Well, this is the final update for this problem. Just in case this happens to somebody else. After I finished my break-in mileage, I took a ride to nice long, straight stretch of road and ran it wide open for little bit. It kept nagging me that this may be a breather valve problem. With it being a rubber diaphragm in the head, I thought that with the backfire in the throttle body, maybe it screwed it up or knocked it loose and was allowing oil to settle in the breather tube until the next start up. Well with the low speeds for the break-in period, I thought that the diaphragm may not be seating and maybe there hasn't been enough pressure the head to correct it. So once I got to 500 miles I wrung the hell out of the motor. Well, the damn thing hasn't smoked since. So the only thing I accomplished at the dealer was getting pissed off at the service manager, because he was making it out to be nothing, because "all Harleys smoke on start-up" (his words).

Thanks for the help, info and advice. Ride safe........


Bill

 

HAHAHAHAHAHA....not once.....

 

Thats the typical dealer response to just about anything, you could tell them that the wheels were square and the response would be " all Harley wheels are square"

 

Well, it's been a while since I update this thread for the problems with my bike. I took the bike back to the dealer last week for the 2500 service. I was SHOCKED!! The service manager has been replaced (aka FIRED his a$$). Imagine that, don't listen to enough of your customers and treat them like they don't know what they are talking about and look at what you get.

The new SM look at my detailed (1 page, front and back, type on computer with dates, mileage, times etc) list of problems and complaints about the way this bike runs and the smoking issue. They completed the 2500 service, replaced the front motor mount, replaced ignition switch (recall 0900) and ran several tests (compression, leak down, etc). I get a call on Saturday to pick up the bike because the SM wants to talk to corporate after the July 4 holiday. Get the call today to bring the bike back in. They are going to check for sumpin. Several others here have had issues with the o-ring, on oil return side, being cut during installation or being installed incorrectly, causing the crank case to fill up and it keeps the bike from getting past certain speeds/rpms. They think mine might be that the o-ring is not seated correctly causing mine to run fine some times (free spin to 5500+rpm and haul a$$) and sumpin at others (sluggish and barely making it over 3500 rpm)....just like I explained to the old service manager on the 1000 mile tune up. I also think that was the same time he told me all Harleys smoke. They also had low numbers on the compression/leak down and they are going to redo the top end and look for other causes of the intermittent smoking. Which I found out was the front cylinder only, after installing the V&H Dresser Duals. I thought the smoking was corrected, but it started doing it again about once every 2-3 weeks. Hopefully they get that corrected also. This SM is still balking at the 25 degree injectors. He don't think I'm having the common issues that requires their replacement. He wants to wait and see how it runs after all this other work, before tackling any unknown issues. Which I can understand.

So if all goes well, the bike will run like I know it's capable of and i can get some more quality riding time in.... Can't wait.

 

I have a new RG with only about 300 miles on it and it doesn't smoke. Haven't really cranked it up over 3K but it seems like it should be able to quite easy.

 

Well chalk up another o-ring problem on the 06 models. Just talked to the dealer about getting the bike back. The problem they found was a cut o-ring on the return side of the oil pump. This causes the crank case to fill up with oil and the bike runs sluggish. They also think this was the reason the bike smoked intermittently since there was no problems found in the top end. This was also the reason the bike was putting out more engine heat than either of my previous TC88s. Hopefully I'll get the call tomorrow to pick it up so I can enjoy the bike running the way it's supposed to.

 

Would the oil build up in the crank case cause a lack of oil in essential parts of the engine? Knowing this now, I would think the smoking would have been caused by oil blow-by on the rings during down strokes.

 

Not sure. At first (370 miles) it smoked on every 3 of 4 starts, just one big ploom of smoke. Never smoked while running. Then after I wrung it out at 500 miles, it only smoked once every 2-3 weeks. Same thing, one big ploom at start up, then nothing for 2-3 weeks. The whole problem was the idiot service manager not listening or caring. Now they have a service manager that is taking care of the customers and getting stuff done. Under the new SM they went from 2-3 weeks before available appointments to almost getting you in the day you call. For my 2500 service I called at 2300 miles because I was expecting to wait 2-3 weeks. I almost fainted when they said, how about tomorrow? So I waited till closer to 2500 miles and called again on a Friday...again they said how about tomorrow? Had it there that night, told them my problems, learned of new SM.

I called today and asked about this issues causing any damage to anything. They said they had the top end apart and did not see any heat or lack of oil damage or they would replace anything that didn't look right. Although, my sluggish drivability problem was intermittent and the heat management was keeping any heat related problems at bay.

 

Well, hopefully this is the final update for my saga. Got the bike back today and it runs like a scalded monkey..... Although I couldn't run it too hard since I had a lot of work done and have to go through the break-in process again for the top end. The end result is a bike that is running great and would have probably given my lighter 01 FXD (Ness big sucker, hooker stepped tuned pipes and HSR42 w/ yost power tube) a run for the money. I was just hoping for something equivalent to the performance of my previous two TC88s. Since the bike never ran correctly from day one I can only compare it to the modified FXD and it’s nice (if not better), even for a bike weighing 146 pound more. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole trip home. Here was their list of fixes:

1. Recondition top end: deglazed cylinders, new piston rings, and replaced valve seals
2. Replaced oil pump o-rings and top end gaskets

Well, time to get dressed and go for a long ride……………….


Ride safe

 

Forgot to mention the initial cause of the smoke from the front cylinder. The front cylinder's piston ring gaps were lining up. When they pulled the top end apart they documented and took photos of this problem on the front cylinder. I think this was one of the reasons they ended up replacing the rings. Supposedly the rings spin and to prevent them from lining up you triangulate the ring gaps so they will not line up. Both of these problems, sumping and intermittent smoke, on an 06 model was the first time this dealership encountered it. It still doesn't excuse the fact that the first service manager was an a$$hole. The sumping problem was a very simple check...pull the crank case plug and check for 7 ounces of fluid. They removed 1.5 quarts....48 ounces. If more than 7oz then there is a problem with the return side, check the oil pump return side o-rings.

Well, the bike runs GREAT. A little decel popping, but I think I'll deal with it, or put the PCIII on with a zero map and increased fuel in the areas to take out the popping.


Ride Safe