Reply With QuoteIf you can try to capture the audio at idle it would help with diagnoses. A good trick is to pick up a stethoscope cheap and follow around the engine to try and pinpoint where it's coming from.
OK just replaced my Rocker Cover Gaskets with a kit from James Original off of Ebay. It was a big job, rotating the engine, after stripping off almost every thing. I followed this forum and the service manual. No surprises. The rear rocker cover gasket (thick orange gasket) was flush with the top of the rocker box, obviously the source of the leak. I also changed the intake gaskets based on recommendations. I was hoping that would help out the 2000 rpm flat spot.
While the bike was apart I also installed the comfort kit and a new belt. The new belt is $*@*@!&&)!#)!$ tight.
I touched the starter button and after a couple seconds of cranking it fired up, initially ran a little rough but I suspect it was cold and the ECM needed to start to re-learn. I took the bike out for a couple of good honks, bike runs fine, idles fine and starts without any issue. Clutch and shifting is fine.
Bike has 12,000MI and had a full oil change with MOTOUL 20/50 synthetic this spring.
The Problems... Keep in mind I haven't rode the bike for a month (waiting for parts, etc, etc)
1) The clutch leaver had no slack in it at all. Normally a clutch leaver has 1mm to 2mm of play in the leaver. The clutch worked fine. I loosened the clutch cable a turn or two and put about 1mm of play in the leaver.
2) The engine was a little rattly noisy. I checked the primary chain adjustment. Close to 3/4 of an inch play cold. I adjusted it to 3/8 of an inch cold. That seems to have cleared up the rattle.
3) The issue! Now I don't know if its in my head but I don't remember this sound before I did the rocker cover gaskets, mind you I wasn't listening or I would have noticed the loose primary chain. The engine makes a whining noise. It was making that noise before I tightened the chain. If the bike had chain or gear driven cams I would assume the cam chain or valve train for the noise. The noise happens at idle, revving, stopped in neutral or in gear, with the clutch in or out. It happens when riding, but you can only hear the noise at slow speed because its quieter than the wind noise.
Like I said, if this was an overhead cam bike I would assume it was the cam and valve train.
I did pull out one or two push rods when I had the bike apart (I can't help my self, I always have to push the red button) but they went back in and after rotating the engine to find the sweet spot with the push rods in the lower position before assembly, every thing seemed to move freely and the push rods all moved the same amount. I do not believe I had an unseated push rod. When I put the rocker box assembly on I tried very hard to turn each bold a 1/4 turn at a time to ensure the rocker boxes seated correctly.
Is it possible I have a push rod out of place?
Is it normal for the buell engine to have a small whine?
Is it possible that the tight belt is putting pressure on an output shaft that is causing a bearing to whine a little?
Is it possible that I have lost my mind and should ride it like I stole it?
In my defense this is the first buell I have ever ridden and the second Ully I have ever seen outside of the show room. For some reason the Buells were never that popular in my area so I need to use you guys (and gales) for everything Buell.
Thank You in Advance. The advice from this site has made me UBBER confident in my Buell.
If you can try to capture the audio at idle it would help with diagnoses. A good trick is to pick up a stethoscope cheap and follow around the engine to try and pinpoint where it's coming from.
By what you are saying it sounds like you are hearing airbox noise (whining). Normal ( has a gear drive kinda sound). You hear it more when your body is over the airbox vs off the bike to the side.
Last edited by rchuff; 05-18-2017 at 10:21 AM.
A good piece of a wooded broom handle (round end to ear) also works if you can't get a stethoscope. Air box noise as rchuff suggests sounds right. If the push rod was out of place, I'm pretty sure you would have a lot more noise than that if the bike ran at all.
Also, what you describe sounds like a bearing noise so, it could be that the clutch is out of adjustment due to the cable being routed wrong or hung up, as you did say you had to adjust it. Try adjusting it the specified way and see what happens.
I would check that your intake snorkle is properly seated in the airbox base. It's not the easiest thing to install but with the help of a large flat(and blunt) screw driver I usually get it seated quite quickly.
1-carlos and ricky spot on with possibilities plus a few tips/suggestions on my part.
2-the air horn is the large rubber connector that attaches your airbox base plate to the TB(throttle body assembly). it MUST be perfectly seated onto the TB then secured with the factory spring clamp....and must be seated properly in the base plate. without both you'll incur not only performance issues but odd air intake noises including "whistling" noises.
3-some XB's with vented airbox covers "whine" on the throttle....some don't. never figured out why.
4-some XB's "whine" from the primary side of the motor assy. after a chain adjustment....others do not. again never figured out why.
5-if you had a pushrod "out of place" that pushrod would fail to operate its valve properly and the motor would barely start...if at all.
6-there are tons of what i call "throttle mechanics" and "beating on it to solve it" idiots afleet. your comment "ride it like i stoled it" typically falls into the latter. if in fact you do have a problem pounding unmercifully on the poor thing solves nothing....it only exacerbates the problem.
7-this was bantered around during a site keyboard rumble last week initiated by some FNG named rockdog something-or-other. RUN IN the belt. they are NOT pre-stretched from the manufacturer. only takes a few minutes...seats it fully....stretches it properly....lessens the horrific load on driveline bearings.
Originally Posted by lunaticfringe
What are the steps in doing this properly?
^^^ ^^^ not mentioned in any manual or TSB but always recommended by the belt manufacturers who clearly know what's best for their products. and it goes like this:
1- with new belt installed ride gently for a mile or so and find a stretch of unencumbered fairly flat road.
2-on an XB using 2nd OR 3rd gear....whatever gearing works best for the stretch of road that you're on...run that gear from approx. 2500rpm to approx. 5000rpm at 2/3rd's throttle......chop the throttle....let the bike return down to approx. 2500rpm....then accelerate again. doing this 4-5 times in a row sets the belt tension, runs it in, and stretches to correct service tension.
that's the best i can describe it.
Do that^^^
Similar to breaking in anything. Start easy and build up to harder use. Common sense I thought
I sure hope not! The intake and exhaust pushrods are slightly different lengths. (10.726 intake / 10.780 exhaust). You may have put the intake pushrod on the exhaust side and vice versa. The difference is hard to notice if you're not looking for it, however this would also explain the rough running as the valves would be acting differently. The pushrods are also color coded (intake - orange / exhaust - pink). Hopefully, this isnt your problem (or I know what you are doing this weekend)
Posting Permissions