric S. Williams
Eric S. Williams
If my buddy offers, and I'm sure he will once the new wears off a little, I'm definitely gonna take Mr. Max for a ride.
Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
5'1 3/4" tall.(She insists on the 3/4".) She tried the Sportster and found that: 1)She can't get both feet on the ground, and 2)The balance point is too high. If she let it lean just a bit, she'd lose it. Tried the Low Rider and it was almost perfect. She did have it lowered another 1 1/2" though. Same engine as my '95 Road Toad but geared lower.
Pickenup is right about the rider classes. Novice or advanced. We both took the advanced class last year and even though I've been riding for 43 years, I sure learned that I could do stuff I didn't think I could do. Well worth the money and time.
Have you thought about the new Indian? They're really nice, well balanced, got the power and they're only $25,000.
I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!
The Indian shop that just closed was also selling Big Dogs. I think he sold five times as many of those as he did Indians. The Big Dogs are very nice bikes. Of all the Harley clones on the market I think they're one of the nicest.
I'm kicking around the idea of buying a new bike. I'll never get rid of my FXRS, but I've been riding it for 11 1/2 years and feel the need for something else. Maybe a Road King or an ElectraGlide. I wouldn't mind a big ol' road barge with a stereo and about a hundred cubic feet of storage space on it. My buddy has a Polaris Victory and I think those are damn good bikes. The new models have hard bags, tour pack and all the other goodies you'll find on a 'Glide. About 5000 bucks cheaper, too.
Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
Eric S. Williams