| Author | Message | ||
     Rhinely |
I just bought a 2003 XB9S (my 5th Buell and 3rd XB) and noticed the front isolator was cracked. I bought a replacement and am installing it, and have read many posts on this subject. From an engineering perspective, does this part isolate up and down, side to side, or both types of movement? It looks to me that the design is primarily for side to side vibrations. If the gap at the main bolt to rubber slowly closes up with wear, does that also indicate wear at another engine mounting point? I don't want to just replace a broken part and not see other symptoms or related problems that may have caused or contributed to this failure. No local dealer, so my Honda certified son is my main mechanic! Anyone know of similar Norton isolastic wear in their 750 and 850 models of the early 70s? BTW, sure wish I could get a new EBR Buell for Christmas! | ||
| Sparky |
I believe the front isolator mainly controls vertical movement and not so much side to side because there is a locating strut between the heads and the frame just below the airbox floor that takes care of lateral movement. If the crack is in the rubber, that might just be due to aging. How does the main bolt line up with the hole in the isolator before tightening it up? Is there any binding or does the bolt want to skew the rubber one way or another? That might be a telltale sign of something else out of alignment. | ||
| Rhinely |
The aluminum was cracked on the old mount. When we went to install the new one, we put in the bolts in finger tight to the head first, and the new center triple tree bolt would not line up. I loosened them, then the bolt slide right in. I worry about tightening them all now, although the rubber should flex and make up the difference. We have a shop manual, and will follow the instructions carefully. I suspect most mounts have failures in the rubber component and not the aluminum. This bike appears to have experienced a typical parking lot low side roll over, with bent brake lever and a few shallow, minor scratches on the right rear swing arm at the axle, and a few similar ones on the header at about ankle level. We'll check the rear isolator to make sure it is sound. Any tips are appreciated. I ordered EBR Pegasus decals to go on the air box cover, and will post photos soon. | ||
| Harleyelf |
If your rear isolators are working, you have no side to side movement. That would mess with the alignment of the drive belt. The thing to remember when torquing the new part in place is to get the part that bolts to the head absolutely dead-nuts flat to its mating surfaces, torque it down, and then secure the mounting of the metal part of the isolator to the frame, and then and only then torque the bolt through the rubber part. |
