free website stats program Tapping noise and tranny oil leak - found it! | Harley Davidson Forums

Tapping noise and tranny oil leak - found it!

larryjmiller

larryjmiller

Junior Member
Recently my 09 Road King w/ 5K miles developed a tapping noise somewhere around the RH side of the engine. I checked everything and took it to the dealer to change oils and find the noise.

They couldn't find it. Then I noticed a slight oil leak on my bike lift rear pad and a burnt oil smell at idle when hot.

Well, I found it finally! There are two allen head bolts directly under the tranny cover that bolt into the tranny to attach the exhaust bracket. Not the tranny cover bolts, they were all tight. These are right below the cover and behind the exhaust pipes. Both of those bolts were completely loose (about 5 full turns to tighten).

The allen bolt closer to the rear of the engine was easy to get to w/o removing the exhaust. The front one is too close to the exhaust and the bracket interferes so the allen wrench won't fit.

Not wanting to remove the exhaust, I took a hack saw to the allen wrench and took about 5/16" off the short end and it fit. Once tightened, the noise and oil leak are gone.

So much for the experts at the dealer - I'm done with them unless I blow an engine or tranny.
 
Well done Larry, I know this is a lot to ask, but if not too much trouble, do you think you could post a pix, to help others?
 
larryjmiller said:
Recently my 09 Road King w/ 5K miles developed a tapping noise somewhere around the RH side of the engine. I checked everything and took it to the dealer to change oils and find the noise.

They couldn't find it. Then I noticed a slight oil leak on my bike lift rear pad and a burnt oil smell at idle when hot.

Well, I found it finally! There are two allen head bolts directly under the tranny cover that bolt into the tranny to attach the exhaust bracket. Not the tranny cover bolts, they were all tight. These are right below the cover and behind the exhaust pipes. Both of those bolts were completely loose (about 5 full turns to tighten).

The allen bolt closer to the rear of the engine was easy to get to w/o removing the exhaust. The front one is too close to the exhaust and the bracket interferes so the allen wrench won't fit.

Not wanting to remove the exhaust, I took a hack saw to the allen wrench and took about 5/16" off the short end and it fit. Once tightened, the noise and oil leak are gone.

So much for the experts at the dealer - I'm done with them unless I blow an engine or tranny.
Click to expand...

This is a great forum for information and such, but the more post like this that I read the less impressed I am with anything Harley Davidson builds. They're just high dollar average bikes. But kudos to their marketing staff for suckering us all in!!!!
 
Hogrotten...talk about throwing the baby out with the bath water :) You think Harley engineering is bad bcause two allen fasteners lost torque?
 
Well I have friends with a Yamaha and a new Triumph? Both have been in shop several times for different problems. I do all my own work when I can (the Baker R&R deal at Sturgis was too good to pass up) . I still love my Harley more then any other bike. Stuff happens. :D
 
Oh I like my bike plenty and I think that the harleys are some of the nicest looking bikes out there. I just think that when a person spends the kinda money we've spent on our bikes you should have piece of mind knowing that the dealer and manufacturer will be there in the RARE case something wacky:bigsmiley22: should arise. Unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the case. Make no mistake, I like my HARLEY just not overly impressed with it!!:guitar
 
just had the same tranney leak all 4 -5/16 bolts loosened 2 had fallened out.rechecked all the other bolts I could get to they were they only ones loose, wonder if vibration from exhaust bracket might help cause this ????Time will tell
 
Glad to hear you solved the problem... But I'm curious if the oil leakage was really a result of those 2 loose bolts. From what I see on the parts diagram in the service manual, those bolts are simply to hold the rear exhaust bracket on. They don't appear to serve any function as it relates to keeping fluid in the tranny.
 
hogrotten said:
Nope, but when you add up all the other stories you here like that one it makes for one DIRTY kid:).
Click to expand...

What you're forgetting is that this is the nature of most any forum. The vast majority of posts deal with problems, complaints, gripes, etc. There are thousands of guys and gals riding around every day with nothing to complain about so they don't start threads. This forum is extremely educational and helpful but I don't feel like it should be used as evidence that Harleys are engineered subpar in any way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top