As the title states, I have a noise coming from my primary case that sounds like a laundry machine washing clothes when the bike (2008 fxdf) is running and is in neutral (noise stops when clutch is engaged or in gear).

I opened up the case and inspected the clutch hub. The hub needed to be replaced, so I replaced both the hub and bearing. I put the thing back together and I still have the noise going on. I inspected the main shaft and it seemed ok. The chain tensioner had normal wear.

Could it be the tensioner and/or chain, or do I have to do more "digging"?

Any and all help is much appreciated.

 

Possible bad inner primary bearing or bad compensater. How is the chain tension is there 5/8-7/8 deflection at the tightest spot?

 

It is definitely the IPB. Clutch in it stops spinning, clutch out it spins up again.

Clutch won't affect compensator or primary chain, if the engine is running they are turning.

Easy job, just a PIA.

While you are in there lose that auto chain tensioner, IMHO it's a bad design and my primary suspect innthevdeath of the IPB. I changed mine to a Hayden unit at 300 miles.

Oops, not sure if that year model has the auto tensioner, but it's still defo the IPB.

 

Signed on for the real answer. Mine only does it hot and it's random gritty sound. Inner primary and clutch hub bearing is OK. I can get it to mostly disappear by going into gear and just loading engine down with clutch. I have a couple things I think cause it. Worn primary chain that uses up all the tolerance in the manual chain adjustment that Mark mentions and a 100 rpm engine hunt/lope at idle. I think the noise is the fingers of the compensator drive rubbing up and down. (Least that is what I am hoping it is) I was running 15-50 syn motor oil in there and have always read it's designed for a filtered system, so I stitched back to the formula + like I run in transmission. It definitely sounds like it is getting louder, so who knows. Mine could even be a balance cam bearing. What is your's miles? Do you even have a manual chain adjuster? I know the auto ones pull it down to 1/2" (they usually appear 3/8 but if you push hard it will take the two coil spring travel out and show you what you really have) What was wrong with your original clutch hub and bearing? That bearing only spins with clutch pulled in and on my bike is huge.