HD's $500 SE compensator fix...
HD's $500 SE compensator fix...
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 23,053
Likes: 12,327
From: Arkansas
That's about par for the course. I love my Harley and always have loved them. Never have been happy about having to spend $$$ to correct their poor engineering though.
I've had no problems with the compensator on my 05 (pushing 70,000 miles now) and to be honest don't know what years were an issue but have heard about problems with some stock units.
I've had no problems with the compensator on my 05 (pushing 70,000 miles now) and to be honest don't know what years were an issue but have heard about problems with some stock units.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 66,948
Likes: 4,573
From: TOAK western branch
That's about par for the course. I love my Harley and always have loved them. Never have been happy about having to spend $$$ to correct their poor engineering though.
I've had no problems with the compensator on my 05 (pushing 70,000 miles now) and to be honest don't know what years were an issue but have heard about problems with some stock units.
I've had no problems with the compensator on my 05 (pushing 70,000 miles now) and to be honest don't know what years were an issue but have heard about problems with some stock units.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,476
Likes: 5
From: Republic of Texas
Not happy with all the repairs to fix factory flaws either but just looking at these motorcycles sucks. I bought them to ride. I am also not a fan of the automatic primary chain tensioner. I prefer to adjust the primary chain manually.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 66,948
Likes: 4,573
From: TOAK western branch
I got lucky with my auto adjuster. Its always at the correct tension but id prefer to set it myself also.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 23,053
Likes: 12,327
From: Arkansas
I'm getting really lazy in my old age. I put an auto primary adjuster on mine just so I wouldn't have to adjust it myself. I still check it regularly and haven't had to mess with it since putting the auto adjuster on.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,477
Likes: 14
From: Western MD
theres a guy over at another harley site that designed and built that trough to funnel oil into the center of the comp. not sure if that is his work or did he go to harley with the fix and they took it over.
i have yet to take my SE Comp out and inspect it after a yr of riding and drill holes in the comp nut in an attempt to force oil into the hub area.
i did stop by the local HD dealer and pick up an old stock comp for springs to add one into my orig comp if the SE is messed up. there was quite a few SE comps in the metal bin i got the stock comp from. looked to be more SE comps laying in there then stock ones.
maybe a class action lawsuit will happen at sometime. i still have my receipt.
i have yet to take my SE Comp out and inspect it after a yr of riding and drill holes in the comp nut in an attempt to force oil into the hub area.
i did stop by the local HD dealer and pick up an old stock comp for springs to add one into my orig comp if the SE is messed up. there was quite a few SE comps in the metal bin i got the stock comp from. looked to be more SE comps laying in there then stock ones.
maybe a class action lawsuit will happen at sometime. i still have my receipt.
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Thread Starter
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 66,948
Likes: 4,573
From: TOAK western branch
theres a guy over at another harley site that designed and built that trough to funnel oil into the center of the comp. not sure if that is his work or did he go to harley with the fix and they took it over.
i have yet to take my SE Comp out and inspect it after a yr of riding and drill holes in the comp nut in an attempt to force oil into the hub area.
i did stop by the local HD dealer and pick up an old stock comp for springs to add one into my orig comp if the SE is messed up. there was quite a few SE comps in the metal bin i got the stock comp from. looked to be more SE comps laying in there then stock ones.
maybe a class action lawsuit will happen at sometime. i still have my receipt.
i have yet to take my SE Comp out and inspect it after a yr of riding and drill holes in the comp nut in an attempt to force oil into the hub area.
i did stop by the local HD dealer and pick up an old stock comp for springs to add one into my orig comp if the SE is messed up. there was quite a few SE comps in the metal bin i got the stock comp from. looked to be more SE comps laying in there then stock ones.
maybe a class action lawsuit will happen at sometime. i still have my receipt.
"We looked very hard at all types of ways to mechanically pump oil to things. This is a very trashy environment and any of thepump options we looked at would die in short order. Looked at filering it but now there is all that plumbing and a filter to get clogged up. We let that one go
As for the amount of rotation for easing the pressures on crank with a big hole drilled in it and are twisting and bendind. We were slam ed with activity both days at the Expo so was only able to visit with John and the guys at DarHorse a very brief time and look at their cushioned comp. these are great folks and I admire the business they have built. They produce a fabulous work product we all envy. John would be the one to provide exact rotational degrees of their comp. what I saw was defiantly less rotation than the SE. John would be the one to explain from an engineering view how it will do what the SE does to save the crank. They have more to do in the development for sure. The quality of the machining was second to none. I for one am very glade to see us all starting to have options now no thanks to the MoCo. I can for sure from all my failure appreciate wanting to just trash the SE and never look at one again. That I get!! Once you have the SE working as it was meant to you soon get a much better feel for it. Ron and I wanted to develop and test over and over again to get it right and when thought we were there we pushed to make it even better add some 40,000 miles of highway testing and Steve at GMR with hours and hours with it on the Dyno the quality and reliability comes through. Priced up there yes but unlike the big shops we just don't have the resources at hand they do and the production cost are what drives the retail. We are 2 guys working out of pocket from our savings we can't price it low up front and ramp it up on the back end to cover loses on the front end. Keep in mind we have wives and lives not a big shop full of equipment and a staff to run it. It just is what it is.
What I do know is I am thrilled options are coming available for us all"
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Stage IV
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Wimberley Texas
Hello all;
Myself and a friend Ron developed our oil delivery system for the SE Comp. Many say it is a $500 funnel but that would be an uninformed assessment. It is so very much more than that. Yes oil has to be collected and redirected to critical points so one part a fancy funnel perhaps. It is what is done with the lubrication that matters. The SE Comp essentially runs dry and eats itself up. So after the engine starts centrifugal force clears any lubrication that may have dripped on the comp. You would think the oil being moved around by the components rotating would provide all the lubrication needed in all places. Not the case with this redesign of the primary in 2007 up. The comp simply runs dry of lubrication and it starts downhill the moment you start the engine. I personally have trashed 7 SE Comps in about 24 months. It started with my 2009 dresser when the stock unit went south in 10,000 miles. Then after several SE units I traded the dresser for my 2010 TriGlige. That had 4 SE units installed and I said enough was enough. The MoCo was offering no help so I set out to fix my issue for me. I had no idea how wide spread the problem was and as I searched for answers more and more folks asked for me to make them one. So with the help of my friend Ron we nailed it down. After almost 2 years of study and trial and error we have the failing SE comp as a thing of the past. I know more about metallurgy, fretting (all that red crap in there) and the dynamics of centrifugal force and all its applications in the issue and on and on and on. The are some grips about the cost but guys it is all based on the production costs and keeping our heads above water on it all. Remember 2 guys working out of pocket that just wanted to fix our bikes so they would be reliable and here we are in a new business venture so everyone can benefit from it and restore reliability to their bikes also. Our introduction at the V-Twin Expo was fabulous and we were very busy both days of the Expo and have far more standing orders than we expected. We hope to be able to order parts in larger volume now that we have a better idea of interest and be able to reduce the retail price but all the figures at volume production are not in just yet. Can't get into pictures and details then I cross that line on selling. Soon a GOOGLE search will give you all you want.
The great guys at DarkHorse will have their version out later this year and we all will have options we did not have last year and that is great.
Look at the pictures, the first is out of my Trike at 1,964 miles ridden stock. The next are with our oiler at over 12,000 miles. So now we have to ask ourselves just what is reliability worth anyway. Yes the bike should not be this way but it is. June 12th we leave for a bike trip to Alaska and the Artic circle some 13,000 miles and I have no, 0, none concerns about my comp getting me there and back without issue. I am done with failed comps.
Richard
Myself and a friend Ron developed our oil delivery system for the SE Comp. Many say it is a $500 funnel but that would be an uninformed assessment. It is so very much more than that. Yes oil has to be collected and redirected to critical points so one part a fancy funnel perhaps. It is what is done with the lubrication that matters. The SE Comp essentially runs dry and eats itself up. So after the engine starts centrifugal force clears any lubrication that may have dripped on the comp. You would think the oil being moved around by the components rotating would provide all the lubrication needed in all places. Not the case with this redesign of the primary in 2007 up. The comp simply runs dry of lubrication and it starts downhill the moment you start the engine. I personally have trashed 7 SE Comps in about 24 months. It started with my 2009 dresser when the stock unit went south in 10,000 miles. Then after several SE units I traded the dresser for my 2010 TriGlige. That had 4 SE units installed and I said enough was enough. The MoCo was offering no help so I set out to fix my issue for me. I had no idea how wide spread the problem was and as I searched for answers more and more folks asked for me to make them one. So with the help of my friend Ron we nailed it down. After almost 2 years of study and trial and error we have the failing SE comp as a thing of the past. I know more about metallurgy, fretting (all that red crap in there) and the dynamics of centrifugal force and all its applications in the issue and on and on and on. The are some grips about the cost but guys it is all based on the production costs and keeping our heads above water on it all. Remember 2 guys working out of pocket that just wanted to fix our bikes so they would be reliable and here we are in a new business venture so everyone can benefit from it and restore reliability to their bikes also. Our introduction at the V-Twin Expo was fabulous and we were very busy both days of the Expo and have far more standing orders than we expected. We hope to be able to order parts in larger volume now that we have a better idea of interest and be able to reduce the retail price but all the figures at volume production are not in just yet. Can't get into pictures and details then I cross that line on selling. Soon a GOOGLE search will give you all you want.
The great guys at DarkHorse will have their version out later this year and we all will have options we did not have last year and that is great.
Look at the pictures, the first is out of my Trike at 1,964 miles ridden stock. The next are with our oiler at over 12,000 miles. So now we have to ask ourselves just what is reliability worth anyway. Yes the bike should not be this way but it is. June 12th we leave for a bike trip to Alaska and the Artic circle some 13,000 miles and I have no, 0, none concerns about my comp getting me there and back without issue. I am done with failed comps.
Richard
Thread Starter
|
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 66,948
Likes: 4,573
From: TOAK western branch
Hello all;
Myself and a friend Ron developed our oil delivery system for the SE Comp. Many say it is a $500 funnel but that would be an uninformed assessment. It is so very much more than that. Yes oil has to be collected and redirected to critical points so one part a fancy funnel perhaps. It is what is done with the lubrication that matters. The SE Comp essentially runs dry and eats itself up. So after the engine starts centrifugal force clears any lubrication that may have dripped on the comp. You would think the oil being moved around by the components rotating would provide all the lubrication needed in all places. Not the case with this redesign of the primary in 2007 up. The comp simply runs dry of lubrication and it starts downhill the moment you start the engine. I personally have trashed 7 SE Comps in about 24 months. It started with my 2009 dresser when the stock unit went south in 10,000 miles. Then after several SE units I traded the dresser for my 2010 TriGlige. That had 4 SE units installed and I said enough was enough. The MoCo was offering no help so I set out to fix my issue for me. I had no idea how wide spread the problem was and as I searched for answers more and more folks asked for me to make them one. So with the help of my friend Ron we nailed it down. After almost 2 years of study and trial and error we have the failing SE comp as a thing of the past. I know more about metallurgy, fretting (all that red crap in there) and the dynamics of centrifugal force and all its applications in the issue and on and on and on. The are some grips about the cost but guys it is all based on the production costs and keeping our heads above water on it all. Remember 2 guys working out of pocket that just wanted to fix our bikes so they would be reliable and here we are in a new business venture so everyone can benefit from it and restore reliability to their bikes also. Our introduction at the V-Twin Expo was fabulous and we were very busy both days of the Expo and have far more standing orders than we expected. We hope to be able to order parts in larger volume now that we have a better idea of interest and be able to reduce the retail price but all the figures at volume production are not in just yet. Can't get into pictures and details then I cross that line on selling. Soon a GOOGLE search will give you all you want.
The great guys at DarkHorse will have their version out later this year and we all will have options we did not have last year and that is great.
Look at the pictures, the first is out of my Trike at 1,964 miles ridden stock. The next are with our oiler at over 12,000 miles. So now we have to ask ourselves just what is reliability worth anyway. Yes the bike should not be this way but it is. June 12th we leave for a bike trip to Alaska and the Artic circle some 13,000 miles and I have no, 0, none concerns about my comp getting me there and back without issue. I am done with failed comps.
Richard
Myself and a friend Ron developed our oil delivery system for the SE Comp. Many say it is a $500 funnel but that would be an uninformed assessment. It is so very much more than that. Yes oil has to be collected and redirected to critical points so one part a fancy funnel perhaps. It is what is done with the lubrication that matters. The SE Comp essentially runs dry and eats itself up. So after the engine starts centrifugal force clears any lubrication that may have dripped on the comp. You would think the oil being moved around by the components rotating would provide all the lubrication needed in all places. Not the case with this redesign of the primary in 2007 up. The comp simply runs dry of lubrication and it starts downhill the moment you start the engine. I personally have trashed 7 SE Comps in about 24 months. It started with my 2009 dresser when the stock unit went south in 10,000 miles. Then after several SE units I traded the dresser for my 2010 TriGlige. That had 4 SE units installed and I said enough was enough. The MoCo was offering no help so I set out to fix my issue for me. I had no idea how wide spread the problem was and as I searched for answers more and more folks asked for me to make them one. So with the help of my friend Ron we nailed it down. After almost 2 years of study and trial and error we have the failing SE comp as a thing of the past. I know more about metallurgy, fretting (all that red crap in there) and the dynamics of centrifugal force and all its applications in the issue and on and on and on. The are some grips about the cost but guys it is all based on the production costs and keeping our heads above water on it all. Remember 2 guys working out of pocket that just wanted to fix our bikes so they would be reliable and here we are in a new business venture so everyone can benefit from it and restore reliability to their bikes also. Our introduction at the V-Twin Expo was fabulous and we were very busy both days of the Expo and have far more standing orders than we expected. We hope to be able to order parts in larger volume now that we have a better idea of interest and be able to reduce the retail price but all the figures at volume production are not in just yet. Can't get into pictures and details then I cross that line on selling. Soon a GOOGLE search will give you all you want.
The great guys at DarkHorse will have their version out later this year and we all will have options we did not have last year and that is great.
Look at the pictures, the first is out of my Trike at 1,964 miles ridden stock. The next are with our oiler at over 12,000 miles. So now we have to ask ourselves just what is reliability worth anyway. Yes the bike should not be this way but it is. June 12th we leave for a bike trip to Alaska and the Artic circle some 13,000 miles and I have no, 0, none concerns about my comp getting me there and back without issue. I am done with failed comps.
Richard