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[AXIL]

   Unless the flywheels have to sent out one to two weeks. three at the most.

[FlaHeatWave]

I'm still shaking my head at taking a dremel to the crank shaft to install the oil pump!!!!!

Me too!! 'Never heard of such a thing!

When I get ready to hot rod, accessorize, or maintenance, I call my dealer in Ft. Walton~Heritage HD~ tell them what I want done, and they tell me the best time to bring it in (making sure they have the parts etc...)or them pick the bike up.

They have several good techs there, but I have one that works on all my bikes (as he puts up with me and knows how I like my stuff set up.)

On the scheduled stuff, I try to give them "breathing room" before/around Thunder Beach, Daytona, Biketoberfest etc...

Heritage Ft. Walton gets my bikes done when they say it will be done, even though I have other bikes I can ride.

Only one time did they have my '05 SEEG for a couple of months; was waiting on painted parts from the MoCo when I got nailed by a hit and run ($8k in damage ~ didn't stall the bike! ~ didn't drop the bike! ~ didn't get a scratch on me! ~ Thank You Jesus!!!) and they told me when I brought it in, the SE paint was "going to be awhile"

I am very fortunate to have this relationship with a Good Dealer!

[kraut]

Last year I took my motorcycle in to a local HD shop to get the hydraulic cam chain tensioner installed. They found that I also needed new lifters and cams. I waited almost 3 months to get it back.  In november it went there again because when they were doing the conversion, they ruined the crank shaft when they used a grinder to clean it up. They are making it good by giving me a new fly wheel and rods. It been 2 months already. The last call I got they said it would be done before Christmas.

even over here where almost everything has to be shipped over the big pond my lifter job this year was done in 3 days 

[FLY-DOG]

Unless your dealer is sending parts out, like heads to be ported, crank to be welded, then any engine work shouldn't take more than 1 to 2 weeks max.... assuming you've properly communicated what you want done ahead of time and they've rounded up all the parts.

[turbo357]

Well, I went by there today to check on it. They said it was ready and they have been trying to contact me. FUNNY, I never received any calls or had any missed calls from them. Well, I glad I've got it back.  Everything seems good on it.

Well, the oil pump is broken again. Barely 1,000 miles after they worked on it. I called them on June 15th they said they will pick it up but the technician is on vacation. They picked it up last Friday June 21st. I checked on it a couple times this week. They said it was only started briefly and determined that something is wrong with it. They dealership principle (owner) told me the previous work was warrantied for only 90 days. I hope he doesn't expects me pay for this fix after only 1,000 miles of very easy use.   

[cvoDoug]

Lawyer up.  Did they give you anything in writing about the crank grinding incident?

 My brother had a similar incident.....we were heading to DC for the Rolling Thunder ride and he picked up just before the ride.  They did a top end rebuild and everything seemed fine until the way back.  It seems their mechanic didn't seat the wrist pins on the pistons right and it slipped out and damn near chewed through the jug.  When he took it back they told him the warranty was only good for 500 miles.  He was madder then a wet cat.  To keep it short, he wrote a letter to Mother Harley and they didn't even respond.
 It torques me off to no end...we pay premium prices for these "iconic" machines and these dealers act like they are doing us a favor.  I can go on and on about poor practices....I love my bike but HD should be treating us like gold for sticking with them after crap like this and I'll bet you if you take a pol 90% of real Harley Riders have had a bad experience.  I have been in dealerships and stood there while a parts guy is telling a salesman a story about the night before and glances at me as if I were interupting his lunch.  Now, I'm lucky because their are an abundance of dealerships in my area. Unfortunatley most of them have been bought up by a single owner and it's the guy that screwed my brother.  Lucky for me my local dealer is not one of them.     

[turbo357]

Lawyer up.  Did they give you anything in writing about the crank grinding incident?      

of course they didn't put their error on the paperwork.

I called HD customer service number at 414-343-4680, they gave me a Service Request Number and told me to notify the dealership that they can contact them for assistance with the problem.  I asked the dealer if the same technician had to work on it again. He said yes. If there is something he did incorrect he needs to work on it again. I inquired about his qualification. I as told, he was a Harley Davidson Master Technician with the highest level of expertise and their best mechanic.

[cvoDoug]

Well there ya go.  Of course they'd put the same master idiot on it. I would raise hell to make sure that guy never even looked at my bike.  It kind of sucks that your bike is stuck at the dealer. I would keep call Mother HD and be a PIA. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. I would just keep pushing for supervisors until you get somebody that calls that dealership to put them in check.

  Crap like this makes a Victory for the next purchase easier to think about.

[cahdbiker]

Turbo357,I had a lot of trouble with an S&S107 that I had installed in my 95 Heritage. It lasted 2K miles before the piston slap was so bad you could hear it over the exhaust at idle. From the time I took it to the mechanic until I got it back was over 4 months. They jerked my mechanic around sent out some new valve train parts. Then finally had to knuckle under and send out a shipping crate for the engine to be sent from CA to S&S. When I got it back it worked good for 71 miles then quit because their "best man" forgot to tighten the jam nuts on the rear push rods. 2k miles later knocking again. This time my mechanic got pissed and told them to send new jugs, pistons, and rings and he would take it from there. He did the top end work and now it runs fine with about 3k miles on it. I knuckled under and sold it to my cousin who lives in Thermopolis Wyoming. It took second place in their annual bike contest. Lost to a Boss Hoss Trike. Is that even in the same category? CAHDBIKER

[turbo357]

3weeks after breakdown & 2weeks after shop picked it up.

I called Harley Davidson customer service to ask if I could have a different shop make it right. They told me I could take it to another dealership but I would have to pay for it. It left at the current shop they might make things right with me and not need to pay anything. If I chose to have the engine sent off for the reman program, the factory would only fix it back to stock configuration.  Ie. stock heads & pistons and cams. Not with the Harley components that I currently have in the engine. 
They placed me on a brief hold while they contacted the shop. They come back on the line and tell me that they will get it on a lift tomorrow to see what's happening with the bike.

[turbo357]

Should I even consider a re manufactured engine in the stock set up? 

It maybe the only way to get the bike trustworthy (w/warranty) but it would be losing significant HP & TQ.

[phato1]

Man I'm sorry you have these problems..

Maybe if this place is going to pay for the HD REMAN you should go that route. I think HD will install the 95" jugs and pistons for you but I'm not 100% positive 
And you would use your current intake when the engine is re-installed. Then once it's together and running ride it straight to another REPUTABLE shop for an evaluation ... 

Wasn't the crank and rods replaced this most recent time? And the oil pump failed again?? Did the "mechanic" check/replace the crank bearings/races ?? What about the cams et al - were they replaced?
seems they just threw it together to send you on your way hoping you'd get fed up and never go back.

[turbo357]

Wasn't the crank and rods replaced this most recent time? And the oil pump failed again?? Did the "mechanic" check/replace the crank bearings/races ?? What about the cams et al - were they replaced?
seems they just threw it together to send you on your way hoping you'd get fed up and never go back.

Yes, the crank and rods were replaced about 1,000 miles ago. Also the cams, lifters and perfect fit push rods were done the first time in the shop about 3 or 4,000 miles ago.

I would go with a remanufactured engine, If they can reman the engine and keep my SE HTCC Heads and SE 257 cams or something simular that will give the best low to mid range RPM power&tq. I'm just afraid if I send it off with these SE performance parts on the engine it will come back as a plain stock 95" like it came with from the factory.

[phato1]

I would go with a remanufactured engine, If they can reman the engine and keep my SE HTCC Heads and SE 257 cams or something simular that will give the best low to mid range RPM power&tq. I'm just afraid if I send it off with these SE performance parts on the engine it will come back as a plain stock 95" like it came with from the factory.

The HD web site is vague on this point. I thought that any "performance" parts would NOT be put back in the engine, but I can't seem to find that statement on their website  It does say the engine will be remanufactured to "factory specs" - I imagine to simplify the test run done when complete (I'm sure they don't want to change ECM programming ect.. in the test rig before each test run). Maybe check with another dealer who has experience with the reman program to see if the SE heads and cams can be put back in at the factory.

- or if you/they happen to have the old parts(or some other stock take-offs) taking up space in the garage install them and then install your SE heads and cams when the engine comes back??

[turbo357]

- or if you/they happen to have the old parts(or some other stock take-offs) taking up space in the garage install them and then install your SE heads and cams when the engine comes back??

I was thinking the same if a reman route is done. I do have the stock pistons cams and heads. From the research I have done the setup I currently have is for high HP & TQ in the high RPM range. Right now it is kinda weak in the 2,000-3000rpm range. But higher rpms, it's a beast.  I am wandering if a better choice of cams would be better to bring the power down to a range where it makes more sense in a tour bike. If so, which ones,(stocks are 204 I think) and would keeping the hi-comp pistons be really required. I think keeping the htcc heads would be wise to keep.