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Novellterminator
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 02:37 pm: | 
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Let me first say, I know almost nothing about cars or motorcycles. This is my first bike, and it's my only mode of transportation so I ride it all the time. Since I'm new to mechanics, feel free to point out things that should be a no-brainer; I won't take any offense.
Let me start out by saying: I've had low oil on my Buell for about a week. I had to ride it, but was saving up for a professional oil change. It was to the point where the dipstick didn't show any oil on it whatsoever, so I took my last $25 and attempted to do it myself. I asked one of the mechanics at Pepboys, and another mechanic at the HD dealership to double check.
They both told me to drain the oil from the bolt above the exhaust on the left, closest to the the back wheel. I later found out it was just the tube behind the metal-bar-where-you-rest-your-leg-on (excuse my lack of vocabulary). However, the bolt that I took off still drained a lot of oil, and one of the mechanics said that most of the oil could be drained that way anyway.
I then changed the oil filter. It was simple enough and I know I did everything right there.
Since I wasn't aware that I hadn't drained ALL the oil, I put too much oil into the bike. I was really tired so I decided I'd drain the rest the next day. However, when I woke up, I forgot about the extra oil and tried to start the bike; It wouldn't start. The lights turned on, but when it was trying to fire up, it was just attempt and never "come alive".
So I remember and drained extra oil out (this time from the proper area), and the bike STILL wouldn't start. I tried starting it periodically throughout the day, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and one time it even smoked a tiny bit (at that point, I didn't attempt as often; only when I did something which I thought would fix it (and it only smoked a bit once, it doesn't smoke anymore)).
My friend told me some oil could have leaked and gotten on the spark-plug, so I took that out and checked it; it wasn't oily nor greasy, so I figured that wasn't the problem. Another friend told me it might be the battery and I'm going to take the battery in today and get it tested.
Sorry for the 5-page essay; I just wanted to make sure you knew all the details. Do you guys have any suggestions as to what the problem might be? (When the bike tries to start, the lights dim a bit and it clicks sometimes).
Oh, and I'm using Screaming Eagle Syn3 oil.
Any help is MUCH appreciated!
Derek |
Bomber
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 04:42 pm: |
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Derek -- this one's a toughie -- check:
the kill switch (don't ask how I know)
the petcock (it's on, yes?)
if both of those are OK, get a mechanically inclined buddy to help check that the spark plug is getting juice, and sparking while the engine turns over --
there's nothing in the changing of oil, in and of itself, that'll keep the bike from running -- like all motors, it needs air (I'm assuming it's fine, as it was before you changed the oil), fuel (hence checking the petcock), and spark (kill switch)
let's us know how it goes -- it can be frustrating, but go slow, be methodical, take notes, and ask for help -- we all have |
Jlnance
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 07:15 pm: |
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DONT RIDE THE BIKE
The oil you drained out is the transmission fluid. You will ruin the transmission if you ride it w/o refilling it. You're lucky it wont start.  |
Jlnance
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 07:34 pm: |
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Welcome to Badweb.
I wanted to get that posted so you'd know not to ride until you get it fixed.
About 99% of all problems on the Blast are related to the manifold coupler which connects the carb to the intake manifold. It's a little rubber piece, and if it cracks, which it is prone to do, the bike will run eratically if at all. My first guess is you bumped it at some point and knocked it loose. It's a $7 part. Go ahead and put one one. They are good for about 5k miles, so if you have an 01 Blast it's due. I know Stone Mnt HD/Buell will have one. If you don't want to go over there, order one from DaveS at Appleton WI. He can mail it to you. (See sponsors portion of this board.)
Now, about the transmission fluid. It needed changing anyway, so it's not such a big deal that you drained it out. Unfortunately replacing it requires removing the left foot peg bracket, which is a royal PITA because the bolts are difficult to get to. Its one of those jobs thats much more fun with a knowlegable friend to help. Do you have one? Anyhow:
0 - Drain the transmission oil. But you already have.
1 - Remove the seat
2 - Remove the Battery
3 - under the seat on the left side are 3 nuts which old on the left foot peg bracket. Take the nuts off. You will need a socket wrench, an extension, and a universal joint. Cuss a lot. It helps.
4 - Remove the 3 T-27 Torx screws which hold the transmission inspection cover on. This is the cover that is right behind the left footpeg. You can get a T-27 torx driver from sears for about $4. Don't use a T-25, it will almost fit but strip the heads.
5 - Pour 1 quart of engine oil into the transmission through this hole. Syn-3 will work. I use Mobil1 15w50 car oil. It helps to have 2 people to do this so one of you can lean the bike over.
6 - Using a NEW GASKET put the inspection cover back on the transmission.
7 - Put the foot peg bracket back on. Cuss some more.
8 - Put the battery back in.
Pick up that new gasket when you get the carb boot.
You will need to drain out the engine oil again. Since you only drained the transmission fluid, it now contains both the old and new oil. It's way over full. As you discovered, the oil drains out the tubes connected to the rear swingarm.
Post back. We can walk you through this. |
Novellterminator
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 08:35 am: |
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Thanks for all the help so far, guys. Let me first say, before I read your posts, I asked a mechanic what the problem could be and he said it might be the battery. So, I took my battery in to get it tested and it doesn't have enough amps to start the bike, or something? He said it was possible for the lights to work fine but the battery not have enough amps to "fire it up". I bought the cheapest battery charger there and charged the battery all night. Then I attempted to start it again with no luck.
If what you're saying about the transmission fluid is true, Jim, it's a really good thing that my battery stopped working.
I'm not at home right now, but once I get home, I'm going to post pictures of the bolt I unscrewed to drain the oil, so we're 100% it's the transmission fluid before I begin the seemingly long and frustrating process of changing it.
Again, excuse my lack of knowledge: Is the transmission fluid oil too? When I loosened that bolt, a dirty/black oil-like substance came out. And if so, I can just use Screaming Eagle Syn3? I still have half a quart left; how much do you need to poor in?
I did eventually drain the extra oil from the correct area, but it was black, so I'm guessing I didn't get it all.
And finally, do you think that if the battery was working, the bike WOULD start, and it would just ruin it?
Again, I'm going to post pictures of everything I touched during the oil-change when I get home so there is no confusion.
I really appreciate the help, guys. |
Novellterminator
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 08:44 am: |
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OK, I think you're right Jim. I Googled "buell blast transmission oil" under Pictures and saw a picture of the screw I loosened. Is this site a good resource (ie compatible instructions for my model, 2001):
http://bcrider.com/blastrans.html
(I don't know if HTML coding works.)
Just to triple-check, here's a picture of bolt I loosened:
(It's the screw almost centered in the picture.)
<img>
(If that HTML code doesn't work, the picture can be found at: http://bcrider.com/photos/trans/102_0209sm.jpg) |
Novellterminator
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 08:49 am: |
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Uhh, also, I accidentally unscrewed the bolt to the left in that picture, and I screwed it in tighter than it is in that picture (because I didn't remember how it looked before I unscrewed it). That wouldn't be a problem, would it? It's screwed in enough that the end of the bolt is touching the nut. |
Jlnance
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 09:14 am: |
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I accidentally unscrewed the bolt to the left in that picture, and I screwed it in tighter than it is in that picture (because I didn't remember how it looked before I unscrewed it).
Well that would be the Primary Chain tension adjuster. That may be why your bike won't start. It's probably way too tight now and it may keep the engine from turning over.
It isn't particularly difficult to adjust the primary tension. Somewhere on here are some instructions for doing it w/o a torque wrench. You're in a little over your head aren't you? This stuff isn't difficult once you know how, but it's intimidating as hell the first time. I've been lucky enough to have people walk me through a lot of this. You might want to go over to here to the Atlanta area section of this board. See if you can find someone who is willing to come walk you through this. |
Novellterminator
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 10:13 am: |
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Can I just loosen the primary chain tension bolt to what it looks like in the picture, or do I have even MORE work to do now? T-T
(And what oil do I use for the transmission fluid?) |
Jlnance
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 10:54 am: |
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you can loosen it to get the bike started, but don't do that till you get the oil in there. Before you ride anywhere you will need to adjust it correctly. It's not difficult. |
Jlnance
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 10:54 am: |
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use engine oil for transmission fluid. |
Ezblast
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 11:42 am: |
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http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/201 64/20873.html?1149629567
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/201 64/20737.html?1155613013
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/201 64/20164.html
The top link will take you through the fluid changes, the second link will take you through the primary adjustment, and the third link will take you to the Thumper section where you can ask any questions and expect good answers - lol
GT - JBOTDS! EZ |
Norcal_blast
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 01:58 pm: |
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Novellterminator:
PM me with your mailing address and I will snail-mail you, free of charge, a shop manual for the Buell Blast.
The manual is just gathering dust here, my Blast got totalled by an inattentive truck driver over a year ago. |
Novellterminator
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 03:27 pm: |
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I can't talk long: really quick question. Even without transmission fluid, can I still turn the bike on to make sure that it is the primary chain tension (and thusly save money on a battery)?
It won't hurt the bike just to turn it on, will it? I won't be test driving it at all. |
Uwgriz
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 03:56 pm: |
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Don't worry about the battery for now. That's jumping to about step 15. Throw the battery on your charger and finish with the oil and adjusting the primary chain tensioner. I know you want to find out if it's good or not, but seriously, cross that bridge when you get to it. You don't need it for awhile anyway.
I don't mean to sound harsh, but you seem to have gotten into something more than what you realized so do yourself a favor, and take each step as it comes. You're fine, with the help here you'll be able to get it sorted out, as long as you take it slow and don't skip ahead (that's how this situation started, right?). Sounds like you're on a tight budget so all the more reason to relax and take things one at a time. To do otherwise often gets more expensive (hopefully you haven't damaged the tensioner due to previously skipped steps) and running an engine or transmission before adding oil is skipping quite a huge step and one that can get quite expensive.
(Message edited by uwgriz on January 11, 2007) |
Ezblast
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 07:34 pm: |
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Concur! |
Novellterminator
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 10:23 pm: |
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OK folks, just to keep you up-to-date, I re-replaced the oil; I took the left-foot-peg-leg-holder metal thing off...which took me about an hour an a half -- damn those inconveniently placed bolts!...and I ended up stopping for the night because two of the screws on the cap-where-you-poor-the-transmission-fluid-in where striped. Fortunately, my girlfriend's dad knows how to remove striped screws and got one of them out already. His power-drill wasn't fully charged so we have to wait until tomorrow to take the final screw out. And I'm sure that I know how to add new transmission fluid, thanks to that link Ezblast gave me!
So once I change the fluid, buy new screws, reattach the place where you rest your leg, and loosen the primary tension chain, I think I'll be able to go places *on my own* again 
I'll let you guys know how it all turns out and once again I must thank you all very much for all this help!! |
Tdiddy
| | Posted on Thursday, January 11, 2007 - 11:59 pm: |
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Believe it or not, This is the BEST way you can learn both how your motor works and how to work on it. You've tapped into a wealth of knowledge here. Go slow and don't skip any steps. You'll be riding in no time. |
Jlnance
| | Posted on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 07:38 am: |
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Derek, it's great to have some good news!
BTW, how many miles are on the bike?
There are three adjustments which affect the shifting of the bike. Those are the primary chain tension, the clutch cable, and the ball ramp on the clutch pack. You have to remove the inspection cover (cap-where-you-poor-the-transmission-fluid-in) to adjust the ball ramp, so as long as you're in there you might want to do it since removing the footpeg bracket (left-foot-peg-leg-holder metal thing) is such a PITA. The ball ramp is incredably easy to adjust (but the picture in the service manual is wrong so beware.)
1 - Loosen the clutch cable adjuster so that the cable has no tension.
2 - Turn the screw located behind the center of the inspection cover COUNTER CLOCKWISE until it stops turning freely.
3 - Back the screw out 1/4 turn CLOCKWISE.
Your ball ramp is now adjusted. You'll notice there is a spring loaded locking mechanism behind the inspection cover when you take it off. It keeps the adjuster screw from backing out. Don't forget to put this piece back in when you bolt it back together. Don't ask how I know to recomend this.
Now you will need to adjust the clutch cable. It should be adjusted so it has between 1/16 and 1/8 inch of slack. It helps to have 2 people so one can watch the slack and one can turn the nuts on the adjuster. I'm always the one watching the slack so I don't have detailed instructions I can pull out of my head. Does one of the links you have explain how to do this? |
Jlnance
| | Posted on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 07:47 am: |
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two of the screws on the cap-where-you-poor-the-transmission-fluid-in where striped.
Someone probably tried getting them out with a T-25.
Unfortunately T-27 is an uncommon size but T-25 is very common and almost fits. Lots torx sets don't even come with a T-27, so if someone buys one of these it looks like T-25 is the right size. It will strip the heads right out if you try and use one though.
Don't feel like you have to replace that screw with another torx. |
Novellterminator
| | Posted on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 10:34 am: |
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I did have the correct tool for it, fortunately. Too bad 2/3 of the screws were striped. I was thinking about replacing the screws with something else, maybe Phillips, but only if torxs are more likely to strip. Is that the case?
Since I don't have the battery in my bike ATM, I'll make a guess: it's between 6,000 - 7,000 miles.
The clutch has been making grinding noises occasionally when I put it in first, is that adjustable via the cable? The clutch is also really tight and used to tire me out quickly, especially in stop-go traffic, but I think I'm used to it now. Also, when beginning to accelerate from first, sometimes it'll make a clicking sound clearly audible even with the motorcycle accelerating. I can feel it a bit, too. |
Uwgriz
| | Posted on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 11:00 am: |
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Actually, torx bolts are less likely to strip (cam out) provided two very important things: 1 - the right tool is used and 2 - the tool is inserted straight. It's one of reasons they were invented. |
Neb25
| | Posted on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 11:01 am: |
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I like this thread. |
Norcal_blast
| | Posted on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 11:44 am: |
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"two of the screws on the cap-where-you-poor-the-transmission-fluid-in where striped"
LOL... first time I changed the transmission fluid I had to use an impact driver to get one of them out & before I put it back together I went ahead and heli-coiled all three
email me if you want that manual, it's pretty good with lots of pictures & drawings
tttom (at) mac.com |
Jlnance
| | Posted on Friday, January 12, 2007 - 01:21 pm: |
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Blast transmissions make grinding noises. It's normal.
Also, when beginning to accelerate from first, sometimes it'll make a clicking sound clearly audible even with the motorcycle accelerating. I can feel it a bit, too.
Put the bike in Neutral and roll it forwards. Does it click? If it does see if the noise is comming from a wheel bearing. |
Novellterminator
| | Posted on Saturday, January 13, 2007 - 06:45 pm: |
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OK, I put new transmission fluid in, new oil, charged the battery, loosened the primary chain tension, and started the bike successfully! I tried adjusting the primary chain tension while the bike was on, but I wasn't really good at hearing the change. Anyway, it works fine now!
I love you guys! Anything else I should check or watch out for? |
Jwhite601
| | Posted on Saturday, January 13, 2007 - 07:11 pm: |
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Yea, watch out for cars and animals, be safe,think ahead, and wear a helmet. And last but definitely not least HAVE FUN!! |
Jlnance
| | Posted on Monday, January 15, 2007 - 08:27 am: |
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Novel - Congrats on getting it running. If it doesn't shift well, it means the primary isn't adjusted properly, but you know how to do it now.
Go over to that link I sent you to the 3% (Atlanta) storm fronts group and introduce yourself. It's a very active group and you'll meet some good people over there. |
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My 2001 Buell Blast won't start after an oil change???