Overtight Drive Belt

[NutzNboltz]

Help Anybody.
Left my 100th Anniversary Ultra in for a service yeasterday. They said the drive belt was extremely tight so they adjusted it. When I rode it the engine was noisy, coming form the bottom. They are the same dealer who put a back tire on it a month ago so wold have tightened the belt but nobody is saying what the damage could be. Can anybody tell me what damage is likely to have occurred and what it is going to involve. I'm due to go a a long road trip next week and need to get this sorted quickly.

Thanks for any help.

Willie

[fastphil]

are you saying it is still noisy after they adjusted it? When that belt is too tight you can really hear it hum, but you shouldnt hear any other bad noises. When its hot I guess the pulleys grow so if it was set a little tight when cold it gets tighter when hot. And just like a chain you need to adjust it at the tightest spot.

[NutzNboltz]

Yes, the engine was sweet before they adjusted it but nowit's noisy. I'm worried that it was so tight before it wore the main bearings and now that it's looser the flywheel is rattling. What do you think? I'm not a techie.

[fastphil]

well a tight drive belt cant hurt the motor because they are not connected. But beyond that I cant comment because I havent seen a bad problem develop from a tight belt so wont speculate. I would start by taking it back to the dealer. Maybe something is loose or mis-aligned. Crossing my fingers for you that it is simple to fix.

[NutzNboltz]

Thanks anyway FastPhil. Went back to the dealer today and they reckon that the noise is coming from the primary but why would it suddenly appear I ask. The engine vibration is really uncomfortable over 50 mph.

[Dennis The Menace]

How many miles on the drivetrain?  Just wondering if there is a lot of tooth wear on the pulley or sprocket.

Just trying to think with my Dipstick, Jimmy.  lol  (sorry, had to do it)

menace

[mtnmotorrider]

About the only thing an overtight drive belt can damage, besides for the belt itself, is the transmission output shaft seal.  It it was damaged you'd know it; it would be leaking tranny fluid.  No way can an overtight belt affect your primary drive system.  I would investigate your engine's output shaft compensator.

[NutzNboltz]

Dennis, your forgiven if you can help. 27,000 miles on the motor.
Engine hunts in idle from 900-1100 revs. appears to be running on one cylinder but not. Exhausts heat up much quicker than normal. Has problems accelerating as appears to stuggle and seems to have less torque on climbing hills etc. Had the battery replaced during the service. Could the mechanic have shorted out the fuel relay or something simple like that or am I just wishing it is?

[NutzNboltz]

About the only thing an overtight drive belt can damage, besides for the belt itself, is the transmission output shaft seal.  It it was damaged you'd know it; it would be leaking tranny fluid.  No way can an overtight belt affect your primary drive system.  I would investigate your engine's output shaft compensator.

Can you explain what effect this would have on vibration, performance etc, Cheers

[7hogs]

Check the ground and + on the battery. Make sure they are tight.

[Dennis The Menace]

Willie, if they also replaced the battery, who knows what they might have knocked loose or something.  I had a 03 Ultra too, and the fuel pump lost pressure when they did a service.  Took me a long time to figure out that issue.  It ran poor and lacked power, but I didnt have any vibrations.

Might check to be sure the ECM is fully seated.  Long shot, but they may have had stuff apart there.  Check the plug wires and be sure they are making good contact with the plugs.  Also, look at the wiring in the battery area as well as side covers area, and check the fuzes too.

That is all I can think of to check on mine, if it were doing this.  It kind of seems like sporadic fuel delivery or maybe electrical shorting or something.  Would be nice if the shop looked it over for you, since they may have done something to cause it during the service.

Dennis

[HVYMTL6]

If it hunts at idle I would check for an intake leak.

[Rags722]

Hummm, battery disconnected and now it runs crappy.  My bet would be something happened to the ECU when they pulled the hot lead first instead of the ground ( or vise versa on the reconnect) and got an arc.  That or during the service they left a plug wire loose, or lubed the cables and dorked up the initial idle setting..... or just forgot to put oil back in the bike, ...... or reved the piss out of it and did some damage right after the first start with the new battery to check something.  Then again, if it was a full service, they may have the primary so loose it's causing a vibration.  Now I remember why my bike never goes to the dealer for service!

Rags

[mtnmotorrider]

A loose compensator can cause vibration as well as knocking, rattling noises that sound like they are coming from the engine cases.  From your symptoms, you have more problems then that.  Who the hell works on your bike?  I'd go back there and demand they straighten it out.   'Course, I don't go to dealers or indies, I do it all myself.  That way, I know it's done right and who to blame if it isn't!