Hardwood Huh? My wife HAD one of those white nylon cutting boards in the kitchen. I cut it up and made a stepped block for the job. It's still in my tool box. She found out about a week or two later and was all good with it. I think I still have her turkey baster and a few other things still out in the garage she doesn't know about.

 

Yeah, wood. I thought about going with something like a cutting board material but I was worried about breaking off one of the gear teeth. The second block I made had thicker steps and did the job fine for the last 15-20 degrees of torque. I'm hoping the weather idiots are wrong about rain all week so I take it out and give her a whirl. I sure hope this remedies the knocking noise issue. I'm thinking it will, between it happening often enough for the MOCO to issue a service bulletin and the fact I have gone over everything else. I'll be posting the results as soon as I can get it out put it through the gears. Thanks again for all the help and advice.

 

I wasn't sure when the noise got louder (I could only hear it at low idle) so went to the custom shop and had their mech listen to it - he and another guy said the Comp right off and that was the first thing I should check. If that wasn't it, the cam chain would be the second choice. I had thought it was a bottom end bearing from the sound.
Imagine my relief!
I made a sprocket stop from a length of flat metal, but you guys had a better one, being soft. I won't use that piece again.

 

If you're in there and the nut is loose; You really should take the compensator all the way off and inspect your generator rotor. If the nut has been loose enough to cause a significant noise, it may have torn up the spline on the rotor. It's crazy how thin the spline on the rotor is...... very poor design. You inspect all the generator surfaces while your in there. I was able to get my compensator off without removing my clutch.... it was a squeaker, but in and out ok without touching the clutch. My bike is an 03 softail and I'm sure not all models will allow that.

 

IIRC ir was 03s and 04s that had an issue with the nut bottoming out on the crank before the comp / spacers / rotor got tight. It's worthwhile to remove about 0.060" from the bottom of the nut to ensure that there is sufficient clamping.

 

I use chunk snowmobile slide very similar to cutting block

I've only check tq once. Put wrench on and if it moved, if I remember correct. Usually I am taking whole thing off for other reasons