I have an 05 Electra Glide that I bought second hand. Haven't had any motor or trans issues at all. Until I replaced the voltage regulator, which solved to check engine and battery lights from coming on. At the same time I changed trans oil to 75/90 gear oil.

My issue now, is it sounds like I have a bearing going out. I have had this bike a year and no major problems at all. It only has 34000 on it and 10000 of that is mine. Don't ride it real hard and a mechanic said it sounds like the noise is in the primary. Like something was rubbing or loose. Took apart and didn't find much of anything that would cause this noise. Looked real good and clean as well, no smell either.

I am wondering if anyone else has encountered this issue? Also, would a stator going bad create a sound like a bearing going south? Thanks for the help

 

Inner primary bearing. This seems to be a common failure on Harleys.

 

Thanks man. Sound doesn't really change when engaging or disengaging clutch, or shifting. Does get a little worse when RPM goes up. Whether riding or parked running. Not sure what it is. Guess I need a little more experience in trouble shooting sounds. First Harley and inexperience is taking its toll. Don't want to pay shop labor prices to diagnose. Will keep trying and asking questions. Thanks again.

 

Their is a chance it could just be the compensator nut come loose. It happened to my 06'. It's a one time use single use degree torque bolt. I just re tightened mine 30K ago and it's still okay. If it moves at all it's way too loose. I did buy another bolt for when I replace the stator, as the second one has just crapped on me. Buy the primary chain block to make it easy.
To add, a 20yr factory tech claims the last good year was 06' so keep what yu got




BoB

 

might wanna check inside your cam chest and look at lifters...

 

If it does it parked running in gear with the clutch pulled or neutral, it's probably just the hunting idle which is never even and this causes the crazy uneven grating of the compensator fingers. Especial hot at a red light. Perfectly normal since by now they are a little gauled. They are just a steel hardened casting. Run Formula + straight weight gear oil in there. Just ignore it. It will be doing the same at 60K. Mine is at 50K and has been doing it since new. Have had primary completely down due to alternator spline tore out.

 

Here`s a quick way to determine if the noise is a bad inner primary bearing:

Start engine, transmission in neutral, the sound will be there.
Pull in clutch lever and drop into first gear, if the sound abruptly stops, the inner primary bearing is most likely the culprit.

 

Thank you all for the replies. The sound doesn't change when I pull in the clutch, so I'm kind of ruling out the inner primary or even the outer primary. I haven't looked at the lifters, I haven't even pulled the cam cover yet I've been real busy. My compensate or nut was loose, and I tightened it but it didn't change the noise. Once I pull the cam covers I'm going to see if maybe the chain tensioner is wearing out and creating the noise. If that's not it I'll be going in a little deeper boys. Wish me luck and I will probably be back asking more questions LOL. Again thank you

 

If your compensator nut was loose, the only thing driving the alternator rotor was the Belville spring. If all you did was tighten the nut, you probably missed the spine gone. The face wears, and the sprocket moves over and the chain nips the sprocket since there is only .030 clearance for chain misalignment. What happened to mine. Mine then made an odd clicking noise in slow hard

left hand turns. .

 

Hey thanks man. I'm going to have to check that out and look at that real close. Somebody told me to just tighten it up it'll be okay, but I don't really have a lot of faith in this person's way of doing things. As inexperienced as I am, I didn't know any better. Now that you told me that and sent me a picture so, now I have something to look at I appreciate it brother. I really do need to get off my butt and get a book for this bike. I don't have a book and I feel like a moron a lot of times when I get on here asking some of the stupid questions that I've asked. The book to probably answer a lot of them