Any help/thoughts would be apreciated . . .

2010 Heritage Softail.

I am hearing a light cyclic metalic scrapping noise on decel that seems to be comming from an area that runs from the Transmission to the rear sprocket. Hard to pin point the exact location.

Observations:
-Noise is only present on Decel or when the engine is not applying torque to the drive train.
-Noise is speed dependant for frequency but not volume
-Perfectly silent below 15 MPH.
-Noise is present on Decel with the Engine Running or Turned Off
-Noise is present on Decel with the Clutch engaged or released
-Momentarilly when the clutch released and then is re-engaged the noise increases ever so slightly and then only for a moment.
-Brake application has no effect at all
-Leaning the bike (Left hand vs Right Hand Sweeper) has no effect
-Bike has 3,000 miles on it and this just started today and got progressively worse over about 250 miles of riding.

My initial impression is that there is a thrust bearing or washer on the output shaft of the transmission that is loaded by the helical cut of the gear teeth when the output shaft drives the input shaft such as occurs on decel. But without having torn one of these gearboxes apart . . .

Your thoughts would be welcome.

 

I am not a mechanic, so no help to you sorry. But with the way you have described your issue, I am sure someone with knowledge of how everything works will come up with an answer quickly.

Very unlike those "I have a noise, can you help me" threads!!!

Hope your issue is resolved quickly

 

Belt rub...

 

should be under warranty. let us know what the dealer finds

 

I have this same issue on my 2010 Heritage. Dealer has looked at it twice and said they found nothing even though the sound goes away for awhile after I get it back.
I am waiting for it to come back and this time I am going to have one of the techs look at it right then while I am there.

 

My first thought was rear brake drag.... but you ruled that out....
How is your belt tension?

I always start small and work my way up....

CC

 

Belt Tension is OK and also applied Belt Dressing to the edges of the Drive Belt. Still noise is intermittent . . . trick is to get it to the Dealer when it's making the noise,

 

With all you have done it would seem through process of elimination it has to be the belt, but, why intermittant, I don't know but my money isgoing to be on the belt adjustment.

 

Good luck with the issue. Keep us all informed.

 

More information . . .

A few weeks ago I put Belt Dressing on the Drive Belt and that didn't seem to help . . . But over time the noise did seem to diminish and become less frequent. I also paid a visit to the dealer and they found a loose baffle in my V&H pipes. Not-with-standing that the noise is present even with the engine off, I elected to not get into an argument with them at that time. I said to myself; Self? Best to fix the baffle and then return and say; "OK now what?"

Anyhow, After washing the bike and using Simple Green on the engine and transmission areas this weekend the noise got worse and more frequent. I've also noticed that the Drive Belt always seems to be hugging the outside edge of the Rear Pulley. The Pulley is about 1/16 of an inch wider than the belt so there is a bit of clearance. But for all of the clearance to be on just the inside and/or to not be random seemed a bit strange to me. So this evening I decided to re-apply the Belt Dressing. With the bike off and in Neutral I jacked up the bike and began to apply the belt Dressing to the Drive Belt as I rotated the Rear Wheel by hand. All of a sudden the Drive Belt was all the way over to the inside edge of the Pulley. To make a long story short; If I spin the Rear wheel in a Forwards direction the Belt rides up against the outside edge of the Rear Pulley and if I rotate the Rear Wheel in the Reverse direction, within one or two rotations of the Rear Wheel the Belt is ridiing up against the inside edge of the Pulley.

Another trip is now planed to the Dealer. I have the Service Manual for the bike and it doesn't say anything about any sort of alignment procedure but if anyone has any knowledge regarding this I'd really appreciate hearing from ya.

Re: Attached Pictures - I added the red lines and shading to the close-up picture to try and show the gap I'm talking about. The pictures are with the Wheel rotating in a forwards direction.