Had the Dreaded Knock Knock at Idle Loose Compensator

[cowboywildbill]

On my 04 Police bike I started hearing the Dreaded Knock knock at idle and low RPM's. I took it by my Dealer and the Mechanic said yep! It's the Compensator coming loose. I left it and they fixed it the next day. I have repaired them before on Softails, but I didn't know if anything has changed with the tool to hold it while you torque it and I had to work, so they had it ready when I got off. They found anti seize on the compensator nut. They say they see it all of the time on Police bikes. Apparently some of the Police Depts Mechanics don't use a shop manual. Red lock tight is what you need not anti sieze. No wonder it came loose again. I just hope the first guy that tightened it didn't use an impact wrench to tighten it up instead of a torque wrench. That is hard on the stator and the seals. I picked it up today and it's Ok now. I'm just glad I wasn't out on the road far away. My Dealer loaned me a 2009 Ultra to ride home on. I live about 20 miles from the shop. It was nice, very smooth and it handled nice. The six speed was nice too, but wow 5 & 6 are noisy. It had a lot of torque, but I think my 88 would outrun it. But the Ultra did have better pulling power at 2000 RPM on a good hill. I don't usually lug them that way but I just had to play and check it out. Maybe some day if I hit the lottery I'll get a new one. The best part of the whole experience is when my wife came home from work and saw the new Ultra parked in the garage. "What's that and where is your bike? Good thing I didn't buy it she would take a couple of weeks to get over that, if she got over it. No New toy's for me in the near future.
The Ultra was only a test!

 

[STEVE07]

Red loctite or blue. Isn't the red permanent without heating it?

 

[Bud White]

Red loctite or blue. Isn't the red permanent without heating it?

Red is supposed to be but its not over time it will loosen to

 

[cowboywildbill]

Yeah I think in time it can work loose again. I had 167,000 miles on my 93 Springer 80 inch evo that was pounding out some serious HP and the compensator nut stayed tight the whole time without coming loose a second time after we repaired it initially at about 12,000 miles. I did change about three or four chains, so maybe that doesn't count. But I never had it work loose on it's own after that. They were known to come loose pretty frequently back in the 90's from the factory. I did put a spring loaded primary chain tensioner on it, maybe that helped.
I did get really good at putting neck bearings in that beast. about every 10 or 12 thousand miles they would get a flat spot in them. Sort of like cruise /steering control for the handlebars "Ha Ha"

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

...My Dealer loaned me a 2009 Ultra to ride home on. I live about 20 miles from the shop. It was nice, very smooth and it handled nice...The best part of the whole experience is when my wife came home from work and saw the new Ultra parked in the garage. "What's that and where is your bike? Good thing I didn't buy it she would take a couple of weeks to get over that, if she got over it. No New toy's for me in the near future.
The Ultra was only a test!

Your Ultra road test was incomplete...should have taken her and the Ultra out so she could "warm up" to the idea and the differences. You could have had a convert rather than a gal that "may" get over it and says no!

"When the ladys' happy you BOTH will BE!" :newsmile090:

 

[cowboywildbill]

Oh I thought of that but she rides a Heritage. Maybe if they put another set of handlebars on the back of the new Ultra like a Bicycle built for two, then maybe she might go for it.