Another Primary Question

[Dlandbob]

I had a friend listen to my Bike and he said the noise is caused from the Primary oil to low. I took the little cover off and I have oil, I have spent hours on here trying to figure out what would be full and what would be low. I do know I started leaking something before riding season, I just thought it was oil and I checked it often and it always seems ok. I just stuck my hard in to move the chain as it was sitting there and I can move the top of the chain a lot, I think more than a inch but I am not sure. I don't have anywhere to really work on my bike at the moment or it would of been a part the other day. Has anyone had low oil and heard a clunk in the Primary? Also, I started, let out the clutch and rev up the engine with my hand of the clutch and it still made that sound. He said it sounded like maybe the chain bouncing inside.

Thank

 

[Knuckles]

Chain has too much play. Adjust it. Drain the fluid and replace with one quart.

 

[BigDogBro1]

When the primary gets adjusted to the proper tension, make sure you check the tension for eveness as the chain is rolled through its full rotation. It can be adjusted through the inspection cover. It's better to have it adjusted on the looser end of the tension specification than the tighter end.

 

[Dlandbob]

Well I found that the fluid is to low, it has almost none. my buddy told me that the chain is also to loose as well. Has anyone had this happen and heard a noise too? If I didn't live in this condo and had room to woke on it, I would be done! We just got our new house and we move in two weeks, I have a 3 car garage at my new house so I will buy my new stand etc..., to work on it and have a lot of space, I can't wait. I just don't want to mess up adjusting the chain, is this easy and once I do it, should it be safe? I hate doing anything with chains.

 

[Ohmster]

It takes 1 quart of oil in the primary. With the inspection cover off check feel the chain and see how much play is in it. The slack adjuster just might need tweeked. If all that is good then drain the oil, take the cover off and grab ahold of the clutch basket and see if there is any play in it. If there is that is your culprit. It will either be the clutch hub nut has backed off or you have rolled the shim on the back side of the clutch basket. If that is the case then it is just a matter of replacing the shim and putting everything back to proper torque.

When you have the basket out you might inspect your clutch plates for wear and see if they look good.

Last but not least, make sure the basket itself isnt cracked or broken on the back side ( easy to spot )

Gluck

 

[woodbutcher]

it's not difficult. just have a new outer primary o-ring and a quart of oil on hand, and maybe a new tension shoe available. make sure the shoe is not worn badly due to the chain being loose. and it is recommended to use hi-temp silicone to hold the o-ring in place while you are putting it all back together. like the old Brylcreme commercial, "a little dab'll do ya" .

 

[woodbutcher]

It takes 1 quart of oil in the primary. With the inspection cover off check feel the chain and see how much play is in it. The slack adjuster just might need tweeked. If all that is good then drain the oil, take the cover off and grab ahold of the clutch basket and see if there is any play in it. If there is that is your culprit. It will either be the clutch hub nut has backed off or you have rolled the shim on the back side of the clutch basket. If that is the case then it is just a matter of replacing the shim and putting everything back to proper torque.

When you have the basket out you might inspect your clutch plates for wear and see if they look good.

Last but not least, make sure the basket itself isnt cracked or broken on the back side ( easy to spot )

Gluck

Damn, ohmster, good to hear from you. missed seeing you on here. hope everything is going well for you.

for all the newbs, this is another BDM factory tech who really knows the bikes inside and out. listen to him.

 

[Ohmster]

Ya I have been kinda out of it for awhile. Took a break from the bike biz after the crash and burn I witnessed and went through. Thought I would pop in and give some advice and help from time to time now. Thinking of opening my own bike repair shop as well and maybe building a custom here and there. Got a couple of options for that, just trying to get a nice location to give it a go.

 

[woodbutcher]

you are definitely welcome here any time you want to chime in.

are you wanting to stay around wichita?

 

[Dlandbob]

Thanks Ohmster and everyone for your help.

I am sorry you went thru all that, I don't know much about Big Dog, I went to buy a Harley, drove by a custom. bike shop and there was my dream girl... I am a n00b to Choppers and I have a lot to learn. I have a few issues to work out still, when I got my bike, I used the front brake and it bounced like mad, they told me it's normal, a holes, warp rotor! My back tire rubbed my wires bad, I fixed that and now my blinkers and high gauge lights don't work. I learn as I go and because of everyone here it has helped me more than anything. Good thing I met Five Five when I was out riding one day, he told me to go to this site.

Ohmster, I need to ask you, I have a neighbor who won't stop telling me ride my Chopper, he says they are only good to ride maybe once a month. What do you think? I already posted about this on here a couple months ago, I ask because he knows a lot about these bikes and I hear this daily now. Funny thing, he keep saying my bike was special construction though, he made me get my registration because told him it isn't. He doesn't like being proven wrong, or ami wrong because my Reg doesn't say it is.

 

[1BADK9]

Dude it's all in here, you just need to look. Here's a link to exactly what you need to do near the bottom of the first page of this thread is the removal of the priamry cover and the free play of chain measurements. You can do this anywhere in under an hour, even the parking lot of an apartment. I wouldn't run or start your bike anymore untill you fix that priamry chain unless you want some real damage to repair. Inspect the tightness of the clutch hub nut and other cltch items as mentioned above by Ohmster, while you have that cover off. And yeah man read the technical threads, it's all here. GOOD LUCK. :2thumbs:

http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/how/10-how-service-your-big-dog.html

 

[Killerdog]

another thing it can be is the compensator nut could be backing off...it will cause a loud clunk. I know mine backed off and screwed up several things i am now in middle of replacing. Also riding a chopper just once in a while..LOL..your neighbor is an idiot u can ride it as much as you want all over the country. Ride it as much as you want you will not hurt it 1 bit. I don't know where your neighbor got that crap about just ride a chopper 1 time a month but you can tell him he is full of shit.Just make sure to check all your fluids daily as you should do on any bike and then just ride it like you stole it...lol.

 

[Ohmster]

Ohmster, I need to ask you, I have a neighbor who won't stop telling me ride my Chopper, he says they are only good to ride maybe once a month. What do you think? I already posted about this on here a couple months ago, I ask because he knows a lot about these bikes and I hear this daily now. Funny thing, he keep saying my bike was special construction though, he made me get my registration because told him it isn't. He doesn't like being proven wrong, or ami wrong because my Reg doesn't say it is.

Your neighbor sounds like one of those guys that try to make it sound like they know everything when in fact they dont. Your chopper, when properly maintained can be driven everyday with no issues. They can be used to go on long trips with no issues, just ask Ray about that. As for your bike being a "special construction", as far as I am concerned every BDM was a "special construction" and was proud to be a part of it. In the future though just point at the VIN stamp on the neck of your bike and tell him it was made right there on the production line at Big Dog along with over 25 thousand other bikes.

are you wanting to stay around wichita?

Actually I live in a small, rural town outside of Wichita and there are zero options for the people to have their stuff worked on locally. So if they need a repair done they have to trailer it about 70 miles in any direction to get it worked on. My plan is to work on anything and everything including metrics and atv's. Basically looking at making an evening and weekend shop and keeping my day job. Looking at a couple of brick front buildings on main street in the town I live in and figure I can always have one or two bikes on a lift, build a custom for a couple of guys that have asked me already. Plan on having good tunes blaring with a card table or two set up and a donation can for the beer in the fridge where some of the guys can come hang out at, bullshit and play cards.

Least thats my plan... wont get rich off it but some things money just cant buy.

 

[woodbutcher]

sounds to me like you have a helluva plan there. one that anybody would love to have. good luck with it and i am sure you will make a go of it. :2thumbs::2thumbs:

 

[stlmikie]

Where are you located dland?

 

[Dlandbob]

I am in Laguna Hills in OC Cali. Yes my neighbor says he knows it all and like so many people who i meet, he HAD a Chopper better than mine. I don't know how many people have told me they had a better Chopper. A lot of people ask what Dland is, it's short for Disneyland, I used to build Robots and Computers there, if you look up Tom Morrow, I built him and pleanty of others there. Plus I live with Mickey Mouse, my girlfriend used to be Mickey for many years there. It cracks me up to think I have Mickey Mouse on the back of my Chopper when we are out riding.

 

[Dlandbob]

I will take it apart in a little bit, been sick all week and just got back from the doctors, I should be ok, strang, my blood pressure keeps going extremely low and I almost pass out. So when I stand up, I almost go down. Once I feel ok, it's all about my bike. Ohmster, good luck with that, that sounds like a awesome thing to do, a place to hangout like that would be perfect anywhere.

 

[stlmikie]

Makes me wish you lived near me. Drink plenty of water. Keep us in the loop regardless.

 

[Dlandbob]

Where do you live stlmikie? My girl and I just got our first house and we are moving to Riverside County next to Box Spring Mountain. It's a different world there but it's our house and a nice area as long as we stay home.

 

[stlmikie]

In in the St. Louis area.