| Author | Message | ||
     Lllbmanlll |
I was out riding and noticed my clutch wasn't disengaging correctly. I could have the clutch lever pulled in all the way and the bike still wanted to go. I was thinking that maybe the clutch cable was going bad, stretched or possibly came out of adjustment suddenly. I managed to get her home and this is what I found when I removed the clutch cover and ball ramp assembly.  It turns out that the part of the Primary Case the ball ramp assembly rests on when you pull the clutch has cracked and broke. I've done some research and found other badweb members with the same problem. I even found a fix. Link for the fix: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/3842/282980.html Is this a common problem? How many of you had the same issue? | ||
| Ebuella_virus |
It happened to me. I ended up getting another case. Sucked. | ||
| Sparky |
How do you think this happened? Did you ever find the broken off parts? | ||
| Lllbmanlll |
I don't think there was anything that caused this. It just seems to me that it's a weak point. The lip that cracked and broke is very thin. The part that broke off was just laying inside and had some scratches on it from the clutch assembly. I'm glad it didn't get sucked in. The picture I posted above was actually from the fix link just edited some. (Thanks Obiewan BTW) But the strange thing is mine looks exactly like it with the whole lip broken on the same side. The small piece that's missing on Obiewan's was only cracked on mine but ready to fall off. I called the local HD-Buell shop today and found out what the damage will be. It's $220 for the Primary cover plus I guess I'll need to buy a gasket too. Maybe I'll wait till valentines day and see if they'll have any kind of discounts going on. | ||
| Sparky |
If the lip is still attached, why not get it and the other one heli-arc welded from the back side? I would think that would provide a great deal of reinforcement for that area. Probably be a lot less than $220. | ||
| Ducxl |
Mine went and broke last Summer.My wife and i were out riding Connecticut.SHE was on the XB when it broke.She cried for an hour on the side of the road(and crapped in the woods she was so upset) until i could convince her she really COULD ride my Ducati while i rode the broken XB home. She smiled ear to ear on the Duc once she realised it was no different(NOT speaking powerwise) than the XB. I had fun at stoplights. NOW>>>>>I bought a new primary cover to replace the broken one. My thoughts about WHY it can happen>>>> I KNEW i had run the throwout bearing adjustment TIGHT.You're supposed to "seat" the screw then back off a quarter to a half turn. I didn't back it off.I didn't because i thought i could get just a little MORE throw. I thought i wanted a little more throw because sometimes at COLD start-up,dropping into gear is a grinding noise. Actually,the grinding noise "may" have been due to too much primary fluid,or sticky plates when cold. Bottom line....I think it is caused by TOO TIGHT a clutch adjustment.I paid the $185 after 10% discount from Precision Harley-Davidson(sponsors here). The lip that breaks away is NOT meant to be loaded. | ||
| Ustorque |
nice explanation Greg  i remembered it happening but couldn't put it into words. | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
Yea nice one Greg. I had it happen to me also, I did exactly as Greg for the same reason....  Too Funny! Live and learn~ | ||
| 03worc9r |
I haven't had a problem yet due to learning from the idiots I ride with.  | ||
| Damnut |
I hear ya.   | ||
| Ustorque |
holy huge logo!!!!   | ||
| Nillaice |
i noticed some slop/excessive mechanical clearance around the clutch ball ramp when i changed my primary fluids. kinda makes me wonder if i should do this fix before i am left stuck in 3rd gear... | ||
| Lllbmanlll |
Great story Greg.  I agree that the lip should not have a constant load on it. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the lip does take the load of the ball ramp assembly while the clutch lever is being pulled. If everything is adjusted correctly, and I'm 99% sure everything was on my Buell, this really shouldn't have happend. I know that nothing is indestructable on these bikes and that things just break from time to time too. It does just seem like this is a weak point in the design to me. As mentioned in the fix link this may have something to do with why they went to a softer clutch spring in 06. (Message edited by lllbmanlll on February 11, 2009) | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
Why is that guy peeing on the horse head ??? | ||
| Andymnelson |
lol! | ||
| Ducxl |
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the lip does take the load of the ball ramp assembly while the clutch lever is being pulled. When you pull in the clutch lever the ball and ramp mechanism,uhh,rides up the ramp opening up the gap and PUSHES the throwout bearing INWARD.The pressure exerted is towards the outside of the primary cover.Not the INside where the lip is. This XB is the THIRD version of the ramp assembly i've personally owned. The first EVO version held the ramp and ball assembly in with three 6-32 screws. 6-32 screws are like less than 1/8" diameter.They used to strip out like crazy. I still believe it has more to due with adjustment than anything else. I like the second version best tho,like on my Tuber. Like they always say though at the dealerships...."oh yeah,we have the new improved version on the latest model.You should just buy that one" | ||
| Ducxl |
They used to strip out like crazy. Not to decieve,they stripped out because when you removed the primary cover,you had to remove the screws to remove the ramp/ball mech.Well,it only took a couple removals for those tiny screws to strip out the threads.Not like it was ripped out of the case from clutching,same as if the load was against the later model "lip". Can you read my lips? THe only lips i can read do not talk...........well,sometimes they FART  | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
What!?......  | ||
| Ochoa0042 |
+1 .... on having that problem, got a guy fired from the dealer while I was at it  | ||
| Lllbmanlll |
Greg, I apologize if my previous post came off rude in any way. It wasn't intended to come out that way. As for your explanation on how the ball ramp assembly works, I'm somewhat confused on how you're explaining it. I always assumed that when the clutch lever is pulled, the cable pulls on the arm of the ball ramp assembly. As the outer ramp is pulled clockwise, the balls roll up the ramps spreading the ramp assembly apart. The nut that is threaded onto the adjustment screw for the clutch is sitting in the outer ramp. When the assembly twists and moves apart, it's pulling outward on the adjustment screw and unloading the pressure to the clutch pack. Shouldn't there be an equal force pushing the complete assembly inward towards the case ridges that broke and pulling on the adjustment screw with nut attached to it? In other words wouldn't the amount of force that it takes to unload the clutch be the same as the force on the ridges too? I'm just having a hard time figuring out why there wouln't be a force on the ridges. What's keeping the whole assembly from moving inward towards the ridges while it's trying to move the adjustment screw outward? I may be totally off base here but that's how I envisioned it working. Someone please chime in if this isn't correct. Ochoa0042, How'd you get someone fired? | ||
| Ochoa0042 |
the dealershit dude said to me that there was no such recall for that clutch lip, and he had never heard of it before at all. Luckly, a member of bad web lives in my town and went to that very dealership for this recall repair.... need less to say, that guy completely kicked himself in the balls, that a$$hole got what he deserved oh yeah, also I recorded our conversation with my PDA  (Message edited by ochoa0042 on February 12, 2009) | ||
| Ducxl |
 Say,has anyone ever heard of a Pu$$y Fart? What's the matter with you guys' I was cracking a joke?? Jared...it may be "I" that is confused regarding the pressure/force direction.It just seems,the lip could never support unloading the clutch.I'll try and get my facts straight  I'll go have a look see and report back. | ||
| Ducxl |
Just got back from the "libary"  And consider,i had modified my 1987 XL clutch basket when i'd built the engine to 89 inches. As wrong as wrong can be,the throwout bearing attached to the pressure plate draws AWAY from the clutch pack ,so the lip in question IS loaded whilst dis-engaging the clutch. Now i'm pi$$ed that i have a flawed design. I'll have to engage on new endeavor to force BMC into a recall . Too bad,it should be engineered to work properly without failure. I hope i didn't confuse. | ||
| Dogdaze |
Say,has anyone ever heard of a Pu$$y Fart? Yeah, my Mom blames farts on her cat all the time.... but I got a sneaky suspicion its all just a cover for Mom's excessive broccoli intake. | ||
| Deerhunter17 |
Hey, just in looking for more info on the primary braking the way it does. I just lost the "THIRD" one... the original, covered under warranty, the second ( clutch adjusted by me as per manual.. to the tee.. ) broke.. my dime.. today, the latest one, installed and maintained by a factory trained mech, whom I trust.. broke.... I say, poor design.. Something has to be wrong ... On the second one, I adjusted per manual.. on the play side.. because statements made here and elsewhere point at too "tight"... still broke..I love the bike, it is almost paid off, and I had intended on getting a Ullysses... but no way I can do tis... a primary every 10K miles??? | ||
| Debueller |
Mine engine sidecase cover broke two weeks ago and left me stranded in Sturgis. The bike was trailerd home and my girlfriend and I rode two-up all the way home on her Versys.........1500 miles. It was brutal. Is there something that causes this???? | ||
| Debueller |
Mine engine sidecase cover broke two weeks ago and left me stranded in Sturgis. The bike was trailerd home and my girlfriend and I rode two-up all the way home on her Versys.........1500 miles. It was brutal. Is there something that causes this???? |
