| Author | Message | ||
     Smokeman71 |
I'm trying not to be paranoid, but I also don't want to ignore an engine noise that should concern me. When I start up my Uly in the morning there is an internal engine noise that sounds like something tumbling around inside. The best way I can describe it is that it sounds like the noise that you hear if you put gym shoes in the dryer. It seems to go away after the bike warms up. I know this is a loaded question, but should I be worried about this? Also, does anyone have any recommendations for Buell mechanics in Cincinnati? I'm a pretty good shade tree mechanic, but I'd like to have someone that I can go to for the things that I can't / don't have time to do. | ||
| Smokeman71 |
I should have mentioned that the noise is only heard at idle. It goes away as soon as the engine is revved. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Heavy cluncky at idle could be your front primary sprocket being a bit loose. They updated the torque specs on them. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Easy test for the primary sprocket is to pull clutch in, put in gear, and ease clutch out with engine idling. If noise goes away as you ease the clutch out, that's a pretty good indication crank nut is loose. IIRC, torque spec increased from ~210 ft-lbs to ~250 ft-lbs. If you find it loose, you need to pull primary cover, remove nut, clean nut and crank threads with brake cleaner to remove all traces of oil, apply ample red liquid Locktite (paste type will cause you problems, DAMHIK), and torque to spec. | ||
| Apeofthoth |
+1 for Natexlh1000 & Hughlysses. I currently have this same noise, and I'm fairly certain that's what it is. Just ordered all the gaskets from American Sport Bike and expect them by Friday. In the process of finding a Torque wrench that will reach 240 f/lbs. Also, the service manual has pretty detailed instructions on how to open the primary and tighten it up. Good luck! P.s. I'm from the Cincinnati area. I've called around most of the Harley dealers and the only one I can find still doing any service on Buells is Eastgate HD, but they said they don't plan on doing any more after September as they will no longer be able to get parts. Most every HD dealer will still do mapping/biker verification for ECMs, or things that require the HD Digital Tech. As far as free lance mechanics are concerned, no luck so far, but I haven't looked that hard. (Message edited by Apeofthoth on September 17, 2013) | ||
| Hughlysses |
Apeofthoth- the best place to get a ~250 ft-lb torque wrench is a free loaner tool from your local auto parts store. Locally I know Advance Auto Parts and Autozone have them. I think they charge your credit card the cost of the wrench and then refund it when you bring it back. A torque wrench that hefty is NOT cheap and it's not really worth it to buy it for the one nut that you will hopefully very rarely need to touch. | ||
| Smokeman71 |
Thanks for the great information. I'll add that to my to do list for this month. This is a project that I can handle. I was sure hoping that the noise wasn't an indication of the infamous crank failure. | ||
| Skifastbadly |
If it were the crank, it would rapidly deteriorate to where it wouldn't run at all. What year is your bike? Have a look at the crank thread if it's an 07.... | ||
| Hughlysses |
Just for reference, here's what a bad crank sounds like. It does not go away when you speed up the engine: | ||
| Apeofthoth |
@ Hughlysses, thanks for the info on the wrench! I had never considered that they might do that! I'll definitely keep that in mind for the future. @ Smokeman71, I thought the same thing! My heart sunk when I first heard the knock, but was glad to know that it was a fairly simple project, and relatively harmless issue. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
You can usually get away with using the primary gaskets more than once. Also, you can put 125 pounds of force at the end of a two foot long breaker bar. Use a BRASS door hinge to lock the sprockets together so you can apply torque without just turning the engine over and over. Also, avoid impact wrenches as it could knock the magnets loose from the "bell". | ||
| Hughlysses |
Also, avoid impact wrenches as it could knock the magnets loose from the "bell". Or shift the sections of the two-piece, pressed-together crankshaft. | ||
| Sagehawk |
I use this to service my primaries on harleys to loosen or tighten nuts. amazing what a bored machinist and extra material can create!  | ||
| Bluzm2 |
You can pick up a 3/4" torque wrench from Harbor Freight for pretty cheap especially if it's on sale and you use a 20% off coupon. It goes to 300 ft lbs Regular price is $90, I think I got mine for less than $50 ($45 rings a bell). I checked the calibration at $250 and it was pretty close (I use a strap and weights). | ||
| Tootal |
A slight rattle when cold and goes away once warm could just be piston slap. Once the piston warms up and expands it goes away. Air cooled engines need a little more slop in the bores and will sometimes rattle when cold. I would think a loose crank nut would make noise all the time!? | ||
| Nobuell |
A couple weeks ago I was checking my muffler actuator that stopped working. I had loosened the cable getting ready to unhook when I decided to start the bike to check the actuator one last time. I thought that I had a rod knocking and could not tell that the sound originated in the muffler. With the cable slightly loose, the muffler valve actuator made a terrible racket. . I pulled on the cable with my fingers and the sound went away. Turns out it is the muffler valve rattling when there was a little slack in the cable. It is worth checking the cable tightness. Pull your air cleaner cover off and start the bike when cold. Pull on the cable and see if the sound stops. If it does, adjust your cable. | ||
| Turf_moor |
Jesus, Hughlysses, that sounded rough. I take it yours is/was a 2007 bike. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Yep, mine is a 2007. You can read the entire sad story if you're so inclined here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/617384.html The story has a happy ending though; I installed a used 2009 engine and ~15,000 miles later, she's still going fine. | ||
| Turf_moor |
Thanks, Hugh, I'll do just that. Have there been any cases of 2006 bikes suffering bad cranks? Or don't we know? | ||
| Hughlysses |
According to our tally, only 2, but one of the two doesn't appear to be a failed crank per se: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/384 2/648773.html?1367497689 | ||
| Reepicheep |
Mine (also in the Cincinnati area) just started making a noise after a long trip to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. Mine is intermittant, and sounds like a BB in a mason jar. It hits about 2200 RPM, not much less and not much more. Almost sounds like detonation. I'll have to drain the fluids and look for metal to see if I have a hint to look at either the primary or the cam. I hoped it was just the exhaust flapper, but pulling that cable doesn't make it go away. I should also replace the front isolator just on principal, the bike was in a pretty bad accident that sheared the rear head mount right off, hard to imagine that front isolator wasn't also damaged. It looked fine after the accident, but before the bb noises showed up, engine vibration had been getting more and more noticeable in the pegs and bars. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Bill- If my bike was any indication, you can stick a magnet in the swingarm/oil tank and you'll know really quick if you have a serious problem without having to drain the oil. Getting the metal particles out of the swingarm was one of the most difficult parts of my engine replacement job. Maybe yours is a weak/collapsed lifter? That was one of the possibilities tossed out to me when my noise first started. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Put a magnet in the swingarm / oil bag, and very little metal came out. Did the same with the primary, again, very little came out. All good news I suppose. Checked the oil, and I was about 1/4 of a quart low, so I topped that back off. It did seem to make it better, but that BB still sneaks into that mason jar now and then. It sounds like it is coming from the front rocker box, and seems to correspond to the frequency where the isolator is doing the most work (a resonant frequency where the motor is rocking the most). So I'll probably go after the isolator next... it has 30k miles on it and was in a major accident, so even if thats not the source of the noise, I should replace it anyway. |
