internal bearing fail
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Seasoned HDF Member
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From: NE Ohio
8-8, don't harsh my mellow just yet...
KTF
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From: poway
You remind me of the school who chases the boy she likes around the school yard kicking in shin to try and get his attention. By now you should realize, I don't share your feelings
I have checked runnot on a harley and discovered bad crank bearing when apart. For years cometic was seen as top choice. And as I said when I read the bulletin for harley to use up the bad seals, it really bittered me. Cometic was already using double lip seals before harley. So 20 years ago,OEM was not better. Maybe harley has caught up. Not saying I don't use them. But when ordering, I order cometic.
I don't think anything here is shocking. Many people like cometic. Also look at all the threads were people refuse to shop at a dealer. So no crazy talk here, like some people
I have checked runnot on a harley and discovered bad crank bearing when apart. For years cometic was seen as top choice. And as I said when I read the bulletin for harley to use up the bad seals, it really bittered me. Cometic was already using double lip seals before harley. So 20 years ago,OEM was not better. Maybe harley has caught up. Not saying I don't use them. But when ordering, I order cometic.
I don't think anything here is shocking. Many people like cometic. Also look at all the threads were people refuse to shop at a dealer. So no crazy talk here, like some people
What's runnot?
Seasoned HDF Member
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From: poway
Another example where you would get part from cometic, and dealers told to use up bad seals first
https://sportsterpedia.com/lib/exe/f...in:tsb1161.pdf
https://sportsterpedia.com/lib/exe/f...in:tsb1161.pdf
How do you know that the cometic seal is better than the old seal. It's probably the same..
Seasoned HDF Member
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From: backwoods
I am not there to hear it and pros said it wasn't. But I would sure be tempted to open the primary. Never had a loose one. Carry socket for it. But I thought there was hints and clunks as it came loose. If you do have to pull the engine, primary is coming off anyways.
It just seems such low mileage for something big.
The other biggie is tensioner pad shoes. Those failed at random intervals. And they are over 20 years old. It is hard to see the rear pad. Some claim they can with a dental mirror.
Last edited by Rounders; Jun 27, 2025 at 07:34 AM.
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From: poway
Probably now. Did you look at the two bulletins I linked from harleys. They say to use the old bad seals in inventory before going to the improved. Do you really want to buy from a company like that? Not saying I haven't. .
I am not there to hear it and pros said it wasn't. But I would sure be tempted to open the primary. Never had a loose one. Carry socket for it. But I thought there was hints and clunks as it came loose. If you do have to pull the engine, primary is coming off anyways.
It just seems such low mileage for something big.
The other biggie is tensioner pad shoes. Those failed at random intervals. And they are over 20 years old. It is hard to see the rear pad. Some claim they can with a dental mirror.
I am not there to hear it and pros said it wasn't. But I would sure be tempted to open the primary. Never had a loose one. Carry socket for it. But I thought there was hints and clunks as it came loose. If you do have to pull the engine, primary is coming off anyways.
It just seems such low mileage for something big.
The other biggie is tensioner pad shoes. Those failed at random intervals. And they are over 20 years old. It is hard to see the rear pad. Some claim they can with a dental mirror.
They are not bad seals.. The new seals are simply upgraded.. In fact the 12052A seal is now 12052B. Picked one up yesterday. They now appear to be Viton..
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From: backwoods
It will take awhile to leak, out of warranty. They will pay you to replace with the better seal.
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From: poway
I discovered these bulletins 20 years ago. Harley was doing single lip seals, cometic double. Back then the tranny shifter seals had high failure rates, as did mine. I put the cometic version in which out lasted the factory by a lot. But look at the mindset of Harley. Sell the customer the bad seal, before going to the better seal. My TC88 had leaks, and not just the stator.
It will take awhile to leak, out of warranty. They will pay you to replace with the better seal.
It will take awhile to leak, out of warranty. They will pay you to replace with the better seal.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
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From: backwoods
I am not saying I don't used harley. But I think people have forgot what the quality of harley seals was, and that they didn't care.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: poway
Huh? Cometic made the better seal first and than harley copied them or the rest of the industry. So the cometic was improved before harley was. But again, harley says to sell the customer $1 bad seal, until inventory is used up of bad ones.
I am not saying I don't used harley. But I think people have forgot what the quality of harley seals was, and that they didn't care.
I am not saying I don't used harley. But I think people have forgot what the quality of harley seals was, and that they didn't care.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,428
Likes: 3,713
From: backwoods
Another example where you would get part from cometic, and dealers told to use up bad seals first
https://sportsterpedia.com/lib/exe/f...in:tsb1161.pdf
https://sportsterpedia.com/lib/exe/f...in:tsb1161.pdf
Last edited by Rounders; Jun 27, 2025 at 11:38 AM.