| Author | Message | ||
     Oldog |
If any ones been following my rants on the issues about a tire for my X1, well I guess that I am a little slow I have been trying to figure out what the new squawking sound that I would hear on decel was. the flaming final drive belt has about 5/8" of slack in it with the bike UNLOADED what the hell! I bragged on the dealer now this!.  (Message edited by oldog on October 24, 2005) | ||
| Reepicheep |
Better that then too tight... that might not be that far off... Scary loose is your friend on a tuber. | ||
| Oldog |
think banjo string thight reep, I am thinking pull the tranny and look at the out put My friend I am soooo mad about this I am going to sleep on it and call for an appointment with the service manager and owner after I cool off | ||
| Buellistic |
Oldog: On a "TUBE FRAME" you want "2 INCHES" of free play on the tight spot(yes belts have tight spots) !!! E-MAIL me so "i" can get you e-mail address and "i" will e-mail the latest and greatest BELT/CHAIN INFO ... In BUELLing LaFayette Ljenne73c@verizon.net | ||
| Reepicheep |
My bad, I misunderstood your original issue. It's been a while since I had the tuber. I would adjust the tension so I could sit on the bike, and lift the bottom run of the belt up to where it would just touch the swingarm at the same moment I could feel it getting some tension (which was a lot of slack). If you looked at it though, it did not look that loose, you had to pull on it. My goal was basically "run it as loose as I can without chewing up the belt or swingarm". When I had mine too tight, I felt the suspension "bottom out" (which was actually the belt probably mashing my 5th gear drive assembly bearings). Definately educate the dealer. And it's easy enough to pull the tranny on the tuber. The reason to pull it would be to find bad bearings before they damage the output shaft of the transmission. That being said, if you have to replace it, it's a $100 or so part, and another 1.5 hours of labor if it is shot. So even if you leave it together, and wait to see if it breaks, the stakes are only moderate. | ||
| Buellistic |
BUELLers: "ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS THINGS IN THE WORLD IS A HARLEY-DAVIDSON TECHNICIAN WORKING ON A BUELL !!!" In BUELLing LaFayette | ||
| Mikej |
If a Harley-Davidson Tech. can't work on a Buell then they have no business working on Harleys either. Just my take on the issue. | ||
| Reepicheep |
And just so nobody is insulted that should not be, Buellistic *was* a certified Harley Davidson Technician, and has plenty of stories from the trenches, all very entertaining, go ride with him sometime! The thing is that if, for example, you have worked on a gazillion sporties over the past 10 years, and adjust belt tension in your sleep, you might pick up a Buell and follow all the same procedures that work so well for sporties. The fact that they are similar but very different could make some of your previous effective rules of thumb a disaster for the poor unsuspecting Buell. Belt tension is a prime example of one of these issues, and is not helped at all by the fact that the factory Buell serivce manual gives a belt tension procedure that is (IMHO) a recipe for disaster. I could give another example showing a bent front brake rotor that currently hangs in my garage, but I will stop here. Mistakes happen. The same thing could happen to a Buell tech working on Harleys. I don't think there were any insults intended. | ||
| Oldog |
Lafayette: educate me on one point do most dealers have a set of manuals for reference some where in the shop? I have to go over there tomorrow for fork oil I will speak to the owner if he is there I checked it to night at the garage with the suspension unloaded slack at 10# less than 1" Reep when I pull the tranny the 5th gear assm is in the case and the needle bearings are in it? do they fall out if the rest of the thing is removed? I am working thru a long list, I dont want to be going thru all of this now but the tranny NOW needs attention #$@@%#$@%#$%#@$% Im goin to bed thanks all Esp Lafayette | ||
| Buellistic |
Mikej: What "i" am trying to tell you is they become "BRAIN DEAD" when they work on a BUELL !!! They are like a BULL in a CHINA SHOP, what they do not BREAK they S#*T ON !!! PRIMARY CHAIN too lose or too tight, REAR DRIVE BELT always TOO TIGHT, YOUR painted rims cleaned with BRAKE FLUID, take you bike in to get a front tire and when you get it back the ROTOR is bent-THE ANSWER "YOU BROUGHT IT IN BENT", need "i" say more ??? Oldog: YES, the "TECHNICIANS" have access to the MOTORS MANUALS and some times the MOTORS MANUALS are "WRONG" as in BELT ADJUSTMENT SPECS. !!! When you try to reason with the TECHNICIAN and SERVIVE MANAGER, THE ANSWER IS WE HAVE TO DO IT EXACTLY AS THE MOTORS MANUAL STATES !!! Oldog if you will E-MAIL me so "i" can get your e-mail address "i" will send you some INFORMATION !!! In BUELLing LaFayette Ljenne73c@verizon.net | ||
| Mikej |
I'm not arguing, just stating my opinion that if a mechanic can't verify a procedure or torque spec or assembly/disassembly or setting by taking the time to look in a service manual or ask someone who does know the current process/spec/torque then that person should not be working on any bike, any brand, any model. And if they have a dislike for a particular brand or model then they should not work on that brand or model. It all comes down to personal responsibility and accountability. I've had a few service tech's get educated about Buells in the past due to my direct or indirect suggestions and actions. And, yes, some dealerships should close up shop and sell napkins at a deli. (I wouldn't trust them behind the food counter) My point is that one should not paint the whole population with the same brush. Fair enough?  And for the record, I've never done a burnout on my bikes, but a service tech at a local dealership did when my M2 was in there getting the shock recall done, and that was the last time that well respected shop ever touched my Buells. Buellistic, Is that information something technical that can be shared publically? (Why does this all of a sudden feel like a snowy Monday.)  | ||
| Reepicheep |
The needle bearings are pressed into the 5th gear drive assembly. If the inner needle bearings come out, it is because they are trashed, and you will still have the races stuck in there, probably rusted in. The official way to get them out is to press out the 5th gear drive assembly using a scary but straightforward process. There is an expensive "tool" to do it, but you can rig up your own with hardware store parts without a lot of trouble. It will destroy the main outer bearing that the assembly sits in. As a "probably would not work but might be worth trying" thought I had at the end of my pull of the thing, I had another idea. Instead of building the tool to press out that whole assembly, it would be interesting to try and build a tool to just press out the inner needle bearings. I took the whole assembly offbike to a local harley dealer, and they pressed the inner needle bearings out with a hydraulic press, and dinged me for a full hour of labor. They said it was a real bear to get them out, but I don't know if that was the truth, or just a justification for dinging me for a full hour of labor. But I think that with a lot of carefully sized washers, a large high grade finely threaded bolt, some good quality steel pipe, and other misc bits, that it might be possible to get those bearings out with the drive assembly in place. This would save time and effort, and would avoid trashing that main drive bearing. | ||
| Buellistic |
Mikej: Some DEALERSHIPS is correct, but there seem to be more BAD BUELL FRANCHIES's than good ones ??? Some are so bad that no body will buy a BUELL from them and they get out of the BUELL BUSINESS !!! Harley-Davidson MOTOR COMPANY convently FAILS to renew some of the "HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERS" BUELL FRANCHISE's !!! There is a lot of "TOP NOTCH BUELL MECHANIC'S", BUT there seems to be more BELOW AVERAGE BUELL TECHNICIAN'S ... E-MAIL me so "i" can get your e-amail address and "i" will e-mail you some TECH. INFO. ... PLEASE include the year and model of your BUELL, PLUS your AKA so that "i" will realize who you are ... In BUELLing LaFayette Ljenne73c@verizon.net | ||
| Mikej |
Yep, Far too many bad ones out there, and a few too many good ones who get cut off from their potential (Modesto). I've got two Buells and a Sportster in the garage, any of which are for sale off and on for a variety of reasons. email on the way shortly, thanks. | ||
| Sdlabrat |
What is max allowable deflection, unladen, for XB9R with 2004 spec 2' belt conversion? My belt has about 17K mi. It's my first bike sans drivechain... I think I'm a bit over 5/8, 2.5cm ??? I don't seem to be having any subsequent problems, or abnormal wear symptoms. (fraying, etc.) Just the belt fibers you find in the back wheel spokes... | ||
| Reepicheep |
I don't think secondary drive deflection will tell you anything on an XB. It was critical on the tubers (and I have the broken parts to prove it) but the XB's have nothing to adjust. Keep the belt guards in place, and watch for damage to the teeth or holes punched in it, and keep riding. | ||
| Sdlabrat |
Thanks! One belt "nightmare" story I heard about though... That sheetmetal item "front belt guard" behind the front pulley cover can fall out. Only one bolt holds it into swingarm pivot! If it does so, it gets sucked through your drivetrain. I deleted the part when I got rid of the OEM plastic pulley cover for a Crossroads billet cover. Only consequence seems to be "brown pully rust goo" on the swingarm after washes. I decided the risk was more than the benefit. I'm not noticing any abnormal belt wear pattern after the removal. |
