We got home from our western trip with 5200 miles on my wife's TriGlide, which we bought while on the trip. So, it was time to do the 5000 mile service. The 1000 mile service was done by Dealer A while we were still on the road. When I pulled the spark plug on the rear cylinder, it broke free and came out easily like it should. The plug on the front cylinder broke loose and came out 2 or 3 turns, then jammed. I had warmed up the engine before changing the oil, but I thought maybe I should warm it up some more, just in case. So, I ran the plug back in and warmed it up. That helped, but it still got very sticky on the way out. Sure enough, the threads are galled. I can't see any cross-threading or stripping; they are just galled near the top of the thread. I have heard of this but never seen it.

I called my home dealer, Dealer B, and they said it sounds like a labor problem on the 1000 mile service, not warranty, so call Dealer A. So, I called Dealer A's service manager. He said he is not sure how they handle such things, and asked me to call back Tuesday to talk to his supervisor, who used to be the service manager. Dealer B service department says let's see if Dealer A will take care of it, and if they won't, we will call HD and try to get it handled. Possible fixes are put in an insert (about $65), or replace the head (about $500). I hate to see any work done on the engine, since it has been really good up to this point, even getting about 40 mpg and rising.

Anyway, I have to spend tomorrow modifying my trailer to carry the trike.

More later.

 

I hope they fix the problem for you. Years ago, I stripped out a spark plug working while it was too hot. I think they put in a heli coil. No problems with their fix.

 

I'm pretty sure it wasn't too hot when I pulled the plug. It had been an hour or more since I first warmed it up. The rear plug took about the right amount of torque to break loose, but the front one was very lightly seated. I probably should have just left it in, once I noticed that something was wrong, but I didn't. I, too have seen helicoils used a number of times, and I don't believe they have any problems.

When it first jammed, I said "This doesn't feel right." My wife was waxing both bikes at the time and said she thought it was no big deal until I called the dealer. At the mention of a $500 repair, she got really interested. That's OK, she dropped her wine glass while cooking supper and then knocked over her tea glass while eating, so she's cutting me some slack.

If the threads are just galled and not cross threaded, I wonder if chasing the threads with a tap would do the trick. Would still require removing the head, to chase them from the inside, I guess. I will mention this to the dealer when I take it in.

Do you have any thoughts on that?

 

https://www.hdforums.com/forum/5702609-post8.html

 

Thats a bummer, looks like I'll have to pull some plugs and see what my lot in life will be.

 

I pulled mine to get a read on the plugs the other day "before I get the catomdectomy" they both broke free real easy but the rear started getting tight about halfway out. I run it back in and sprayed some W-D on it and gently backed it out. I would also run it in then back it out a couple turns and repeat the process until it started turning easy toward the top. Not to over embellish, I could have probably backed them out without the extra care, they were not seizing up completely just starting to get a little tight at the top. They both come out fine and the went back in like new. I put some anti-seize on them and am glad I pulled them when I did. The 5000 mile pull may have been a different story.

FYI, the plugs were chalky white as I expected! A friend told me it was to early to tell with just around 1200 on the Trike but I know that is bull. My 03 Electra after the slipons and stage one with the dynojet kit in the carb was right on the money. The ceramic and tips were slightly reddish brown after the mods at the 1000 mark. I have done carb adjustments back in the day on auto engines and do a test drive and could see the results immediately.

Living dangerous and pulled an o2 sensor also, same story the end was chalky white! I predoaked it with W-D let it sit overnight and warmed it up the next day and pulled it after more W-D, it backed right out as I expected, steel acts different than those aluminum heads. The threads in the heads are the thinnist points subjected to that heat. Looking at how the threads are thinned down one can understand how the aluminum, even the alloyed aluminum in the heads are reaching melting temperature back away from the fuel stream. Everyone that wrenches has gauled or stripped a spark plug thread hole in an aluminum head, "Motorcycle or automotive" at some point. Most of mine were on plugs that had been in way over the service life of the plug. The rash of gauled or stipped out plug threads in the NEW 09-2010 heads only reinforces the beating those heads are taking from all that heat.

If we can't get them cooled down we can kiss any extended engine life goodbye.

It would be good to pull them while they are new and get some anti-seize lubricant on them.

 

I'll be pulling them and making sure they have anti-seize on. The dealer did the 1k service because it was free and I only have about 2,800 miles on it so I haven't had the need to pull them until this come about. I always put high temp anti-seize on before I put the plugs back in on all bikes I work on.

 

Since I just had my 10,000 mile service done yesterday and inspecting the plugs is part of the service I must assume that my plugs were pulled.

 

I take the trike in tomorrow to get the repair started.

I haven't made up my mind, but I think I may actually prefer to have a helicoil installed, rather than a new head. I have seen many aluminum heads galled. It has never happened to me before, even though I have had and worked on a number of motorcycles and three Corvairs. I think I remember reading that my Corvair Spyder head temperatures were well above 500 degrees. But, back then, we used to change the plugs in our cars every 2000 miles, or less. I just checked my anti-seize compound, and it says it is good up to 2000 degrees. Still, when I have removed a threaded item from an aluminum thread, even when I know it had anti-seize applied to it before, it often drags a little.

Anyway, I have never heard of a helicoil failure. It may be that the '09 and later models have finally gotten too hot for the plug threads in the heads to hold up, even with anti-seize compound, given the longer service intervals. I'm not anxious to go through this exercise again if one of my heads galls again when I am doing another service some time in the future. Or worse yet, have it happen at a dealership while on a trip, and have them refuse to pay for replacing or fixing the head.

In fact, I may see about having helicoils put in both heads.

 

I took mine 2010 ulta in for 1000 service nothing was said about plug at the time.Harley replace muffllers because it got so hot they were turning colors.Check sparket plug at about 1900 miles an found realr plug was frozen.OR head melted to plug
The chart on harley dealer wall said they check plugs at 1000 mile check up guess they forgot.But service mang.looked in his manual an said it wasnt on the list to check,so everyone better check there plugs themselves.