On a ride and all of sudden start hearing a terrible rattling sound coming from the primary. Going to pull the cover this afternoon. It sounds like a loose piece getting banged around. It's very loud. When I pull the primary drain plug it had a mass of metal shavings so fine it was like a paste. If I don't find a loose part in there, how can I tell if it's the inner primary bearing?

 

Get it open before you start making assumptions on what it might be, it subconsciously biases you doing that.

 

You can see it if you pull the compensator and clutch hub. Peer in and rotate to see rollers and race. Mine makes a rattle sound that I can make go away if I idle up about 150-300 rpm. As it sits at idle, that Harley hunt make the primary chain make uneven rattle/grating noise. Don't confuse this with a problem.

 

OK. Got it apart. Compensator shaft was loose and it wiggled out till the chain was hitting the inside of the primary cover. The chain pins were slightly beveled and the inner cover was freshly chewed on...hence the metal shavings. The chain was angled across the nylon tensioner as first clue. Put a wrench to and it was very loose. Tightened it down best I could with my med size torque wrench and the end of a 2x4 to act as a sprocket locking tool to keep them from turning. I doubt I got the 140 ft#, but it's pretty snug. Then I noticed when I peered in at the compensator that the 2 largest metal flex plates at the back weren't aligned edge to edge all the way around. There was about 1/4" offset. Couldn't remember what it looked like when we put it in - Its the SE Compensator. Just watching a replacement video, it looks like that means the plate slipped off the spline shaft in the back. Can I just loosen the Comp nut back out and pry that plate spring on?

 

take that thing apart, clean and inspect, reinstall with loc-tite using a torque wrench set at the proper spec. use a new bolt for the comp. and clean the threads in the crank real well with brake clean and dry before installing.

 

This! Do it right. You also need to replace that comp bolt.

 

Take it all apart and look at that inner primary bearing. Make sure the alternator rotor spline is not stripped out. If it was mine, I would drop rear wheel, slide drive belt fdwoff front pulley and turn input shaft thru all 6 speeds of transmission to make sure transmission bearings are smooth. Use loctite primer if at all possible and the permanent red type on the compensator. At a minimum, clean compensator threads free of oil with lacquer thinner or alcohol. Make sure all old loctite is chipped off.

 

Could you elaborate on this "uneven rattle/grating noise"? I ran into something that sounds like this a few times shortly after I got my new to me '11 FLHTK.

I posted about it here: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...ary-eitms.html

Since then, I haven't had a repeat of the sound, but I haven't been in long duration high heat situation like I was when it happened.

 

My primary is quite nosy. Has 50K on chain and it has some uneven wear. Also, manual tensioner, so play varies. Also, my 2004 idle lopes about 100 rpm tracking the idle when hot. So the primary chain rubbing on the tensioner varies and makes some uneven racket. Does not do it when cold or during the winter months I ride.

Just did not want the FP to pull it apart for nothing. My compensator nut has appeared loose couple times but it was the alternator rotor spline gone. When it wore the face from slipping, the nut appeared loose

If you do not hear it now, forget it. High heat will make it make a lot of noise. The case and transmission actually grow more then the chain, so with your auto adjuster, it may have been a little tight but on the plastic delrin shoe will not hurt anything unless you did it all the time.

 

Thanks - yeah it was intermittent, and only at high heat. Been kind of trying to get it to happen again, closer to home, preferably :-) so I can better describe the conditions that cause it. So far, even in shorter duration high heat, it hasn't happened.

Just never heard my Deluxe make a noise like it, so caught me very off guard.

The input is much appreciated.

Dan