Custom Vehicle Discussions > Screamin’ Eagle® Ultra Classic® Electra Glide®

FLHTCUSE troubles

(1/6) > >>

Goretto:
I live in Jakarta, Indonesia and I recently purchased a FLHTCUSE with, wait for it, 9,000 miles on it, although I'm under no illusion that is correct. The bike is stock except for free flow modified original exhaust.

I would like to preface with this: roads in Jakarta are congested to say the least. A lot of traffic jams and intense, humid heat during the day. Roads are in poor conditions with a lot of pot holes and uneven roads. Motorbikes are not allowed on the motorway so we rarely get to ride the bike fast unless we go touring outside of the capital but even then it's still no motorway, just quieter (and beautiful) roads. Maybe we do about 45MPH on average during those times.

First troubles came on the way home when I lost the clutch due to heat in traffic jams. Got the hydraulic fluid changed and so far so good.

Then I started getting troubles like in this video:



When the bike gets hot and I stop somewhere and restart the bike shortly after, the above occurs. Sometimes I can restart in the first try sometimes after the 5th or more time. The last time this occurred was this morning after I had oil coming out of the air cleaner. It was quite a bit of oil, spraying allover the crank case, exhaust, bags and yours truly, with a lot of white smoke when it hit the hot bits (excluding me).

At this stage I felt the engine was very hot to the point where it was uncomfortable on my legs. Stopped the bike for a couple minutes and had some troubles starting again like on the video.

Later that day, I stopped again for a few minutes and had even more troubles starting the bike.

The owner of the garage is a friend and while not a mechanic himself, he's been riding Harleys for a long time and owns several show rooms. He reckons the oil is bad, as in the wrong kind. It's dark and too liquid according to him. It wouldn't surprise me because it looks like the bike got some shoddy work done to it in the past. I will replace the oil this week.

I also have an engine light coming on after starting. So I turn the ignition, flick the on switch, engine light comes on (normal) while the fuel pump does its thing, then I start the bike and the engine light comes back on for a couple seconds then off.

Last week, after facing similar troubles, I ended up with a solid engine light and battery charge light. Took it to the mechanic who showed me a busted rotor. He fixed that along with some electric issues in the fairing as well as a busted front motor mount.

After replacing the mount (Drag Specialties, old style kind), I've noticed some fairly strong vibrations at low rpm. Say, I'm stopping at a stop light, as soon as the needle crosses down the 2k mark, I feel those vibrations through he fairing, crotch and floor boards.

Next, I feel that from 3rd to 4th gear, I don't get much engine pull at all. Feel very sluggish, like I tist the throttle but the bike hardly pushes.

There is also this noise that I can clearly hear from the air cleaner, a kind of "knocking" sound on rhythm with the engine although I feel this is the cooling system kicking due to heat. I tried to look around for something lose, even the push rod covers, air cleaner, etc. Nothing that I can see externally.

Oh and I also had an error code for idling problems. I can't remember exactly, something about irregular idle.

So to sum up:
- hard start when hot with smoke coming out of the air cleaner
- oil coming out of air cleaner when bike is very hot
- engine light coming on for a couple seconds after engine start
- knocking sound coming from air cleaner (that's where I hear it lost but feels like the sound is inside the engine and coming out through the air cleaner)
- low pull in 3rd and 4th gear (haven't event had the chance to go to 5th geary yet).
- vibrations at idle

Aside from the above, anything I should be looking out for? I've already read extensively about the cam chain tensioners, so I shall get those checked soon.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Unbalanced:
Not a fan of the Drag Motor Mount and if mine I would and did rid of the drag motor mount and put a Harley back on it will help diminish the vibration,  I just dealt with this.

Also make sure the torque spec is right many over tighten and don’t use a torque wrench.

Noise out of the throttle body could be normal

Sounds like the bike is over heated a lot you might want to consider jug cooling and oil cooling

https://www.ultracoolfl.com/

Love jugs for heads or similar

You might consider a compression test and a leak down to see the health of cylinders rings piston

Are you starting the bike in neutral ?    You could have compression releases not opening.   Maybe needing cleaning or replacing

Arm chair diagnostics -  please verify and validate

Goretto:
Noted on the mounts, I might consider swapping again.

The mechanic closest to me did not use a torque wrench so I was careful to not let him overtighten the engine mount bolt. Got some loctite on too. Next time I got to another garage I'll ask them to re-torque everything. Or I might just buy a torque wrench and do it myself.

This model has an oil cooler but no fan on it. However your comment prompted me to check that the cooler is indeed working. I just got it cleaned up with some compressed air and some engine flush. Will check temps with a laser thermometer.

Does this bike have a thermostat valve for the oil cooler?

Love jugs seem very cool, it would be perfect for the stop and go traffic. However they're quite expensive, by the time I add shipping and import duty, the price has almost doubled.

And yes I do start the bike in neutral most of the time. Sometimes neutral is quite hard to find though. Thanks for the compression test tip, I will keep that in mind.

timo482:
its geared very tall for 45mph.. cruising rpm 2500 to 3000 - won't ever be in 6th at those speeds  6th is for 70 and up.

there are ways to gear it down to operate better at low speeds - love jugs or harley parade fan would help a lot

Wunderkind:
Hey Bro!

I read your posts a couple of times and here are my 10cents

Have you changed the oil directly?? All your heat problems are related to OIL/Oilpump/Filter. If you didn´t do that already, take care of a good Synthetic Oil. not only 20W50 you can give a fine 10W60 a chance.

The 'noise' you hear from your engine..... seems to me like a problem I already had last year on my 2010. Lifters..... So that you can sort out try this link

It´s a wining noise similiar to that



If that figures out as your problem don´t operate the bike further. Don´t worry.... you can fix that in the beginning....  :)

mike

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page