Primary drive/ compensator
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 36
Likes: 29
From: Chatham, Ontario
resignation
Thanks Mr Hattitude.. You've given a great explanation of the evolution of this problem/issue.
Looks like my situation is that I have the last dinosaur that was just not capable of dealing with the torque and torsional shock that this engine produces.
Plus the fact that I've made power improvements with adding a tune and cams, and exhaust etc.
Looks like I've just got to spend the big dollars and upgrade the damn compensator now.
It's one of those upgrades that don't give any satisfaction of improvement of performance. Just an expensive repair.
Oh well- I love riding so much it's still ok with me.
thanks
D
Looks like my situation is that I have the last dinosaur that was just not capable of dealing with the torque and torsional shock that this engine produces.
Plus the fact that I've made power improvements with adding a tune and cams, and exhaust etc.
Looks like I've just got to spend the big dollars and upgrade the damn compensator now.
It's one of those upgrades that don't give any satisfaction of improvement of performance. Just an expensive repair.
Oh well- I love riding so much it's still ok with me.
thanks
D
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 17,145
Likes: 6,167
From: SE Michigan
Wondered about that. Battery is fairly old, but seems to crank just fine. However, the slack is very annoying and not the safest thing navigating turns and changing speed in traffic. I've ridden some buddies' bikes of the same vintage without the slack (or having far less) and it's soooo much nicer.
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 106
Likes: 29
From: SC
I had to replace my stator with a used one, due to the metal cage breaking. When I did, I added one additional spring to the pack, to take up tension. It was a night and day difference in how well the comp worked.
I think that is the failure point in them, just the springs getting weak.
I think that is the failure point in them, just the springs getting weak.
Club Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,689
Likes: 457
You might want to spend a little more and make an improvement instead of replacing the compensator with another one that will fail again with your performance upgrades. Youll have to replace your rotor with a newer version that doesnt have the spring pack welded on it as well but you also wont be replacing the compensator again.
https://www.fuelmotousa.com/i-238988...2FFLT%20MODELS
https://www.fuelmotousa.com/i-238988...2FFLT%20MODELS
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,143
Likes: 11,211
From: San Diego, CA
Thanks Mr Hattitude.. You've given a great explanation of the evolution of this problem/issue.
Looks like my situation is that I have the last dinosaur that was just not capable of dealing with the torque and torsional shock that this engine produces.
Plus the fact that I've made power improvements with adding a tune and cams, and exhaust etc.
Looks like I've just got to spend the big dollars and upgrade the damn compensator now.
It's one of those upgrades that don't give any satisfaction of improvement of performance. Just an expensive repair.
Oh well- I love riding so much it's still ok with me.
thanks
D
Looks like my situation is that I have the last dinosaur that was just not capable of dealing with the torque and torsional shock that this engine produces.
Plus the fact that I've made power improvements with adding a tune and cams, and exhaust etc.
Looks like I've just got to spend the big dollars and upgrade the damn compensator now.
It's one of those upgrades that don't give any satisfaction of improvement of performance. Just an expensive repair.
Oh well- I love riding so much it's still ok with me.
thanks
D
As mentioned by Keithhu, make sure to check out the other possible culprits, and do an actual diagnosis of the cause of your issue, before just throwing parts at it...
While you do have one of the suspect comps, the 2014+ comp, still has a quirk.. It may start to rattle at idle when the spring pack breaks in. If so, you need to remove the comp, measure the spring pack, and shim it, to get quiet performance..
If you should find your comp IS the problem, I would second skydude426's recommendation and go with the Dark Horse Man-O-War Motorsprocket... it is a simple but solid design, it can be serviced while still mounted on the bike, and I've read a lot of good reports about it on a tech forum I read.
Good luck with your wrenching...
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,597
Likes: 180
From: east texas
extra spring
I had to replace my stator with a used one, due to the metal cage breaking. When I did, I added one additional spring to the pack, to take up tension. It was a night and day difference in how well the comp worked.
I think that is the failure point in them, just the springs getting weak.
I think that is the failure point in them, just the springs getting weak.
I had to wait when fueling up until the "heat soak went away" or it would really act up.
After two packs were replaced, and busted starter ,I took a spring out of one and added it to another.
Been five years now , no failures
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,816
Likes: 1,320
From: Good roads, cold beer
I did the same, added one spring to the pack, my 03 with a 103 kit and screaming eagle heads banged a lot on startup.
I had to wait when fueling up until the "heat soak went away" or it would really act up.
After two packs were replaced, and busted starter ,I took a spring out of one and added it to another.
Been five years now , no failures
I had to wait when fueling up until the "heat soak went away" or it would really act up.
After two packs were replaced, and busted starter ,I took a spring out of one and added it to another.
Been five years now , no failures
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 122
Likes: 35
From: Munich, Germany
I did a ton of research on how to give some additional preload to the spring pack, but.....there is no shim for the old comp-style (07-11).
So, I added another spring to the stack, as heybaylor and Bulrid8 did.
So, I added another spring to the stack, as heybaylor and Bulrid8 did.
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