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Thread: Buell Engine Noise - After replacing Rocker Cover Gaskets

  1. #11
    Senior Member pdksh's Avatar
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    Thankfully I didn't mix the push rods. I'm going to adjust the clutch and primary chain as per the service manual. The whine and now rattling is making me nervous. I'm going to pick up a thesiscope and try to verify where the rattle and whine is coming from.

    . I'm not a fan of the Throttle Mechanic, my comment was me asking if anyone thought I really had a problem. Years ago a friend asked if i thought his clutch was slipping in a ford escort. Well a couple of brake torques later and we were changing that clutch. Lesson learned. Problems seldom get better with age

  2. #12
    Senior Member lowkey's Avatar
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    pdksh, I'm sure you've read over the service manual and see that you must find the tightest spot in the chain and from there put the tension on the loose end of the book specification. I've read quite a few posts on getting a "whine" after adjusting the primary within proper range. If you know you adjusted it within range, I'd just back it off a hair and see if it quiets up. Also have a look and double check the primary fluid level is good, maybe before even doing any adjustments.

    Is this bike new to you? Sorry if you already said it is or isn't, I can't keep up with all the threads going on but the buell engines are quite noisy! The rattle may be from the engine rotation you just performed, go through and double check everything, you may have forgotten to torque something down.

  3. #13
    Senior Member pdksh's Avatar
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    I adjusted the primary chain to have about 3/8 of an inch cold and about 1/4 inch hot. The rattling noise is coming from the primary side.



    I took off the primary drive cover, after I dropped the clutch cable retaining clip into the primary drive. I was adjusting the clutch cable when I decided to fully examine the clutch. See my earlier post about not being able to NOT press the red button!

    The inside of the primary drive case is clean, perfect, no scrapes, not fillings no rub marks by the primary chain. The primary chain adjuster looks like new. When I try to adjust the primary chain by "ear" as its running, I can turn the adjuster by my finger till the noise stops but the primary chain cold has about 1/2 inch play. I suspect some noise is coming from the slop of the clutch basket.

    Does the clutch basket slop look normal? it's a tiny amount of play but normally a clutch has "springs" that keep the tension in the basket. My experience is from working on Japanese bikes and Ducati's. Needless to say this push rod engine is presenting some interesting challenges. If this is normal play for the clutch basket, its no surprise to me that an improperly adjusted primary chain would cause shifting issues.

    Torque wise everything is tight, noise is coming from the bottom end. I suspect the initial whine & wherling sound was "normal".
    Last edited by pdksh; 05-21-2017 at 12:50 PM.

  4. #14
    Member TheycallmeSpaz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lunaticfringe View Post
    ^^^ ^^^ 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.
    Makes good sense, thank you for this flick of wisdom sir. My belt is showing small cracks no the outer face when looking closely... looks to be original. Swapping this weekend, so I will definitely do this "RUN IN".

  5. #15
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    According the video there is no unusual noises.

    Mine clutch basket has same freeplay, even after replacing clutch basket bearing, so it looks OK too




    Last edited by TPEHAK; 05-22-2017 at 12:56 PM.

  6. #16
    Senior Member pdksh's Avatar
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    YEP the play in my clutch basket is the EXACT SAME! thank you. I was about to tear my clutch apart, looking for a bad bearing. Not starting a "FLAME WAR" - BUT! These 50 year old engines are very interesting for a Ducati/Yamaha rider. I have a VRSCR with the V-ROD Evolution motor so I KNOW Harley can build a tight engine. I had to have a BUELL, and I wanted an air-cooled EVO motor, I never could get over the odd fairing of the 1125R. This has been an excellent learning experience.

    I know I said no more HD - Stealers... I need a primary cover gasket so I looked up the part number, went to a dealer that back in the day sold BUELLs and asked for a primary cover gasket for my bike. He went into the back room and came out with a primary cover for a 2004+ 1200 sportster. NOPE IT DONT FIT! From now own its Lance and St. Paul! ARG!

    Has anyone tried to use the "gasket in a tube" stuff. My Ducati actually does not have side cover gaskets, it uses "gasket in the tube". I was going to try to re-use the side cover (yes I know, I know) and if that leaks I'm going to try the $30.00 dollar stuff I got at the Ducati stealership!

    THANKS AGAIN GUYS!

  7. #17
    Senior Member pdksh's Avatar
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    DO NOT USE GASKET IN A TUBE for the primary cover of a BUEL. I just spent an hour + cleaning up my primary cover and engine. I assembled the primary cover with "gasket in a tube" without any leaks. I adjusted the clutch and primary. Took the girl for a ride. It was shifting terribly. I could go from 1st to 2nd but the jump to 3rd/4th/5th was nearly impossible. I figured I had the primary chain too loose, it definitely wasn't tight. The issue wasn't the primary chain tension. The issue was the clearance between the primary cover and the shifter input shaft. The shifter shaft was binding the internal plastic bushing of the primary cover. I just re-used my old gasket because the HD stealer gave me the wrong gasket.

    NOTE!

    A 2004+ sportster evo primary cover gasket won't fit. Just ask me how I know.

    The bike is shifting fine and so far no oil leaks. I will be ordering a new gasket from e-bay/st. paul

  8. #18
    Senior Member 34nineteen's Avatar
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    Yep. I've used gasket sealer (GM - "GMS") to help seal up a questionable/used primary cover gasket on my Buells, but not as a substitute for the gasket itself. I've had GMS seal up things that would/could never seal up before. GMS is some magic stuff.

    Anyhow, your best bet is for the original item. There are a lot of parts similar, but not the same between a XB and a Sporty. There is a video on youtube where they call out the unique XB parts. I think its called "Buell engines: a training film" or something like that.

    It took me awhile to get used to the look of the 1125R/CR, but once I picked up a taste for it, I really like it. There was an accessory fairing sold by Buell, that looks more like a "conventional sportbike", and while I've seen pics of it on the R, I've wondered what it would look like on a CR.


    Last edited by 34nineteen; 05-24-2017 at 09:53 PM.

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