Dreaded whirring-whining from drivetrain...
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Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 718
Likes: 1
From: Panama City, FL
Dreaded whirring-whining from drivetrain...
Here are the symptoms: Idling in neutral the sound is like something loose or rattlling. Pull clutch and put in 1st gear, the sound disappears. Then while pulling away you can hear a very distinct whining noise...this happens in all gears, so I'm certain it isn't the helical-cut 1st gear only.
Coasting to a stop the whirring sound continues until I completely stop.
Bike has 10,600 miles.
Any ideas? Inner primary bearing? A transmission output shaft bearing?
Thanks all.
Coasting to a stop the whirring sound continues until I completely stop.
Bike has 10,600 miles.
Any ideas? Inner primary bearing? A transmission output shaft bearing?
Thanks all.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,132
Likes: 25
From: NorCal
I had a similar issue with my bagger. Turned out it was a scored inner primary race and a wasted bearing. Rode it for 1000 miles that way. When I tore the bike apart I thought it was just a broken clutch basket (from doing burnouts) but the bearing was shot too....
Getting that race off the tranny shaft was not at all easy. Had to give up and take it to a shop to remove it. Their puller wouldn't do it either, even with a torch. They had to grind it and then use a puller.
Getting that race off the tranny shaft was not at all easy. Had to give up and take it to a shop to remove it. Their puller wouldn't do it either, even with a torch. They had to grind it and then use a puller.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
my ipb went out at 19,xxx miles. made a lot of noise until i pulled the clutch and dropped it into gear. at that time, bike was still under warranty, so dealership replaced it for me. 10,000 miles later, doing the same thing. only now, 90 days out of warranty. but, the dealership replaced it for me using dealership funds since it had only been 1 year and 10,000 miles since they last replaced it.
i'm hoping that this one doesn't go out in 10,000 miles too
i'm hoping that this one doesn't go out in 10,000 miles too
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City, MO
I just fixed this exact issue on my bike.
I probably did more than I had to, but to fix the symptom and the cause I recommend replacing the Inner primary bearing, the Main Drive Gear Bearing and replacing the stock automatic primary chain tensioner with the hayden M6.
I also completely rebuilt my transmission, but when I did I didn't find anything out of whack.
I firmly believe that the Automatic Tensioner is a terrible design and puts entirely too much strain on the drive train. This pulls the engine's output shaft and the transmission's input shaft together causing premature wear of the the IPB and DGB, it also leads to the scoring mentioned above. In extreme cases it can destroy the roller bearing on the engine's output shaft sending rollers flying into places rollers should never go.
There are some specialty tools required to do all of this, so you might want to have an indy shop do it for you. If you're out of warranty and/or they won't cover the work for free, don't pay the stealership to do it! The tools required will cost less than the labor you'd pay, so you might consider getting your hands dirty.
Check out Jim's USA or George's Garage for the specialty tools.
I probably did more than I had to, but to fix the symptom and the cause I recommend replacing the Inner primary bearing, the Main Drive Gear Bearing and replacing the stock automatic primary chain tensioner with the hayden M6.
I also completely rebuilt my transmission, but when I did I didn't find anything out of whack.
I firmly believe that the Automatic Tensioner is a terrible design and puts entirely too much strain on the drive train. This pulls the engine's output shaft and the transmission's input shaft together causing premature wear of the the IPB and DGB, it also leads to the scoring mentioned above. In extreme cases it can destroy the roller bearing on the engine's output shaft sending rollers flying into places rollers should never go.
There are some specialty tools required to do all of this, so you might want to have an indy shop do it for you. If you're out of warranty and/or they won't cover the work for free, don't pay the stealership to do it! The tools required will cost less than the labor you'd pay, so you might consider getting your hands dirty.
Check out Jim's USA or George's Garage for the specialty tools.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
you may want to search for that before you "I also completely rebuilt my transmission, but when I did I didn't find anything out of whack"
diagnosis is always the key and can only be done accurately in person.
all these sounds could be normal or adjustment needed or the fluid chosen
while a supporter of the hayden on my evos, the tensioner on my primary chain is fine--- 'cause i checked it.
checking primary chain tension should be part of oil change as would be belt tension and checking the brakes and all those other tasks
Mike
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 855
Likes: 1
From: Puyallup, WA
Same on mine...inner primary bearing. My bike was out of warranty. I called Harley headquarters and explained (nicely) my situation noting that this is a way too common orrurance for their bikes. They gave me a reference complaint # and told me to take it in to my local dealer to look at. When i took it to my dealer I told them I had contaced HD HQ. They looked at the bike, contaced HQ with my reference complaint # verifying it was indeed the inner primary bearing and they were given the go ahead to fix it. Did not cost me a dime. They called it something like a good faith repair, which sounds like code word for we should have recalled this but didnt so if you complain we will fix free.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 718
Likes: 1
From: Panama City, FL
Exact Symptoms
my ipb went out at 19,xxx miles. made a lot of noise until i pulled the clutch and dropped it into gear. at that time, bike was still under warranty, so dealership replaced it for me. 10,000 miles later, doing the same thing. only now, 90 days out of warranty. but, the dealership replaced it for me using dealership funds since it had only been 1 year and 10,000 miles since they last replaced it.
i'm hoping that this one doesn't go out in 10,000 miles too
i'm hoping that this one doesn't go out in 10,000 miles too
Thank you!
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Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,800
Likes: 307
From: Houston, Texas
My Road King made that noise around the same amount of miles. Whirring sound when idling in neutral and the whine until the Rineharts drowned it out. I had plenty of warranty left and since you always hear, "that's normal" I decided I'd just ride it until something broke. I have 91,000 miles on it now and am still waiting for something to break. Still original chain, tensioner and inner bearing.
Someone else mentioned the chain adjuster. I believe my issue was the whirring would appear after it tightened up a notch. The automatic adjuster is better than it's predecesor, but if you downshift or blip the throttle at just the wrong time in the wear period, the tensioner will ratchet up a notch a little sooner than it should and be too tight for a while until you wear some of it off. It would go away until it bumped up another notch and then it would come back for a little while. It quit coming back around 40,000.
Just my theory.
Good luck!
Someone else mentioned the chain adjuster. I believe my issue was the whirring would appear after it tightened up a notch. The automatic adjuster is better than it's predecesor, but if you downshift or blip the throttle at just the wrong time in the wear period, the tensioner will ratchet up a notch a little sooner than it should and be too tight for a while until you wear some of it off. It would go away until it bumped up another notch and then it would come back for a little while. It quit coming back around 40,000.
Just my theory.
Good luck!
Last edited by EdwardK; Sep 18, 2012 at 06:54 PM.
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Tourer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 496
Likes: 4
From: CT
its your ipb .. almost guaranteed ..
+1
Hayden tensioner was ordered after my IPB went out at 23k
I firmly believe that the Automatic Tensioner is a terrible design and puts entirely too much strain on the drive train. This pulls the engine's output shaft and the transmission's input shaft together causing premature wear of the the IPB and DGB, it also leads to the scoring mentioned above. In extreme cases it can destroy the roller bearing on the engine's output shaft sending rollers flying into places rollers should never go.
Hayden tensioner was ordered after my IPB went out at 23k
