Yup I'd definitely delay purchasing an M8 until they use better oil line clamps.

Duh...really??

3,000 trouble free miles on my M8. Well, except for that time it wouldn't start, and was AAA towed to dealer, due to a loose ground connection at the transmission. And oh yeah, intermittent clutch switch, so sometimes it won't start in gear. But hasn't happened in about 500 miles.

Yeah, you shouldn't buy one until maybe 2021.

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Two ways to get to it, drop the pipes, right floorboard & brackets and it's on front side of the cam case, big pain in the *** way. Or if you have a set of extra long needle nose pliers you can drop the board, pull the brake pedal lever and mastercylinder out a bit to get at it that way. Takes a little yoga posing and a flashlight in your teeth with no table lift. Correct tools like long small hose pliers and a 1/4" drive set with extensions and a swivel for the worm gear clamp go a long way for this, no room to get fingers in with the pipe on.

 

Only one way to get to it. Warranty!

 

Have at it, out here it's a 4 week wait to see the inside of a dealer shop and I have riding to do.

 

Screw HD and there idiot warranty crap...

Just pull the wires to the want to be HD junk oil pressure switch. Take the oil pressure switch out. Pair of needle nose pliers will get the HD junk spring clamp back up the hose. Pull hose off fitting. Pull junk HD spring clamp off hose. Set back drink a beer and dream of beating the crap out of a HD want to be engineer. Put hose back on with clamp of your choice. You know it will be better than HD junk *** parts. Put oil pressure switch back on that looks like it came off of a Briggs China mower engine. Keep a oil catch pan under the bike. You will get a dribble of oil when the oil pressure switch comes out and the hose comes off.

You will need a very small dab... I mean small dab of teflon thread paste and possible a new o-ring for the oil pressure unit. TQ specs are in the service manual.

It's a bone idle easy job.

 

Given the perceived superiority of the worm/screw type clamps, I really wonder what kind of incremental money we're talkin' here for H-D to buy and install an all worm/screw clamp "solution" during the assembly process. I wouldn't think the cost of the clamps themselves would be much different from the crimp style but maybe the labor cost to position them and tighten the screws is significant. I just don't know.

My son's Kawi ZX-14R uses worm/screw clamps. There are at least six, maybe eight of 'em on the coolant lines to/from the radiator, the wet oil cooler and the engine itself. He has had to tighten them (one time) to prevent minor seeping. So maybe that is the kind of problem H-D is trying to avoid. I guess if you have external fluid lines, you're gonna have potential problems.

 

Get use to it. It's the new America. Don't blame the engineers, blame the bean counters. If they can save a dime on each bike, that's an extra $25,000 for the CEO. The next time you're pissed at some piece of cheap crap, think of what the top men are making and realize you helped pay it...

 

For some of us but unfortunately my granddaughter has a better tool box and mechanical skills than the average harley rider anymore.

 

Thanks a bunch, appreciate the help!!!


LMAO, that was funny!! Running short of xanax but may be able to spare a bit. You okay???

 

I zipped tied a plug wire under the tank from rubbing.