Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[porthole]

Notice anything special about that rear piston?

When the "tech" did my valve guide issue this is how he left the rings after installing them 
They are just about perfectly lined up over the wrist pin on the right side - maybe I finally found my dipstick issue  I'm really surprised the bike doesn't use any excess oil. About 1/2 - 1 quart in 5000 miles.

[porthole]

Can't say I'm real surprised though.

This is the same "tech" that I had to point out the bad valve guide to, same guy that dropped the ignition switch on my gas tank, costing the dealer a new tank, same guy who scratched my front fender because he didn't use the issued to him fender and gas tank covers.

Same guy who didn't bother to check for damage when I brought the bike in for a knock which turned out to be the comp sprocket torque issue.
This is what i found when I added the 45 amp alternator.







Same guy who "no problem found" my starter grinding issue - after I brought him this picture of the stuff I found changing the primary oil.

[DICKW]

Damn........looks like you have your work cut out for you. I figure if I leave mine alone I won't see chit like that

[HDGearHead]

Wow....  Since you've already gone that far, you might want to consider splitting the case.  Good time to install a timken and a have Darkhorse Crankworks or T-Man true, weld, plug and balance your crank (with H beam rods).

[porthole]

consider splitting the case.

Not in the budget. Actually this is well over the budget. The crank has been the same for 55K, so it is going to stay  that way.

The heads and cylinders are on their way to Plantation

[hdbrad03]

Not in the budget. Actually this is well over the budget. The crank has been the same for 55K, so it is going to stay  that way.

The heads and cylinders are on their way to Plantation

Good move. John does great work.

He reworked the Heads and cylinders on the Roadglide really quieted down the motor.


 

      Brad

[porthole]

Quiet would be good brad. Mine really makes a racket between 2000-2800.
 


Although she's been pretty quiet the past few months

[murphy]

I will no longer complain about my $800 payout for cams an clutch hub... you win hands down!

[ccr]

sad story on so very many levels.

Sorry Duane.

[SBB]

Good move. John does great work.

He reworked the Heads and and cylinder on the Roadglide really quieted down the motor.


 

      Brad

Why did you do that Brad, was there an issue?

 

SBB

[hdbrad03]

Why did you do that Brad, was there an issue?

 

SBB

Just trying to prevent the Bent Valve Issue someone had. I could hear the rear exhaust valve making noise at startup. Pulled the head and it was starting to bind. Also wanted to tightened up (proper piston to liner specs). WaLa and little nip and tuck, new valve guides, valves, little head work, cylinder bore plus 10 and new pistons. A much better running machine.


 


   Brad

[lilcoot]

Duane, sorry to see you're having issues.

I have some Harley Virgin questions that may be silly, but please bear with me.

Besides the obvious stator issue, did you have any inkling that these other problems were happening?  Were you noticing any noises or power loss?

At 55K miles, it seems like a lot of this stuff would be normal wear and tear issues.  At 12K miles, my pistons and heads had at least that much build up, and at 5K miles, my compensator looked worse than yours.  Is the wear on the cam tensioner pads unusual?  It seems like they should show some wear at this point, regardless.

I guess what I'm wondering is this:  Besides the stator, starter gear teeth, and maybe a couple other things, wouldn't we expect most Harleys with 55,000 miles on them to show the kinds of wear you've found?

Ignorance is bliss, and as long as we aren't having problems, maybe it's better that we don't know that there's some scoring on a lifter or that the local Harley tech didn't install our rings properly.  

[porthole]

I have some Harley Virgin questions that may be silly, but please bear with me.
Besides the obvious stator issue, did you have any inkling that these other problems were happening?  Were you noticing any noises or power loss?

At 55K miles, it seems like a lot of this stuff would be normal wear and tear issues.  At 12K miles, my pistons and heads had at least that much build up, and at 5K miles, my compensator looked worse than yours.  Is the wear on the cam tensioner pads unusual?  It seems like they should show some wear at this point, regardless.

I guess what I'm wondering is this:  Besides the stator, starter gear teeth, and maybe a couple other things, wouldn't we expect most Harleys with 55,000 miles on them to show the kinds of wear you've found?

Ignorance is bliss, and as long as we aren't having problems, maybe it's better that we don't know that there's some scoring on a lifter or that the local Harley tech didn't install our rings properly.  

Stator was indeed obvious
Comp cam had no symptoms
Primary chain tensioner  had no symptoms
Chain adjuster screw was a result of let's just change "this part"
Clutch basket had no obvious symptoms, just felt it was loose when pulling the chain for the alternator.
Clutch hub teeth had no symptoms
Crankcase case  seal race had no symptoms

O2 and exhaust. That was because of the excessive heat I get off the D&D fat cats. Heat was an issue with either the SERT or the Rev P EMS
Other then the heat and poor mileage the bike ran OK

Cam tensioners had no symptoms, but there really has not been much of a track record for the hybrid plate with miles. So I don't know if the wear is normal or not. I would think at about 25K on this kit that the wear I have is normal.

Lifter scar had no symptoms
Cams had no symptoms
Heads had no symptoms

Rings had no symptoms - maybe.
The bike did not use oil, about a quart in 5K
I have had the dipstick issue for awhile but always thought it was related to when I did the cams.

Now I am hoping it was related to the rings. The rings were done at around 11K, the cams around 20K. There is a good chance that for the 8-10K of miles between rings and cams that I never did a WOT through the gears. The dipstick would only launch if I ran it hard over 3500 RPM.
Below 3000 and light throttle application I could ride with no dipstick and not blow any oil out (did it twice).

The trans - I have not really liked the way the trans shifted since the install.

Wear-damage to the rotor and spacer - very noticeable for the loose comp nut. My wife heard the knock when I pulled into the garage. Brought back memories of my POS 74 XLCH

Ring gear, I complained about starter grinding since the first service.

The wear on the comp cam, the splines missing on the clutch hub and the failed snap ring in the clutch hub may be related.
When I did the 6 speed I put my auto chain adjuster back in. Baker does not recommend an auto chain adjuster, although when I queried them about it I was not given any reason just that "we do not recommend".
I had that in for awhile before I switched back out the the stock type adjusters.

[HD Street Performance]

Haven't the time to read the whole thread but I will tell you the rings turn in normal use. Not in cadence either. Those rings are shot and there is no way you could have had any oil control and proper sealing. That was one unhappy motor

[porthole]

Haven't the time to read the whole thread but I will tell you the rings turn in normal use. Not in cadence either. Those rings are shot and there is no way you could have had any oil control and proper sealing. That was one unhappy motor

There have been several comments both here and through other means almost suggesting the HD mechanic didn't put the rings in this way. I ain't buying it. Just too much of a coincidence that the guy, working on the right side putting rings on the right side and forgetting to rotate them and having all the gaps line up centered over the pin. The front cylinder rings were in the location as specified in the service manual.

I realize that some here are experts in the motorcycle field but I have a bit of time with IC's too.
In my prior career I probably did 50 engines a year, for 18+ years. That's hundreds of engines and thousands of cylinders, gas and diesel. I never took apart an engine with a 5 or 6 piece ring set that had all the gaps lined up. Just doesn't happen that I have seen.

Maybe air cooled V-twins are different, but as said before, too much of a coincidence. And this was the same guy that took it down this far because he didn't see a dropped guide.

I wished the bike would have smoked or at least used some oil, would have taken it apart far sooner, and probably under the extended warranty.

As I look back though, when I had the Fueling crankcase breather on and took it off because it was always soaked that could have been a clue. just had no one else that had used one to compare with.