| Author | Message | ||
     Dallasb |
I have an '06 XB9SX with 5500 miles. On idle I have a light tapping noise coming from primary side of the motor...slightly above the timing cover. Sometimes I can hear it over my hawk exhaust with my helmet on. My question is what could be doing this and how can I fix it? Or is this just a normal thing for a buell? Thanks, Dallas | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Have you checked your primary tension lately. That's what it sounds like when your primary chain is too loose. | ||
| Dallasb |
I have not. Do I have to drain the primary oil to check it? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Nope. Remove the two screws from the top inspection cover. The primary chain will be right there. The chain should only deflect a particular amount (someone will chime in on the level of deflection). To tighten the chain, you will need to loosen the large jam nut on the bottom of the primary and tighten the hex bolt. Then tighten the nut back up. That hex bolt goes to the primary chain "shoe". It presses against the chain and takes up slack. More than likely, if you haven't had the bike in for any of the routine intervals, the chain has just stretched/worn and needs to have a little slack taken out. Secondary cause could be a primary shaft nut that has backed off and is banging around the inside of the primary. Rare to have one come off, but it happens. If this is the case, you'll need to open up the primary and refasten it. Needs like 250 ftlbs of torque put on it. | ||
| Dallasb |
Thanks Jeremy your awesome. I have a service manual but it didn't say anything about draining the primary. Thanks for all your help. I was really hoping that it was only a loose primary chain. I'm sure the owner before me didn't tighten it {angry}. Btw when are you guys down at Bumpus going on another ride?\clipart | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Come join us for Buelltoberfest in Suches the weekend of October 15th. Tightening the primary chain is a 10 minute job. It's no big deal. I hope that's your problem. After digging around in the primaries of both my XB and my Tuber, they aren't any big deal. | ||
| Reepicheep |
My experience has been that the 9's are tappier than the 12's also. | ||
| Jandj_davis |
can over-tightening the primary chain cause damage? The last time I adjusted my primary I got my directions confused and tightened the chain really tight. I never ran it like that, but it was really tight. | ||
| Dallasb |
How are you guys adjusting it? Are you jacking the bike up (I don't have a set of stands yet) and rotating the rear tire with the bike in 5th? And do an inspection at intervals? | ||
| Dallasb |
For those that care I am pretty sure that I have it tightened back to specs. The oil was horrible in the point that there were a ton of metal shavings in it and on the magnetic drain plug. IIRC the tightest part of the chain was 1/2" while the loosest was close to 3/4". The bike is significantly quieter than before now all I can hear is a little noise coming from the push rods. Thanks for all your help. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I couldn't get my chain adjusted to my liking, so I invented my own method that I don't recommend. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
can over-tightening the primary chain cause damage? The last time I adjusted my primary I got my directions confused and tightened the chain really tight. I never ran it like that, but it was really tight. Yes, it can put stress on the shaft bearings, cause undue wear on the chain and on the sprockets. You want it loose enough that it isn't creating any additional pressure or drag and loose enough that it's not slapping around or creating a snatchy link between the crank shaft and the transmission input shaft. | ||
| Blake |
Fifth gear. Spark plugs out. Rear stand sure helps, but not absolutely necessary. If you do use a rear stand, just remember that when checking transmission/primary lubricant level, bike needs to be upright and on level ground, no rear stand. | ||
| Pc9840 |
Thanks for this thread, I was having the same type of noise and didn't even think to check the chain tension with only 3700 miles. Glad I checked because there was over and inch of play. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
This is what can happen if you don't keep an eye on chain tension:   | ||
| 4cammer |
Anyone know why they do not use a gear drive instead of the chain? Seems like that would be a good improvement. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I think the problem is that for a single gear, you'd end up with one large heavy gear right where the shifter shaft would be. If you tried to shrink it down to two smaller gears, the rear sprocket of the primary would be spinning the wrong direction. You'd end up needing three gears in order to get the front sprocket and the rear sprocket going in the right direction. That's a lot of weight and power loss. The chain is pretty simple. | ||
| Christopher12 |
"Fifth gear. Spark plugs out." Sorry I don't get it. Why in gear and plug out? Will I crank it over but not start it? And what am I looking for? Christopher | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Pulling the spark plugs allows the motor to spin without creating compression. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
You can roll the rear wheel in gear and find and measure the deflection at both the tight spots and the loose spots. | ||
| Xoptimizedrsx |
I'm with Blake I do mine that way. no plugs and fifth gear. makes it a snap till you get back to the pesky (sometimes rear plug). | ||
| Greg_e |
Should be able to just loosen the plugs three or four turns and get the same result, much easier to put back in. |
