Hi all,
Our local HD dealership is overbooked by selling bikes, so I agreed to purchase HD consumables and do (all) the maintenance myself. I'm at the 1,000 miles mark so I gave special attention to any type of residue in the first oil change.
Well, the primary transmission oil when poured over a clean flat surface left 3 traces, one of which was a metallic powder. The magnet of the drain plug also had metal debris all around it.
My question: could this metal 'powder' come from the compensator material or is it related to the clutch plates?

 

It's a new tranny with the first 1,000 miles on it. It's gonna make a little metal that'll show up on that first oil change. I would worry about that. Pay attention at the 5K change and see if you notice anything different. My bet is it will look normal. Ride on.

 

The first 1000 miles Usually show More Metal and what you described is NORMAL as in they all do it..

That is one time this phrase FITS..
The wear parts in the Primary will give off little pieces of grey powder and very small flakes of metal... Mostly two places chain and clutch plates... The rest of the moving parts just enjoy the ride...

IF there is a LOT of mush and bigger shinny pieces of metal showing up on the service intervals then there is a problem starting...

USE a good synthetic oil in the primary,,, I use Redline MTL and have for years, Putting over 120,000 miles on An ORIGINAL clutch set up in my 2ooo FXDS Hot Rod..with 6 spd conversion..

In the Tyranny,, NOTHING but Redline Shockproof Heavy.. Never Ever ANY metal on the magnetic plug,,,Never Ever.

signed....REDHEAD

 

I have a 2010 fatboy Lo. My compensator bolt came loose at 187 miles. Quite upset but no damage to me or bike. Dealer fixed, no problem. Now have 12,000 miles and starting to make that noise again. Taking to dealer to check out as I'm getting ready for a long road trip. Luckily still under warranty. Glad to see all comments on the SE compensator. I'll question my dealer.

 

After several trips to my dealer (under Warrenty) for a noise in my engine, The starter started acting up. Gnashing teeth when starting. Upon investigation of the starter/ring gear damage, they found the compensator had been shimmed incorrectly at the factory. After nes starter, flywheel-clutch assby, Both primary gears and primary chain all is better.

 

That's totally weird - there's no shims on the compensator . . . still, I'm glad it's fixed.

 

I have an 09 EGC with 23300 miles on her. Started making grinding sounds when starting the other day. Any 2009 issues with the compensator?

 

Yep, you and me both. Its on my next winters to do list! I have NEVER, EVER, brought my bike to a dealer, and that in itself is extremely rare, where my bike did not come out with something wrong, the worst of which was a nice chip in the front of my tank, which I didn't notice till I got home.

 

I have an 2009 103ci RK Police and with just 2K miles on her she made an awful BANG! on start up. I didn't wait, and upgraded to the SE compensator myself.

It's been posted here before, but if you don't want to mess with taking off the inner case - and thereby inducing another problem/leak - you have to trim the inner case to get the stator cover out and SE compensator in.

Just super.

 

It only requires a hairs worth of inner primary internal material be removed. Very very miniscule.