Steve, (or anyone), can you point me where to find the shim and new instructions on measuring the installed height to adjust them to get/keep the spring tension correct on M8 compensators? I have searched and can't find any mention of how to determine correct pressure or adjustment for the comp. I'm going to install a S&S comp in my 2024 FLTRX soon and am waffling between using the Feuling outer spring (which I have) or using the current, 2024 oem outer spring. I had issues with an early Cycle Rama Comp on my former 2021 Road Glide with stock spring. The new S&S comp measures the same as the former Cycle Rama.
Thanks.

 

Following. I'm in the same situation, opening up the primary to inspect my CycleRama Ramp installed in '22 on my '21 M8. I can't find any spring pack thickness design criteria for the M8, only for the Twin Cam. That was Harley Service Bulletin M-1352 with pack thickness installed spec .286"-.326" measured in two places.

We're left to guess what vendor spring pack provides the right amount of preload between the ramp and sprocket - too much locks it up and damages the drivetrain, too little lets it flop around and damages the drivetrain. Are we supposed to hunt & peck trying different combinations and seeing how the assembly moves by hand?

This is just ridiculous for a critical drivetrain component assembly. Evo Industries is the only aftermarket ramp I can find with a matching spring pack - I assume the others presume the stock spring pack is correct for their ramps.

 

Agreed, very frustrating. When I installed the CR comp in my 2021, it started making noise. I know now what that noise sounds like but at the time I installed that one I was coming off of 19 years on my 2002 twin cam. I was told by Pam at CR that there wasn't enough pre load on the comp. She had a few excuses that I outlined in another thread. I guess I will just put the new S&S in the 2024 and check the feel with the oem outer spring. I it starts making noise, I'll have to install the Feuling spring. Not that this is hard but it's a pain in the a** plus the primary fluid, thread cleaning etc if I have to take it apart again.

 

I'm ready to remove the primary cover, but need to wait for some help to loosen the T70 crank bolt. Damn near 200 ft-lbs with loctite. Gotta hold the damn bike down (I don't have a table, just a jack lift). Maybe next weekend. I'll post pics of the ramp surface.

Brings back un-fond memories of rowing the 6 ft long torque wrench at work bolting alternators to engines ~ 600 ft-lbs. 'cept I'm old now.

 

Use heat on the bolt, torch or good quality heat gun. Use a jam bar to lock it up then with your breaker bar put the T70 into the bolt and standing at the front of the bike, push down on the bar (turning the bolt counter clockwise). This is easier than starting from the rear and pulling up on the breaker bar. Use a cheater pipe if you have to but after getting the bolt hot you shouldn't have to. This way also won't lift the bike up.

 

Thanks, I've done this before though - I installed the cyclerama ramp myself.

I have a 2 foot breaker bar from Wright Tool (USA made) that can take a cheater pipe - but the bike is still unwieldy on the lift hoist, even with tires touching ground. The bolt is in far enough that I don't think a heat gun would do much, unlike the frame bolts.

 

My stock compensator has 238,000 miles on it. I can't recall how it looks but it doesn't make excess noise or do anything that leads me to believe it's on the way out. I have a round of preventative maintenance coming up and part of me wants the mechanic to replace it as one of those "while we're in there" kind of things. Can't say I didn't get my money's worth out of it!

I hear about this component failing a lot and wonder if I got a unicorn, or if me being a very boring touring rider (no burn-outs or drag racing) has helped it last so long. My Road Glide is also just a mild stage II.

 

I have a 17 RG with 187K, 134K with Stg2 & now 35K Stg3, only a 114 @120/130 & no problems. I replaced a stator @ 100K & the ramps showed minimal wear, I don't beat on it, but I don't take easy. I think the problem is exaggerated on lower powered bikes, I'd probably feel different with a 140+ engine. We're looking at over a million M8s produced, !% of that is 10K, how many failures have you actually heard of, I doubt that there's been 10K replacements sold. I'm not saying it's a bad idea to replace the comp ramp, anytime you manufacture that many pieces there is going to be a failure rate, I'm not worried about mine

 

I don't remember if the failures posted back when were on stock bikes or performance builds. Obviously, performance builds would be of more concern with probability of failing going up with increasing torque. That's why I replaced mine. We don't know the design spec for the factory ramp beyond the stock torque - i.e., what margin of added power they assigned to it. Most designs have some margin (used to be called factor of safety, but the lawyers nixed that term) designed into them.

I've read the stock ramp is powder metallurgy, supposedly superior to a casting but not nearly as good as wrought/billet/forged. Sintered powder still has porosity, not as big and random as a casting. Just look at Navistar's final PowerStroke Diesel for Ford if you want to see how little margin was in the powder connecting rods.

But the stock ramp appears visually as a casting to me - not the even appearance of powdered metal. After a lifetime of designing and inspecting metals, I've seen a few.

 

Ok, everybody - I also have a deficient Cycle Rama Compensator Ramp (see pics below). I just pulled it out today. The smearing includes gouging I can feel with a fingernail. And this after less than 2,000 miles of mixed riding. The sprocket spokes are smeared, also.

I installed this ramp in January 2024 and reused the stock springs and sprocket. The final pic shows no smearing or gouging up to that point on the stock parts. The bike is a 2021 FLHC Heritage, original engine is 107, I had it built to a 117 that dyno'd peak 115 hp & 131 ft-lbs in spring of 2024, which is why I installed this ramp 1st.

I'm unsure how I will rebuild. Pretty sure I need to replace the compensator and the sprocket, unsure whether to do anything with the stock spring pack.
@$tonecold @Steve Cole