How tight should the primary chain be on a Harley Davidson?
Tighten the screws to 84-108 in-lbs (9.5-12.2 Nm).
How much slack is in a primary chain?
The primary chain should have 5/8″ to 7/8″ of slack in its tightest section when the engine is cold, or 3/8″ to 5/8″ slack when the motor’s hot.
What does a loose primary chain sound like?
If the chain is too tight, you’ll feel it (might feel jerky, especially when it’s hot), but a loose chain usually you’ll hear, particularly when cold, a slap that kind of just goes “tick, tick, tick, tick”.
How long does a Harley primary chain last?
100,000 miles
How Long Does a Harley Primary Chain Last? A Harley Primary chain is expected to last 100,000 miles if maintained properly, adjusted to the spec tension, and serviced in the frequency outlined in the Harley’s owner’s manual.
What is a compensator on a Harley Davidson motorcycle?
The compensator is a shock absorber Indeed, in Harley-Davidson Big Twin engines the compensator acts as a buffer between the engine pulsations, which leave the crankshaft and are transmitted through the primary chain to the transmission, passing through the clutch.
How do you test a Harley compensator?
The symptoms of a bad compensator are a loud clang at start up, trouble shifting into first or neutral and a sound like gravel in the front of the primary around 2200 RPM. But, the only way to know for sure that you have this problem is to pull the primary cover off and look.
How much slack should a Harley chain have?
1.2 to 1.6 inches
Street bikes should have a distance of about 1.2 to 1.6 inches, while dirt bikes require 1.4 to 2.0 inches of slack. To adjust the tension in the chain, use a wrench to loosen the axle nut by two or three turns. Many bikes have a bolt that you can turn to adjust slack.
What does a compensator on a Harley do?
The intention of the compensator is to smooth out the rough pulses that the engine creates under certain load situations (think about when you lug the engine and it bucks back and forth) and prevent them from being transmitted through the drivetrain.