There have been bits and pieces of explanation of the function of the Screamin' Eagle Big Twin Compensating Sprocket (both 40274-08A and 42200064, 42200095 kits) and of the GMR Performance Compensaver oil tray, but NOT enough COMPLETE explanation of WHY it was developed by Harley-Davidson to the satisfaction of many of us owner/riders. This lack of information and explanation serves no purpose to us. We are left to discover this problem of an under engineered area of our EXPENSIVE machines and are expected to foot the bill when repair and replacement is deemed necessary.
If this problem is not a prime example of what a recal constitutes then I don't know what is. If the compensator wear is not addressed, then failure can occur causing the motorcycle to suddenly lockup causing the vehicle to crash and injuries or even death could occur.
If you do nothing else other than to discover metal particles on your primary chain case drain plug, you have discovered a PROBLEM occuring inside your primary. The responsible and SAFE thing to do next is to have the wearing parts replaced with parts that will NOT wear this way and provide the longevity of performance and functionality for which you paid! Seek competent advice and repair from someone or some dealer you can trust. Research this issue from top to bottom for yourself and decide what is the safest for you, your motorcycle and for those that ride behind you.

 

You are right right right. There have been efforts to force a recall but have not gone anywhere. I ride long miles cross country and demand a dependable ride. Being a Harley guy and with years of nothing from the MoCo I had to address it. Now no more failures with this assembly for me and others till the 2014 model change. Here we go again.
I have been looking had at the new Indian. In a couple of years to prove their design and Harley can very well have trouble with us having that choice.
Richard

 

Thanks, Richard. I believe the new Indians have the right design, and superior to the mishandled design by Harley. I like Indians short coupled gear drive primary system. Lot less torsional loads on the transmission overall. I think you are correct, this design will be a part of market share takeover in the coming years....

 

I've been running the third compusaver ever made by Richard K. and Ron Babos. It was THE beta version.

Had to grind out the inner primary, etc. I have a120r, and between that and a 107 bike, I have been through plenty SE Comps.

Along with a Baker Attitude chain adjuster, the 120R bike has 20k and over a hundred dyno runs. Compusaver works. The problem is not the needles, the problems are two fold... the shaft the spokes ride on frets metal and jams up the rocking action of the ramp. Other problem is where ramps meet spokes. These will wear a groove into the spokes, and that is what makes the noise. It will not destroy itself. It will just sound more and more like **** is all.

Frag? The sky is not falling, the bike won't crash if the comp locks up solid. It was designed to replace the 07 thru 2011 comp, which was too weak for when the 103s came out. It was first used in the Rocker series of bikes starting in 08 as the test mule. One could collapse the then stock comp with a Stage 2 bike.

It's not going to shatter, blow up, or make one fall off of the bike.worst case scenario is it locks up. All that will do is stop the ability to dull the pulses of the engine

Compusaver feeds oil to the bore and also...very importantly, the spokes. Talking to RBabos, ..... him and Richard K think the key now is to keep the spokes well oiled. Again....MOCO is way behind the curve here.

 

OK, so maybe the alarmist attitude MAY be a bit over the top. My intention with the post, in red, was to alert those that have this problem take a look, or another look at their primary chain case and compensator for these very issues, take ownership of the problem and maybe try to move it closer to the moco front doorstep. Numbers may make the difference. I have to believe if I still lived in the Milwaukee area and working for the dealer I was working for at the time, my passion for this problem would surely get heard by ***** G and his son Bill whom frequented our dealership on a regular basis. Now, I am totally out of the loop. But, I digress...
I have some experience with Photoshop, so did this opaque overlay (replaced 3/25/14 with Compensaver in place. No Disc Springs installed yet...) of the primary cover with oil deflector installed by the local dealer over the exposed parts of the inner primary (yes, he used double retainer clips), as I wanted to see just where the defector is positioned with relation to the screw and sprocket retainer. With this illustration, to my eye, it does not appear that the deflector is 'promoting' much oil flow into the gap between the screw and sprocket retainer where the oil holes have been drilled to keep the thrust bearing and/or compensating sprocket-to-sprocket retainer contact surface lubricated. I guess I will just have to runs some mile on my bike and then look at these parts at a later time. I have seen the posts by those that have posted pictures of this area and the look clean and shiny (no evidence of fretting).



The Compusaver I have does not have a feed trough positioned in front of the screw/sprocket retainer, but provides the needed oil directly to the sliding cam and sprocket spokes area. Hopefully the combination of the latest SE Comp Kit AND this Compusaver will alleviate the wear of the sprocket spokes, sufficient lubrication to the thrust bearing and compensating sprocket bore.