| Author | Message | ||
     Hgray14 |
I have a 2002 Buell Blast with 5000 miles on it. I took it into the shop for a tune-up and they told me that the rattling noise I was hearing was probably some sort of broken chain tensioner inside the primary. I took it back and had them "fix it". They claimed that they needed to remove the exhaust to get at the primary and when they did that they notice the exhaust studs were cross threated (I don't know if that is something you can tell or not or whether what they meant was that the nuts on the studs had been cross threaded.). In the process of replacing the studs they broke one off and then broke off their removal tool. They pulled the head and sent it into the shop to have the stud removed. When I got it back it ran fine for about 10 miles before one of the exhaust studs came out and fell off on the freeway. I took it back and they said that the thread sleeve that had been installed in the machine shop was still inside so they merely had to replace the stud. They did this and claimed to have used some sort of lock-tite to keep it in place. After getting the bike back and riding it for about 30 miles the rattling in the engine is worse then ever. It seems to be worse in 1st and 2nd gear than in the others and is much worse when I am coasting in gear than when I am under power and completely goes away when it is out of gear. Also, the stud they replaced a second time has rattled loose so I pulled it out to look at it and don't see anything resembling lock-tite. The second stud, which the machine shop replaced, has also worked loose but the threaded sleeve that was inserted into the head is what came out. The stud and the threaded sleeve are tight together but I was able to pull them out together by hand. So, here are my questions for the list. 1) Do you really have to remove the exhaust in order to get at the primary? (I am wondering if they were just trying to make some work for themselves by noticing the "crossed threads" and then got in over their head.) 2) If lock-tite was used on the stud that was replaced the second time would I see some evidence of it when I pull the stud out? 3) If they didn't use lock-tite, what kind should I use for such a high-heat part? 4) Why would the machine shop put a threaded sleeve into the hole in order to hold the stud instead of just drilling the old stud out? Is it a forgone conclusion that if you have to drill a stud out you are automatically going to damage the threads and have to drill and thread a bigger hole or did they just do •••••• work? Also, the outside edge of the drilled hole has some chipping on one side. Is this also the sign of a crappy job or is it normal to have some chip out when drilling a new hole into the head? 5) Do you have any idea what all the rattling is when my bike is in gear and if it is going to cost me more than it is worth to have it fixed? I bought the damn bike for $1700 so it irks me to no end that just to look at it Harley is going to charge me for 2 hours worth of work at $90 an hour and that won't even fix the problem...just diagnose it. 6) Does anyone know of a good Buell/Harley mechanic in the east bay (S.F. Bay Area) around Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond? 7) I am reading from all over the web that Buells are a major pain in the rear to own. I got the Blast as a beginner's bike and was looking to upgrade to a Lightning or a Firebolt but not if it is going to be having all sorts of problems or be in the shop all the time. Any input? Thanks for any help you can give me. By the way, I would strongly recommend against taking your bike to Godspeed in Oakland. They talk like they know their stuff and they have a cool shop but they clearly aren't good with bikes and their customer service is TERRIBLE!!!! For a 4 hour job I lost my bike to them for 10 days and then the second time (when they were going to shop me that they deserved my business) I lost my bike for a full week on what was suppose to be a 3 hour job. I know "things come up" but I know of several people who are very unhappy with that shop and are thinking of suing them. Sure, they offer to working with you and fix your problem but there are two things I can’t stand; not having my bike and getting it back in worse shape then when I take it in. | ||
| Glitch |
Houston, your best bet for a quick reply would be to post this in the Thumper Forum Best of luck! | ||
| Ezblast |
Sounds to me like they never went into the primary, or the rattling would be gone, even if just an adjustment of the primary adjuster - which is what it sounds like all it needed. So the heli-coil came out with the bolt - lol - re-apply with Heavy Duty Red Locktite, 2 bolt cinch it in, then take off bolts and let locktite settle over night, then reattach exhaust and torque bolts to max spec. No you don't have to remove the exhaust to get to the primary, and finally if you are still having problems with that puppy, bring it to me and we can go over it together - this is the easiest bike to maintain and work on ever built - period - almost all of this models problems stem from people who work on it - including in its first 2 production years the factory itself - lol GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Joey |
I second EZ's last statement. Most problems were the direct result of warranty work for me. | ||
| Swampy |
Take it back, they need to fix it correctly for their own good. Then when they get good and tired of working on it....then come back and post. Welcome to the Board, you will find this a wealth of information. More than likely the primary only needed adjusting, provided nothing was broken or the crank nut had not come loose. The exhaust did not need to come off to do any maintenance to the primary, including removing the primary drain plug, which is a bugger with the stock exhaust. Sorry you are having problems, when things get right it will be worth it. Good luck, let us know how it turns out. | ||
| Ezblast |
Buells in general are very maintenance free, the Blast specifically holds the record still as HD's most reliable bike, and when they discontinue it, they will be showing again why people think HD is run by morons. All Buells in general are much more reliable than their HD counterparts, the thing you have to worry about is not the quality of your bike - which is top notch - but the person working on your bike. This could be said of any brand, and probably remains true, the point is that the chances of finding a bad mechanic are greater in the smaller resource pool. - lol - another reason to never own a Duc, Guzzi or any of the other small brand names as well. GT - JBOTDS! EZ |
