March 09 - HogHelpLine-STRANGE NOISES AND STRANGER VIBRATIONS

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Got a problem with your stock H-D that your local dealer can’t fix? Well, put away that hammer, grab a pen, and let our resident pro get you back on the road! That’s right, frustrated ones. You can now get your perplexing problem answered with a simple snail mail or e-mail to AIM.

Good news and bad news with this edition of Hog Helpline. The good is that spring is nearly sprung, and we’re all getting ready for a new year of great riding. The bad is that some of you are having problems with your bikes. No worries! As always, we’ve got the cure for what ails ya! Everett Rushford starts us off with a bit of noise coming from his 2006 Heritage Softail. Might want to check those tensioners, Ev. Next up is Richard Dondes from New Jersey, who’s got more pinging in his 2007 Super Glide than a submarine. Hey, Richard, just a suggestion: run silent, run deep. Mike Linkswiler continues our monthly tale of woe, describing a terrible vibration problem with his 2007 Road King. We feel Mike’s vibration-induced pain and will forego any gratuitous Beach Boys comments. On another note, Dana Hale’s 2008 Ultra Glide is a really hot ride. Literally, and Dana is getting heated up something fierce. And, finally, James Kearney inquires about the enrichener knob snafu on his 2000 Dyna Wide Glide.

Anyone wishing to submit a question to our H-D expert should send in as much info about the problem and bike as possible, which definitely includes the bike’s year, model, and mileage, to Hog Helpline, c/o American Iron Magazine, 1010 Summer Street, Stamford, CT 06905, or e-mail it to ChrisM@AmericanIronMag.com. Ready for the disclaimer? Unfortunately, we can’t answer all of the questions that we receive or respond directly to the submitter, owing to volume. Select questions will be answered only through this monthly column.

Q:I have a problem that my Harley dealer hasn’t been able to solve. I own a 2006 Heritage Softail (FLST) with an 88B motor. The bike has 10,600 miles on it, and I’ve had it since it was new. It’s all stock and has no engine upgrades at all. Approximately 4,000 miles ago, I noticed a ticking/swishing sound coming from the front cylinder, mostly after the bike was ridden for awhile and was hot. This occurs at approximately around 2000 rpm; I’m guessing since I don’t have a tach. I’ve taken it back to the dealer on three different occasions and have gotten answers ranging from “Change your pipes so you don’t hear the noise” to “Harleys make different noises.” I know it’s hard to diagnose a problem without hearing it yourself, but have you heard of any similar complaints about this engine?

Everett Rushford
Via Internet

A:My first thought, Everett, is that the cam chain tensioners may be getting worn out. They shouldn’t be worn out yet, but I’ve seen failures at relatively low miles. The noises you’ve described lead me in that direction. Your dealer should be able to inspect the chains and tensioners on that model pretty easily. If there’s enough wear on them to make noise, it will be obvious by looking at them with the cam cover removed. It should take under an hour to get to that point.

Q:I have a 2007 FXDC Super Glide with Vance & Hines Straight Shot slip-ons, a Fuel Pak, and a Screamin’ Eagle Stage I air cleaner. Other than these items, the bike is stock and has 11,600 miles. Three weeks ago, after my 10,000-mile service, I began experiencing severe detonation on a 1,215-mile trip, under any acceleration and at steady speeds over 65 mph. I came home and found the plugs were not gapped correctly by the Harley dealer. The front plug was burning hot, while the rear plug was burning just fine. I recalibrated my Fuel Pak, and just for good measure, I tossed in 6 ounces of a fuel additive in a full tank of gas. Then two weeks ago, I went on a 400-mile ride where I ran the bike very hard through the hills, and up to 85 mph on the interstate. No detonation — not a single ping. The bike sat for a week and upon my riding it a week ago on a 260-mile trip, the severe detonation returned. The bike was almost unridable, pinging like crazy under any acceleration and at any speed over 65 mph. So, again I took out the plugs, and this time both were burning the same. I cleaned the plugs, reinstalled them, recalibrated my Fuel Pak and again put 6 ounces of fuel additive in a full tank. Then I took the bike out for a test drive. After getting the bike warmed up, I accelerated as hard and as far as I could in first, second, third, fourth, and fifth gears, all the way up to 85 mph. No detonation or pinging. I always use 91 or 93 octane gasoline. Any idea what’s going on?

Richard Dondes
East Brunswick, New Jersey

A:Could it be as simple as the gasoline you’re getting in New Jersey isn’t as good as it should be? Seriously, I can’t blame just Jersey, as I’ve been seeing more and more drivability and pinging issues lately that go away with a change in fuel. Your fuel additive may be the proof. Fill ’er up at your usual place, and if it happens again, do nothing but add the additive. What happens? Also if the O2 sensors are still installed, the ’07 should run just fine without the Fuel Pak. Disconnect the Fuel Pak and see how it runs. If all goes well, get the factory Stage I download.

Q:I ride a 2007 H-D Road King, on which I’ve recently been experiencing extreme motor vibration. The problem is so bad that I really don’t enjoy taking a ride. I’m at the point where if this vibration cannot be corrected, I’m considering trading my Harley for a Honda — just kidding,
I think. The vibration occurs while I’m sitting at idle. However, as soon as I throttle-up, the ride smoothes out. The handlebars shake so badly that when looking through the mirrors, I can hardly make out the vehicles coming up from behind. And the motor vibrates so much that the exhaust pipe, which comes out of the front cylinder, just barely misses hitting the frame. I had the bike into the Harley shop, replaced the front motor mount, and realigned the engine. It didn’t help. The dealership techs are in the process of calling the warranty department for advice on what to do.

Mike Linkswiler
Via Internet

A:The warranty department should suggest a whole list of possibilities from loose or misaligned top engine mounts to loose or bound-up exhaust system components. I would check the runout on both shafts of the flywheels. This can be done while the lower end is still assembled in the frame. I’ve seen bad flywheels that were shifted and others that were just out of balance. The techs at Harley will need to be convinced this is the problem. That means your dealer’s techs will need to eliminate every other possible cause of a vibration on the bike. Be patient and let them go through all the steps to determine that the flywheels are actually the cause of your vibration.

Q:I just purchased a 2008 Ultra Glide. So far, the bike is fantastic, except that I live in the panhandle of Florida and the heat that comes up from the exhaust is unbearable at times. If I change the exhaust to Vance & Hines True Duals (like the one on the 2008 FLHX featured in the August ’08 issue) will this decrease the heat? If yes, is this mod EPA-compliant?

Dana Hale
Via Internet

A:I really don’t think the exhaust change will do much for you, Dana. The rear pipe is still under the seat, and exits under your left leg. You might actually get more heat if you don’t tune the bike properly for the exhaust change. Have you tried any of the heat deflectors out there? The deflectors mount to the frame under the front of the seat to help keep the heat flowing away from your leg and out the back of the bike. They’re available from Harley or the aftermarket.

Q:I have a 2000 Dyna Wide Glide with 5,000 miles on it. I went to ride it the other day, and I couldn’t get it to idle, having to leave the enrichener pulled all the way out to keep it running. When I pushed it back in and held the gas at a steady rpm, it was constantly backfiring through the exhaust. I also noticed this when the enrichener knob was pulled out. When I released it, it would go back in a little ways by itself. I had to hold it out by hand to keep the bike running. Please help me out if you can.

James Kearney
Via Internet

A:When was the last time you used the bike before you had this problem, James? With only 5,000 miles on an eight-year-old bike, I’d say you don’t get to ride it much. While the bike was sitting, the gas in the carburetor may have gone bad and solidified in the low-speed jet. Keeping the enrichener out for too long to keep it running would foul the spark plugs, causing the backfiring. Try removing the jet for cleaning, or just replace it and spray some carb cleaner through the passages in the carburetor. Also, install a new set of plugs. To keep this from happening again, remember to run the fuel out of the carburetor before you store the bike for any length of time. Just shut the fuel valve off a little way down the street so it runs out of gas as you get in the driveway. As for the enrichener, there’s a knurled nut on the cable that can be tightened to put some drag on the cable so it stays where you put it. Look just under the choke knob where the cable attaches to the bracket. Be careful not to overtighten as the cable housing is plastic and hollow. AIM