Rear Sprocket Bolts

[Piper]

Has anyone experienced there rear sprocket bolts coming loose after installing a aftermarket chrome rear sprocket cover? Locktite 271 was used and the bolts were torqued to 65ft lbs.Also the bolts were new..............

[Panzer]

Have you tried lock washers with the bolts?

[HIPPO]

Yes.
While one might get lucky, if the bike has enough power the solution is not to use the cover.

Cliff?

[Piper]

That explains it then,54H cams and a retune w/aPCIII picked up about 20HP and 17Ft lbs of tq.....................So that silly little cover is letting the bolts come loose `cause they won`t torque properly?

[HIPPO]

IMO the washers under the bolt heads are a little conical, when torqued they sort of dig into the pulley material. With the cover they dig into the cover, but the cover can slip on the pulley. Once it starts to move it's just a question of time.

[Piper]

Thanks Hippo....................That answers my question.        Now I have to deal w/the customer!

[Phu Cat]

Piper, A buddy at work had his (factory, I think) chrome pulley come loose. Tore up is bike pretty bad.  Wound up having to buy another wheel and pulley.

PC

[Ultrashovel]

If you have the room, you might consider doing what I did on my Shovelhead. I remioved the bolts and changed to studs with chrome cap nuts. While it doesn't have the HP of a later bike, the sprocket doesn't come loose, either.

I don't think the design is very good where they are requiring 65 ft. lbs of torque on a steel fastener that is going into aluminum. The torque should ordinarily be lower anyway and unfortunately, the power put on those bolts by the engine is quite a lot.

The chrome pulley just makes it worse.

Ed: Sir Garfield posted a Bulletin that shows HD has now increased the torque into the aluminum hib to 80 ft. lbs. Good luck on that. Now they'll be stripping them out in the service bay instead of on the road. LOL.

[Clintster]

My co-worker had the bolts shear, it ruined the wheel and pulley.  He was on vacation in Canada, lucked out, nobody got hurt.  His wife was on the back and they were very near a HD dealer.  Throw it away, use it for an ornament, not worth it for a little bling...

[tireater]

Stay away from chrome bolts...Sheared them off getting off the freeway and locked up rear wheel...Wheel and pulley were junk.

[randallwhitman]

A buddy had a nice stock fatboy and decided to bling it up.  Just had to have a chrome wheel pulley.  The idiot that installed it for him neither used any lock washers nor a drop of locktite.  The stupid bolts were probably chrome.  On the way to Sturgis from central Colorado, all the bolts sheared off.  After a three hundred dollar flatbed ride, the Laramie, WY, dealer was able to fix him up the next morning.  He was lucky....the wheel mounting surface wasn't too crapped up.  And, yes, the new bolts went in with lock washers and red locktite.

[HV]

Also HD has increased the TQ specs on all rear sprocket Bolts

[Crotch_Rockets_Suck]

You could also drill small holes in the heads of the bolts and safety-wire them to keep them from turning.  Also looks pretty cool too.

[FSG]

Also HD has increased the TQ specs on all rear sprocket Bolts

HarleyTechTalk > Documents & FAQ's > Instruction Sheets that have been found > HD > Service Bulletins

M-1216, 2008 SERVICE LITERATURE UPDATE