| Author | Message | ||
     Dyerschaos |
on my ride today, heard a noise down low left side. later my engine light comes on (just trying to get back home). next my dash panel goes dead, 1 mile later the bike starts sputtering and dies! wont start just clicks like a dead battery, bump start, dies couple miles down the road, repeat 4-5 times just to get home!!! pushing suck's. put on the charger, accepts a full charge. starts right up (yea!) hear a scraping noise down low left side (damn!) prognosis? 2000 x1 17000 plus miles. any help would be greatly appriciated.....thanks.... | ||
| Jackbequick |
Down on the left, behind the front half of the primary cover, is the alternator stator and windings. The stator is sort of dish shaped, attached to the crankshaft, turns at engine speed and has magnets glued to the inside of it. Those pass very close to the windings (attached to side of crank case) and that generates an AC charging voltage. If a magnet broke or came loose that could be causing a noise and also affect the charging voltage. You should see about 14V DC across your battery posts with the engine running. With the engine stopped that will drop to about 12.5 to 13.5 Volts or so with the battery fully charged. Another potential noise maker down there is the primary chain adjuster, those have been known to fail and around 2000 is when they upgraded to an improved model. Either way, sounds like time to pull your primary cover and investigate. Lots of info in the KV on both the alternator and the adjuster. I wouldn't keep running it, that noise shouldn't be there and if there are any loose pieces in there it could be more expensive in the long run. Jack | ||
| Reepicheep |
Great description Jack. I would add that the factory torque spec for that crank nut where that stator sits is awfully low as well (and was later revised higher). I followed the original instructions to the letter and mine backed off. The noise you get is kind of a "ringing" with each power pulse in neutral or with the clutch pulled in, and you can make it go away if you drag the clutch a little. Lots of bad things can happen, I would not fire it up again until I pulled off the primary cover. You can then pull off the whole clutch assembly, stator assembly, and triple chain as a unit. You don't have to take the clutch apart. You need some crazy big sockets, and a big snap ring tool, but other then that no special tools. | ||
| Dyerschaos |
Hey thanks guy's, some helpful info! I guess its down for a while and I'm getting dirty. so what torque did you use on the stator? should loctite be used? | ||
| Jackbequick |
The nut holding the stator on (actually called the compensator nut) definitely wants to be cleaned up, degreased, and red Loctite applied. I think the torque on that us up around 240-260 ft/lbs now. I don't have a Buell any more but had the factory Service Manual when I had my M2 and found it was worth every penney I paid for it. The SM will pay for itself on this job alone if you're considering letting a shop do the work. Great details and photos, step by step processes, full specs for torque and Loctite use, etc. You'll want to make or buy a primary locking bar to pull the stator and clutch, and you'll need a couple of bigger sockets (1-1/8 and 1-3/16?), the clutch nut is a left hand thread, etc., etc. The KV will spell out most of the details. With the mileage on your S1 it is a good time to look at it all while you're in there. Some other potential failures in that area are the spring plate in the clutch pack, and a clip and some pins on the shift actuator(?). You can go to the newer metal primary gasket if you've not done that already too. You'll feel a lot better about it all when you're done and I'll bet the shifting and clutch action will be improved. I'm a competent home mechanic but had never touched a Buell or H-D engine when I dug into my M2. My feeling is that the Buells in general and the tubers in particular are great bikes for the home mechanic. Jack | ||
| Reepicheep |
If you have not replaced your primary tensioner shoe, have the updated one on hand (right next to the metal primary gasket) when you start the job as well. While you are in there, also consider crank seal replacement if the bike is getting up there in miles or years. | ||
| Dyerschaos |
up date! sheared all 4 bolts on primary sprocket, destroyed the stator and rotor OUCH! decided to let local shop do the work since i don't have the space to do it myself. so she's back on the road running real strong! BUT! now i think i have a crack in the oil tank!!! very small dripping from that area. anybody have an extra? | ||
| Blake |
Rather than a crack you may be seeing seepage from one of the penetrating fittings on the tank. Those are fixable. Buellistic wrote up a very good guide on the how to for such a repair. A quick search of the archives should yield a hit or two.  |
