Topic: HB Wedge Primary Tensioner (Read 10121 times)

HDDOCFL · « **on:** June 04, 2010, 08:34:00 AM »

Anyone using one of these?http://www.sohotbikes.com/wedge.html And how has it helped? Iam on my second rachet tensioner and would like to try this HB one out. Thanks Doc

faceracer · « **Reply #1 on:** June 04, 2010, 02:22:36 PM »

I have not used that one but have used the Hayden M6 on 2 previous bikes with great results. Matter of fact it worked so good I never checked it for 40k miles and the spring broke. Hayden gave me a new spring and told me the unit should be checked every 25k miles. Here is a link. Let me know which you chose and give us some feedback?

Face

http://www.haydensm6.com/m6_bt01.htm

grc · « **Reply #2 on:** June 04, 2010, 02:35:11 PM »

The Hayden M6 only works on the '06 and earlier models with the older style primary; it won't match up with the mounting points of the new style primary. It's unfortunate that Hayden doesn't offer a new version; I use the M6 on my '05 and IMHO it's a much better design than the ratcheting gizmo Harley came up with. Very simple and not much to go wrong.

Jerry

Twolanerider · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2010, 01:09:08 AM »

Quote from: grc on June 04, 2010, 02:35:11 PM

The Hayden M6 only works on the '06 and earlier models with the older style primary; it won't match up with the mounting points of the new style primary. It's unfortunate that Hayden doesn't offer a new version; I use the M6 on my '05 and IMHO it's a much better design than the ratcheting gizmo Harley came up with. Very simple and not much to go wrong.

Jerry

Am I the only one that's thought the HD ratcheting part can get a little too tight?

hd-dude · « **Reply #4 on:** June 05, 2010, 01:19:13 AM »

Quote from: Twolanerider on June 05, 2010, 01:09:08 AM

Am I the only one that's thought the HD ratcheting part can get a little too tight?

Nope, and also seen them not be tight enough

CVOMOE!! · « **Reply #5 on:** June 05, 2010, 01:22:34 AM »

I'm currently running the wedge in my 2005 Electra Glide CVO. Seems to work good. It goes in a little tight to start with because it was designed for the 2007 up primary. I used to use there HB125 in my other bikes and liked them. Thought I would give the new design a try. It definately beats having to adjust it. I've never had the ratcheting one so can't comment on whether it is different but it works for me.

Cheers, Moe

Twolanerider · « **Reply #6 on:** June 05, 2010, 01:24:15 AM »

Quote from: hd-dude on June 05, 2010, 01:19:13 AM

Nope, and also seen them not be tight enough

Thanks Jim. Good to know it's not just my own paranoia. Eyeballing and feeling the one in the red bike when the tensioner had about 5k it felt obviously too tight. Enough so I opened it up to reseat and try again. So far hasn't repeated but the incident was enough to keep me checking it regularly.

HDDOCFL · « **Reply #7 on:** June 05, 2010, 08:04:38 AM »

Seems as Thu some other sites dislike the SOHB wedge tensioner, all say poor quality and does not work well, but also state they have the first ones out, just wondering if the newer ones are any better, may people have sent the earlier ones back to SOHB. The HD ratchet unit I have now did not tighten up made for chit shifting and sloppy primary with a cold rattle. Went in and clicked it up and now when its hot it whirls, not good. Doc

grc · « **Reply #8 on:** June 05, 2010, 10:12:44 AM »

Quote from: HDDOCFL on June 05, 2010, 08:04:38 AM

Seems as Thu some other sites dislike the SOHB wedge tensioner, all say poor quality and does not work well, but also state they have the first ones out, just wondering if the newer ones are any better, may people have sent the earlier ones back to SOHB. The HD ratchet unit I have now did not tighten up made for chit shifting and sloppy primary with a cold rattle. Went in and clicked it up and now when its hot it whirls, not good. Doc

Thanks to H-D's changes over the past few years, we've lost some of the alternatives that the aftermarket provided. At this point, I'm not aware of anyone else making a replacement for the Harley tensioner other than HB. Since you've had such great luck with two of those fine devices from the MoCo, perhaps you should be the designated guinea pig Doc. Go ahead and install one and give us a detailed report (installation, first riding impressions, followup over time and miles, etc.).

I've not quite figured out yet why H-D chose to use the ratcheting mechanism rather than a straightforward spring or better yet a hydraulic tensioner. Considering the fairly large difference in slack between hot and cold with a Harley primary chain, it would seem that the choices would tend toward always too loose or always too tight. Make the ratchet steps too small, and the device will overtighten. Make the steps too large, and the chain will get too loose before it goes to the next step. Make the mechanism to the new Harley manufacturing tolerances (plus or minus whatever), and it's not real hard to understand why so many folks have issues with it. Considering these are the folks who didn't exactly set the world on fire with their earlier attempts at automatic cam chain adjusters, perhaps they should have paid one of the aftermarket guys to design their automatic primary tensioner for them.

Jerry

WVULTRA · « **Reply #9 on:** June 05, 2010, 04:55:07 PM »

My findings on the POS original SOHOT unit:

http://www.hdforums.com/forum/touring-models/488747-sohotbikes-wedge.html#post6435059

Haven't heard if it's been upgraded/fixed or not.

Installed the latest H-D unit, and it's been trouble free!

HDDOCFL · « **Reply #10 on:** June 06, 2010, 08:37:37 AM »

Quote from: WVULTRA on June 05, 2010, 04:55:07 PM

My findings on the POS original SOHOT unit:

http://www.hdforums.com/forum/touring-models/488747-sohotbikes-wedge.html#post6435059

Haven't heard if it's been upgraded/fixed or not.

Installed the latest H-D unit, and it's been trouble free!

After reading all the post in the HD Forums site on the SOHB wedge I will give up on that POS tensioner and wait for the M-6 to come out. As of today no new one from Hayden. I would be happy right now for a mechanical adjuster. Doc

moscooter · « **Reply #11 on:** June 06, 2010, 09:10:31 AM »

I installed the new Sohot bike tensioner on my '09 SE 110. So far, so good. No extra noises, etc. It appears to me to be just like the HD tensioner but minus the (ratchet teeth).....which is why I installed it.

FR8TRN · « **Reply #12 on:** June 08, 2010, 11:41:49 AM »

Well mine should be on the way, I used their old HB125 on my '04 Ultra and was happy with it, hope this one works as well. Like you 2Lane I'm not real impressed with the HD ratcheting setup, gets way to tight for me, just hope the damage isn't already done, my tranny sounds bad in 3rd and 4th, 5th has never gone away only gotten worse over time, I use 6th alot and it's quiet, but thats only over 65mph. If it doesn't grenage before the end of summer I'll likely be pulling the gearset and picking up the Baker 7sp for it. Don't really wanna shift a bunch more, but the better 1st ratio has me interested.

HDDOCFL · « **Reply #13 on:** June 09, 2010, 06:58:13 AM »

FR8TRN

Please let us know what you think of the wedge when you get it, I am wondering if they have updated it. Thanks Doc

TimBone · « **Reply #14 on:** June 09, 2010, 01:45:39 PM »

I gotz the HB Wedge in el Diablo and it is still loud in the primary and I didn't
think the quality was that good either. The idea is very simple and if
someone could come up with a quality piece then they would make a fortune!

moscooter · « **Reply #15 on:** June 09, 2010, 07:10:22 PM »

Let's not forget we're riding Harleys here.........I'm seeing a little too much concern about "quality" of parts.

If that was really a major concern, one might NOT be riding a harley in the first place........ $:-\$

P.S. I'm retired and on my fourth Harley..........and damn expensive SE model to boot. But give me a break on being over concerned about a primary chain tensioner and "quality"............if it works, it works.......

Ride on.................

HDDOCFL · « **Reply #16 on:** June 10, 2010, 10:07:14 AM »

Quote from: moscooter on June 09, 2010, 07:10:22 PM

Let's not forget we're riding Harleys here.........I'm seeing a little too much concern about "quality" of parts.

If that was really a major concern, one might NOT be riding a harley in the first place........ $:-\$

P.S. I'm retired and on my fourth Harley..........and damn expensive SE model to boot. But give me a break on being over concerned about a primary chain tensioner and "quality"............if it works, it works.......

Ride on.................

Yours may be working fine but after replacing two of the stock tensioners I am getting tired of chit parts from MOCO. Doc

moscooter · « **Reply #17 on:** June 10, 2010, 10:16:37 AM »

"Yours may be working fine but after replacing two of the stock tensioners I am getting tired of chit parts from MOCO. Doc"

You need to re-read and catch up on who said what.......I replaced my HD tensioner with the SOHOT BIKE one. Some were complaining about the quality of the latter one too. Mine works OK and no complaints.

Trapperdog · « **Reply #18 on:** June 10, 2010, 12:01:01 PM »

As I recall, J.C.'s '04 ratched up so far it locked the primary chain. Mine was just replaced this week @ 50K because it wasn't tightening up enough.

HDDOCFL · « **Reply #19 on:** June 13, 2010, 07:47:06 AM »

The problem I have with the 09 SERG ratchet tensioner is that is does not tighten up, The chain would beat it up loose and HD had to replace two of them, If you manually tighten it up just a little it would whirl, to tight. Anyway Iam am going in for the third time in 10.000 miles and a suspect HD will install another one. I hope it gets a primary chain this time, could be the problem in the first place although I have not seen inside the primary myself. Doc

moscooter · « **Reply #20 on:** June 13, 2010, 10:05:29 AM »

"If you manually tighten it up just a little it would whirl, to tight"

The (spring loaded) M6 tensioner that I had on my 'ol 2001 RK, made that sound after I first installed it, but if you let it alone for a few hundred miles, that sound will go away.........I think what happened is the chain "removes"/wears away a slight bit of the nylon (shoe) and then the tension is right where you want it to be.

In your case, sounds like the hydraulic tension is insuffient to remove the excess slack

FR8TRN · « **Reply #21 on:** June 17, 2010, 09:36:05 AM »

Well I put the Wedge in mine the other day, when I got in there the primary chain was WAY TOO tight, you could have played dueling banjos on that one primary chain.

Probably the reason 3rd and 4th sounded so bad before, they are better now. Didn't notice much difference in finding neutral or shifting, but the whirrrr is gone when it's idling. Also found my comp to have alot of play, was going to put in the SE Comp but ya gotta remove the inner and I just wasn't up for all that. I had a friend make a shim to go in with the spring pak and that tightened it up alot, can feel the difference riding it also, the banging is gone when I let off the throttle (I know, I should try to avoid that) and get back on it. Though the tranny still has alot of slop, talked with Baker (Transmissions) about it and they said it's normal, even if it were the new 7sp it would still have that slop, it's cogs (or did he say dogs) in the trans that do it, nothing can be done there.

Bandit_3 · « **Reply #22 on:** August 03, 2010, 11:36:48 PM »

What were the symptoms or noises that led to belive that it was the chain tentioner. I know some people that went back to the adjustable tentioner.

porthole · « **Reply #23 on:** August 04, 2010, 12:20:05 AM »

Baker recommends against an auto chain adjuster with their gearset.

Although, when I ordered my DD6 they could not give me a reason as to why they don't recommend it.

Put the HD version back in with the new gearset and so far it seems ok.

fix it myself · « **Reply #24 on:** August 19, 2010, 11:22:03 PM »

Had every thing in primary replaced,then the rotor n stator self destructed.then new primary chain and bearings in primary.all done at dealer bike still was shifting like S>>>,chain slapping ,ect. the wedge cured all my night mares. SOHB is my hero,told the dealer its pretty said when you spend 47k on a bike and you have to fix it your self. 2010 CVO with over 7k mi. changed the oil today and found metal chips in filter,so who knows whats next it might self destruct yet. been riding HD for 34yrs and have stock in them. i am getting worried,they have to get there S"""" together and i hope its quick.

Author Topic: HB Wedge Primary Tensioner (Read 10121 times)