Yep, poor design, and when I get back home I willload pictures of the damage to my rotor, and the sleeve due to it coming loose. It just so happens the engine is apart and the compensator is on the workbench.

One of the very few times I have taken my bike back to a dealer, only due to my perception of this being under warranty. Nope, nada, zip, "we will tighten it but not replace the parts with damage showing....they are still serviceable". IMO, any damage due to a defect should be replaced but they didn't, and I wasn't going to get my boxers in a bunch over it, so they tightened it and I left.

I know personally of one other that came loose in my area on a 07. Also, if there was not a problem, then why the service bulletin? HD print those just to be able to cut down a few more trees?

I know damage when I see it and am not overstating a problem. No, it is not all that common, but neither is scissoring cranks, but it is happening none-the-less. If you work at a dealer, you must either have a run of well assembled bikes or have your head in the sand.

 

My wife and I both have identical '02 Electraglide Standards. They are one right after the other off the assembly line. The stuff that's gone wrong with mine is almost always different from the stuff that's gone wrong with hers. In Sturgis 2,000 miles ago I heard a noise down by the primary. After getting back home to Florida I had my gray beard mechanic(a private guy 'cause my bikes will never go to an HD dealer!) take a listen. Loose compensator nut. Now I know what a compensator sprocket is. $33 bucks later and I'm on the road with a tight bike.

 

This nut back off on an 05 fat boy that a friend owns...the dealer charged her over $400 to tighten it .

 

BUSTED RIGHT BACK..........
SERVICE BULLETIN M-1205 CONTAINS A BUNCH OF INFORMATION-----11 TO BE EXACT, INLCUDING YOUR NUETRAL SWITCH..........IT IS A 1 PAGE BULLETIN THAT DOES INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPENSATOR TORQUE LOCATED ON PAGE 2 (THE BACK OF THE BULLETIN).
WANT A COPY? HERE IS WHAT IT CONTAINS:
VRSC 2-PIECE REAR CALIPER FASTENER TORQUE
VRSC BRAKE WASHERS
VRSC FONT BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER FASTENER TORQUE
VRSC PURGE SOLENOID RESISTIVE PLUG
DYNA AND BIG TWIN NUETRAL SWITCH UPDATE
DYNA AND SPORTSTER FRONT FENDER LENGTH
BIG TWIN STARTERS
BIG TWIN STARTER FASTENER TORQUE
COMPENSATOR FASTENER TORQUE VALUE AND PROCEDURE REVISION FOR ALL BIG TWINS
FXSTSSE SOFTAIL CVO HANDLEBAR RISER FASTENER TORQUE
AND
DYNA AND ALL BIG TWIN TRANSMISSION COVER FASTENER TORQUE SEQUENCE
= 11
NEED MORE?

If you had all the answers why did you need to ask questions about it anyway[:@]

 

I have never had a compensator nut come loose but I have had some almost impossible to remove. It does happen though.

 

Mine backed off on my 06 Road King after the 103 kit install. The same mechanic that did the 103 kit showed it to me. I asked him how it happend and he said he didn't know, but he would fix it. He took it off and if has no locktie on it.... He actually said sorry and admitted he messed up. Fixed it about 3000 miles ago and it has been fine ever since.

 

Found mine loose on my 03 RKthis year when I went to put my M6 back in after a dealer removed it last yearwhen they replaced my clutch assembly. First time I ever had that happen in 104,000 miles. I assumed they did not torque it correctly. Results are a damaged washer(no bid deal) and damage to the splines on the crankshaft. Hopefully I get another 20,000 miles out of it next year. Plan to go to the 103 next winter so the crankshaft will be replaced then.

 

Half the people on this post are talking about two seperate incidents. HDdid have a problem with torque values especially on the pre '07 models. They used, and still use electric motors to torque these items. Hand torque is preffered. The "revised" process and the reason HD sends these Bulletins is to keep the dealers up to date on new procedures per what is going on in the field. A poor design would render part or parts replacement. The revised torque rocedure is to properly seat the sprocket on the sprocket shaft, then provide the correct clamp load. This was changed because they found that during assembly the sprocket was not botoming. This would cause the nut to come loose. I cannot believe (you can show me your parts, but I believe I have seen them already) that any damage would happen to the splined sprocket or shaft, unless you rode around for several miles. That sprocket is pretty thick. In the case of not going to a dealer because they f@#* you, how many indy shop's get this info? As for replacing everything because this bolt come loose, c'mon. If nothing is damaged why replace. Something for nothing.

 

I actually have metal transfer from the rear of the compensator to the inside of the stator, and a couple of scars on the compensator splines themselves. Dealer said that this is not enough to replace. IMO, and this is not a shot at anybody, if there is damage of any sort, structural or not, it is a problem and should be replaced. If the compensator was designed to bottom out, then it should not contact the stator and should not be scarring the teeth. I am sure the design was not to have it bottoming out and hitting the stator, if fact on the stator, it indicates that impact to it is not a good thing.

Guess I am old school...if it ain't broke, but showing wear, fix it before it does break. And again, mine was loose and was tightened by a dealer in SC, and I was told by the mechanic there that if they would have had the parts, they would have replaced it, but seeing they didnt, he tightened it and sent me on my way to finish my trip and told me to see my local dealer for replacement. No exaggerations here, facts.

 

Loose compensators [:@]are common problem; that's one of the reasons I added crank re-inforcement assembly to engine.

http://www.jpcycles.com/productgroup...ley&page=1

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