Anybody have this happen??

Ok boys.....so I'm cruising down the hwy (75-80mph) and start to get a weird feel from the bike when I'm on and off the throttle. Then I start hearing a noise like somebody threw a beer bottle in my primary. I manage to get off the hwy without getting run down and pull off to the side. Hmm, noise increases with engine rpm, and definitely coming from primary. I limp the bike to my buddies place where we remove the primary cover....Low and behold my comp nut is almost off!! Now, it's been 5 years and 11K miles since I did my 240 conversion and I know for a fact that I torqued that nut properly. How the hell does a comp nut come loose!?!? (The noise was the comp nut flopping around and rubbing the inside of the cover) We cleaned everything, used red loctite and re-assembled and she seems to be ok, but what the hell?? Good thing for my buddy Paul, he saved my azz, and props to my other buddies wife who just happened to drive by when I was broke down and follow me to Pauls......

Mine got loose, too, after only 40K miles. And though it did sound like the engine was going to be trashed, after finding it was the compensator and replacing it (not just re-installing it) I've had absolutely no problems since. The whole evolution only cost $80, so it was a happy day considering I was thinking I'd probably need a new engine after hearing all that rattling from down there.

:cheers:

Getting ready to put the compensator on my shovel. It's the type where the bolt won't come off the cover - bolt and cover come off in one piece. Manual says for my year motor to torque to 400 ft. pds. But other years ('72 and earlier) the torque is 170 ft. pds. What gives with this wide margin of torque ranges? Another thing, I'm not sure what year the compensator is.

year end?

35* can be a heat wave up here.

Well....at least I'm not alone. I thought it was strange and very happy it didn't trash anything else. I pulled over pretty quick when I started hearing that noise though....

Thx for the responses guys.

What is a primary drive locking tool? BTW, I looked in my 70 thru early 78 service manual (part no. 99482-78) and in the torque requirements on page 1-5 it says: sprocket shaft nut 1970 to 1971....170 ft-lbs. 1972 and after 400 ft-lbs. The reason I'm quoting all this stuff is so you guys don't think I've lost my mind! I also thought 400 was way too much. Had to be a misprint.

400# ought be just about enough to strip the threads off real good.
As for the Nut coming loose it happened to me and the result was one tranny gettin repaired - locked me up real quick when it let loose.
I'd get a second opinion on the torque specs it does sound like a misprint.
Also if you use a hammer handle you will be buyin a few more hammers than ya need to - I cut a wedge out of a piece of oak and use it the wood is harder than the ash or popular handle of a hammer so it lasts longer.

I just wedged a small piece of pine in there and it was fine.....I was in a buddy's driveway and that's all we had....

I agree with Chuck... you'd need at least a 3/4" drive probably 1"drive and a 4' torque wrench to get 400 ft-lb...if you tried that on your comp nut you'd either flip the bike over or strip the crank shaft....my service manual for '03 says 150-165 ft-lbs for the comp nut...I've used a ball of rags, block of wood and the "hamster stairs" primary locking tool....I was never a fan of sticking a metal bar in the sprocket teeth.

I've got lots of old oak scraps laying around and I'll go that route. I love the low tech way of doing things! As for torque on the nut - it had to be a misprint 'cause everybody I've talked with says 170 ft. lbs. is plenty for any year. I'll be going to the Harley dealership in Rocky Mount next week to get a final opinion.