Dyna Glide Models Super Glide, Super Glide Sport, Super Glide Custom, Dyna Glide Convertible, Super Glide T-Sport, Dyna Glide Police, Dyna Switchback, Low Rider, Street Bob, Fat Bob and Wide Glide.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

What is it?

Old Jul 6, 2019 | 01:48 PM
  #1  
NO4NJNK's Avatar
NO4NJNK
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 293
Likes: 84
From: Mississppi
Default What is it?

I have a 2015 dyna wide glide. The other night coming from bike night i hit a orange cone in the road with my right foot at 80 mph, it was painful. But, no harm done, so i thought
The next morning i go to right to work and as the bike is warming up, there is a rattle from the right side of the engine. Sounds like the timing cover area.
I checked for damage and seen nothing. No leaks or drips on the garage floor. All fluid levels are normal.
I let the bike sit a week while on vacation and when i got back yesterday. I started it again and watched and listened. Still the slight rattle from the right side. Except, this time after the exhaust heated up, i had something smoking off the exhaust, i could see it.
So, i shut it off and ran a paper towel along the bottom exhaust pipe and the liquid burning was not much. But, it was a bluish green color.

i have no idea what it could be? If you look to the right of the bluish green mess, you will see my engine oil color, because i checked the level on that.

this is my tranny fluid which is purple, because i use Royle Purple tranny fluid.
This has been about 2 hours now and there is nothing on the bottom pipe where i wiped it off before. But, that rattling from the lower right is still there at idle. Its starts then stops back and forth.
The bike idles and runs perfectly besides the rattle and this mystery oil or whatever it is?
Any thoughts? Im baffled.
Thank You
 
Reply
Old Jul 6, 2019 | 02:03 PM
  #2  
F86's Avatar
F86
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,840
Likes: 900
From: Philly Suburbs
Default

If the cone hit your right foot, could it also have hit a pipe? Is there a mount or heat shield anywhere in that area? Could either pipe be slightly loose at the head? Your description of the sound seems like it could be a loose shield. Check the whole right side of the bike for ANYTHING that could possibly be loose after getting whacked by the cone. Hitting anything at 80 is a pretty hard hit. As far as the "mystery fluid" is concerned, maybe it's unrelated. Do you have an air cleaner that gets oiled? Mine will periodically drop some filter oil, pretty much until it's dry...
 
Reply
Old Jul 6, 2019 | 02:09 PM
  #3  
NO4NJNK's Avatar
NO4NJNK
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 293
Likes: 84
From: Mississppi
Default

I was just sitting here and thought to go smell the bluish green fluid i had wiped off the exhaust, and it smells like gear oil. But there isnt a drop of a leak anywhere under or on the bike i can find? Im going to go out and tighten all the heat shields down and then see if it still rattles.
 
Reply
Old Jul 6, 2019 | 02:21 PM
  #4  
gleam's Avatar
gleam
Tourer
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 381
Likes: 122
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Default

Sounds like a heat shield to me too. Two things I tried recently to pinpoint a sound: hold the end of a long screwdriver handle to your ear, pressed tight to your skull. Put the tip directly on the engine or whatever you want to test for sound/vibration. The other thing was using an ear-horn made out of paper or whatever. You can use this to determine the location of a noise because it makes the sounds coming from wherever the horn is pointed to be much louder than the ambient noise of everything else.

Oh, and be sure to get so distracted from being focused on the sounds that you accidentally hit the shifter and shift into first, make your bike lurch forward, stall, and nearly fall on you. This step is optional.

The fluid could very easily be coincidental and unrelated. Something I learned about diagnosis (from completely unrelated fields) is to do your best to not build any interpretations whatsoever into your observations. You do all your observations as strictly as possible first without contaminating them with any analysis, and then you do that part after. You may have made the assumption that the fluid indicates a leak because that's normally true, if so you may have contaminated your observation with a conclusion. Maybe it's just some blue stuff that was on the cone.
 

Last edited by gleam; Jul 6, 2019 at 02:22 PM.
Reply
Old Jul 6, 2019 | 02:27 PM
  #5  
NO4NJNK's Avatar
NO4NJNK
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 293
Likes: 84
From: Mississppi
Default

Hey, Gleam. That makes perfect sense. Ill be finished tightening the heat shields in a short while.
Ill be back with what i found.
Thanks y'all for shooting me your thoughts. I hope we can get this figured out. Because there is nothing in this Harley thats that bluish color.
 
Reply
Old Jul 6, 2019 | 02:43 PM
  #6  
NO4NJNK's Avatar
NO4NJNK
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 293
Likes: 84
From: Mississppi
Default

Okay, everything from the exhaust flang bolts, (which were about a 1/4 turn loose) to all the mounts holding the heat shields on. (Aftermarket exhaust- Cobra Speeder Slashdown).
Still hear this rattle after the engine gets a little warmed up. Sounds like a marble is bouncing around under the timing cover. No sounds from the primary side.
 
Reply
Old Jul 6, 2019 | 03:36 PM
  #7  
O-Town D's Avatar
O-Town D
Road Master
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,115
Likes: 69
From: Bay Area, NorCal
Default

Hmm... possibly brake pedal and rod assembly jarred loose, not securely mounted?
~
 
Reply
Old Jul 6, 2019 | 03:40 PM
  #8  
NO4NJNK's Avatar
NO4NJNK
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 293
Likes: 84
From: Mississppi
Default

I have no idea. There isnt anything behind the timing cover that could rattle besides the cam chain, tensioner or cam bearing. All that is new a year ago when i installed the new cams.🤷🏻*♂️
 
Reply
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-5

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
Old Jul 6, 2019 | 03:50 PM
  #9  
smitty901's Avatar
smitty901
Seasoned HDF Member
Veteran: Army
15 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 23,003
Likes: 11,441
Default

Only lube I know of that is green is Spector GL1. Green grease is some times use to lube brake pedal and kick stand. Like others said noise likely heat shield.
 
Reply
Old Jul 6, 2019 | 03:55 PM
  #10  
NO4NJNK's Avatar
NO4NJNK
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 293
Likes: 84
From: Mississppi
Default

Everything i can find and think of has been double checked and tightened. Im going to go give it a test run and see what mysteries pop up this time. Ill let you know when i get back.
As it was said before. The bluish green **** on my exhaust pipe up front could have come from the orange cone i hit. Be back in a few.
 
Reply

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:10 AM.

story-0
6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public

Slideshow: From military-inspired singles to scooters and three-wheel utility vehicles, these Harleys took the company far outside its comfort zone.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-02 18:34:10


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-2
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-6
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-7
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-8
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE