Engine Vibration
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 35
Likes: 1
From: Ontario
Engine Vibration
Bought 2007 FLHX december 2006 .At 1500 miles it started vibrating .Took it to Freedom Harley in Ottawa ,got BS it was normal .Said goodbuy.Went to Boutin Harley in Valleyfield . They agreed there was a problem.Over the course of a month they checked everything , alignment,steering bearings,belt tention,swingarm nuts,changed every mount,stabiliser,they went by the book. No change. I suspected the crank from the begining .On acceleration ,I would feel every torque pulse in the bike. My hands and feet were numb after half hour of riding and it gradually got worse.My feet were bouncing on the boards. At about 3500 miles ,I convinced Deely and Boutin to open cam side and indicate end of pinion shaft. Runout was .0055".Deely said normal ,closed cam cover ,sent me home. I got pissed and pulled flywheel assembly out myself next morning.Put in my lathe (I own a machine shop). The pinion shaft had .0055" runout ,the drive side had .009" runout, on opposite side ,meaning the flywheels were twisted or scissored around the crankpin.After two months of many calls to Milwaukee(Thanks Carol) many calls to Deeley Concord(No thanks) I got a new flywheel assembly, and my bike is back to normal.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,306
Likes: 5
From: Bellville, Tx
RE: Engine Vibration
Hi! I'm a 47 knuckle babyboomer too, actually had one in the '70s and curse the day I sold it! Glad you got that flywheel problem sorted out. Put together flywheels on my knuck and wasn't satisfied til all dialed in to .001" at all points, ran real smooth, balanced it myself having access to a huge lathe at work to work with. Got into drag racing with a friend who was running top gas. He would true 'em up and when satisfied would weld the whole crank assembly together, real bulletproof.
Welcome to the forum, it's a strange world
!
Welcome to the forum, it's a strange world
!
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Engine Vibration
Thanks for the info....I have noticed if you have real problems beyond the little things like a visible issue the dealers can`t diagnose anything.
They try to tell you it`s normal and blow you off. I bought an 08 Ultra, took it home and found the front end pointed to the right while riding. I took it to the dealer and they said it looks straight to me. I told them you need to ride it to see it. So they started spewing statements that H-D has spec and that it was within spec. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
So I took it home and started tweaking the drive-line alignment after reading info in the manual and found it to be way off to the right from the factory...So much for there high priced PDI work...F-N dealers are A$$holes.
Glade to hear you got it handled, but I`m afraid if you didn`t do it yourself you would never have had it corrected.
They try to tell you it`s normal and blow you off. I bought an 08 Ultra, took it home and found the front end pointed to the right while riding. I took it to the dealer and they said it looks straight to me. I told them you need to ride it to see it. So they started spewing statements that H-D has spec and that it was within spec. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
So I took it home and started tweaking the drive-line alignment after reading info in the manual and found it to be way off to the right from the factory...So much for there high priced PDI work...F-N dealers are A$$holes.
Glade to hear you got it handled, but I`m afraid if you didn`t do it yourself you would never have had it corrected.
Novice
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Engine Vibration
This is interesting, I also have vibration on my bike. 2007 RKC. I took it to the dealer and they said it was normal also. I didnt have vibration when it was new or for the first 1000 miles. I never own a harley before so what do i know I thought. I do know that something doesnt feel right and I am tired of the dealer telling me it is normal. There is 2 Harley Dealers in my area and they are both owned by the same fella. I almost feel helpless!
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 35
Likes: 1
From: Ontario
RE: Engine Vibration
Keep trying different dealers,call Milwaukee,raise hell,the squeaky wheel eventually gets greased.I understand not everyone can dismantle their engine,but the tech services in Milwaukee admited to me that Harley had some problems with twisted 2007 flywheels.The engine will run a very long time with a bad crank, but the rider's *** may not.Whole body vibration is an important health issue,it has been proven to affect the heart,spine, and digestive system.Harley specifies .002" runout on new flywheels and .003" runout wear limits on used cranks.If you can get a dealer to open up the cam gearcase and if you have more than .003" runout on the end of pinion shaft where it turns in cam support plate bushing, you have a bad crank assembly.On my engine I also put a flat anviled dial indicatoron the splined end of the crank where the comp sprocket sits.(after removing sprocket, chain and clutch).It had .009" runout at that point.If you feel your bike is not as smooth as when new,do not let them BS you.It is not normal for a new Harley touring to vibrate uncomfortably above 2000RPM Note ;( Mine was also vibrating more at idle than my friend's 2007 Ultra Classic)
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,515
Likes: 6
From:
RE: Engine Vibration
Glad you clarified that what you did, You removed motor and completly tore it down and split cases's to get to the flywheel crank assembly. I guess very few of us could or would try and do this ourselves. Harley will take action if you press them, another forum member just got his engine replaced for similar issues.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Engine Vibration
I'm the member with the 30,000 mile 9 1/2 month old
2007 Ultra that the crank went out on. I traded it off
broken for a new 2007 Ultra because Harley took over
a month to put a new engine in it.
Lets make this crank deal real clear for everyone.
#1 My Ultra had a vibration in it from day one BUT"
heres the big BUT" it only vibrated in left hand turns
and only while leaned over on throttle. No HD tech
at 10 shops I took it to could feel what I was telling
them.
(or aleast they were not admiting to what they felt) [&o]
I've been a motorcycle tech (Japanese bikes) all my life
over 40 years, I factory road raced as well and was an
R&D rider because I have a great feel for what any
motorcycle I'm riding is doing (right or wrong) just so
you know a bit of my back round.
#2 My clutch lever would pop out to the mounting
pertch when I closed the throttle from day one also.
Again 10 HD dealers said it wasn't doing it! [&o]
Heres what it did: You eccelerate through a couple
of gears and leave your fingers lightly on the clutch
lever. While your under ecceleration (say in third gear)
and close the throttle quickly you could feel the clutch
lever pop out back to the pertch mount, if you did it hard
enough IE: (high load then snap the throttle closed)
you could hear it make a poping sound it hit the mounting
pertch so hard. (guess what?) my new Ultra does this also! [:'(]
#3 The day the Ultra started to vibrate badly as I was
coming out of a corner in the mountains it vibrated so
bad it would hurt your face,teeth,feet,knees,wrists,fingers
to the point it would make you cry (I kid you not) [:@][&o]
I took it straight to a HD dealer in the mountains close
by and 3 techs rode it and said it rode and ran like every
other 2007 Ultra! (yeah right") [:'(]
So Irodeit home 180 miles which hurt very,very badly
to do and when 5 techs rode it 4 said it was running
normal for a 2007 Ultra and (1) tech said it was vibrating
it's azz off so hard it hurt him! (BINGO) someone had a
little bit of feel for what a motorcycle was doing under
them besides me!
That is when with many calls to Harley
they let him take it a part to look at it. The end play of the
crank was .060 and the max service limit was .010 with
normal being .03 to .06...... Harley said do not touch the
engine they were sending out a new one. They knew the
problem and said it was in the early production 07's
which mine was a first run 07. Harley still insists that the
clutch lever problem is NOT THERE not even on my new
one. I've rode two other 07 Ultras and they do not have
the clutch lever poping problem so I know it is not suppose
to be there.. [:@][:'(][&o]
Until I can find a tech willing to argue this clutch case to
Harley for me I'll just have to wait for something to break
like I did my crank in my first 07 Ultra!
[&o]
My advice to anyone who rides enough to have a good
[b][i]
2007 Ultra that the crank went out on. I traded it off
broken for a new 2007 Ultra because Harley took over
a month to put a new engine in it.
Lets make this crank deal real clear for everyone.
#1 My Ultra had a vibration in it from day one BUT"
heres the big BUT" it only vibrated in left hand turns
and only while leaned over on throttle. No HD tech
at 10 shops I took it to could feel what I was telling
them.
(or aleast they were not admiting to what they felt) [&o]
I've been a motorcycle tech (Japanese bikes) all my life
over 40 years, I factory road raced as well and was an
R&D rider because I have a great feel for what any
motorcycle I'm riding is doing (right or wrong) just so
you know a bit of my back round.
#2 My clutch lever would pop out to the mounting
pertch when I closed the throttle from day one also.
Again 10 HD dealers said it wasn't doing it! [&o]
Heres what it did: You eccelerate through a couple
of gears and leave your fingers lightly on the clutch
lever. While your under ecceleration (say in third gear)
and close the throttle quickly you could feel the clutch
lever pop out back to the pertch mount, if you did it hard
enough IE: (high load then snap the throttle closed)
you could hear it make a poping sound it hit the mounting
pertch so hard. (guess what?) my new Ultra does this also! [:'(]
#3 The day the Ultra started to vibrate badly as I was
coming out of a corner in the mountains it vibrated so
bad it would hurt your face,teeth,feet,knees,wrists,fingers
to the point it would make you cry (I kid you not) [:@][&o]
I took it straight to a HD dealer in the mountains close
by and 3 techs rode it and said it rode and ran like every
other 2007 Ultra! (yeah right") [:'(]
So Irodeit home 180 miles which hurt very,very badly
to do and when 5 techs rode it 4 said it was running
normal for a 2007 Ultra and (1) tech said it was vibrating
it's azz off so hard it hurt him! (BINGO) someone had a
little bit of feel for what a motorcycle was doing under
them besides me!
That is when with many calls to Harley they let him take it a part to look at it. The end play of the
crank was .060 and the max service limit was .010 with
normal being .03 to .06...... Harley said do not touch the
engine they were sending out a new one. They knew the
problem and said it was in the early production 07's
which mine was a first run 07. Harley still insists that the
clutch lever problem is NOT THERE not even on my new
one. I've rode two other 07 Ultras and they do not have
the clutch lever poping problem so I know it is not suppose
to be there.. [:@][:'(][&o]
Until I can find a tech willing to argue this clutch case to
Harley for me I'll just have to wait for something to break
like I did my crank in my first 07 Ultra!
[&o] My advice to anyone who rides enough to have a good
[b][i]
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Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 35
Likes: 1
From: Ontario
RE: Engine Vibration
Thanks for the info. When the MOCO finally agreed to replace my flywheel assembly on warranty, they said it would take a month to supply because part was back-ordered. Boutin Harley went on line and found a crank sitting on the shelf in Edmonton Alberta.This kind of dealer you don't often find.Also when I rode into their shop with my vibe problem, it was the first time I was ever at their shop.
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Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 35
Likes: 1
From: Ontario
RE: Engine Vibration
I checked the new H-D crank I got and every reading was under .001" Here is a bit of info that may interest you.I used a vibration meter on my crankcase when I had bad vibes.At 3000 rpm,the reading was 5.8 inches per second.I checked two other touring 2007 and they read under 4 in/sec .Now my engine reads 3.8 in/sec. at 3000 rpm.On the floorboard the1000 rpm reading was 2.8 in/sec. before. Now it's1.6 in/sec.Here is the interesring part, I put the meter on my buddy's 1959 Duo Glide Panhead ,we could not get that engine to read more than 1.5 in/sec.For the owners who complain about clatter, gear noise,etc.on 2007 bikes, you should hear the noises coming out of this bike and he still keeps up to me on long rides. My 1947 is still burning up the road.I will bet most guys who complain about drive train noise have spent 2 to 3 grand on pipes and audio to make even more noise.
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 254
Likes: 1
From: The Republic of Texas!
RE: Engine Vibration
I have a similiar issue. https://www.hdforums.com/m_2093681/tm.htm
What is this vib meter and where can I get one? At least it is something that I can take to a dealer and say "look at the reading on my bike and compare it to another one..."
What is this vib meter and where can I get one? At least it is something that I can take to a dealer and say "look at the reading on my bike and compare it to another one..."