Some may remember me posting on may 10th about the dealership leaving an oil line loose on my 2018 Tri-Glide after installing an oil filter relo/cooler, and the line blowing off. After that initial post, I have been avoiding giving up information, choosing to wait until everything was completed to report the results. I'll attempt a short chronology of the events:
5/9/18 Picked up bike after 1000 service and install of oil filter relocation/cooler kit, along with PA rear shocks and lift kit. Oil line blew off as I approached my home and light came on just 50 feet or so from my driveway. Dealer picked up bike on 5/10/18, as it had not so good engine noises. Dealer told me that the noise was lifters and they had them in stock, that they would replace them and clean the bike up and have ready for me on 5/11/18.
5/11/18 Dealer called me, lifters did not fix it, they were going to tear top end apart to inspect. I told the Service Advisor that I wanted to view the parts when the top end was apart. Two hours later, he calls back and says top end is apart and they took the cam chest apart to inspect also. I went to the dealership and viewed the parts. Pistons and cylinders scored. Cam and lifters (not new) seemed OK, as well as rocker shafts/bushings. I was told the bottom end was checked and was OK. The pushrods I saw in the tray of parts were fixed length, not adjustable, so it was easy to see that the lifters were not replaced like I was told, or they would have seen the scored cylinders when the had the heads off to replace the lifters. Dealer to install cylinders and pistons. We agreed to install big bore for just a discounted price for parts, no labor charge. Parts to be ordered.
5/25/18 Picked up the bike, was told that all was good and that they did a good long test ride to make sure. I didn't make it 5 miles before the check engine and coolant lamps came on. I pulled into a circle k lot, parked and called them. They sent someone to me, he checked the fans and they were ok. When he opened up the coolant bottle compartment in the right lower fairing to check the coolant, the bottle was BONE DRY, and there were NO LEAKS. This tells me that the "long test ride was a lie". Before I pulled over, I was also noticing that the bike had the power of a Honda 250 Rebel and I was hearing a noise I didn't like that sounded like it was coming from the bottom end. Back to the dealer I go.
When I got to the dealer, I got the service manager to come out and listen to the bike. I am hearing a definate knocking noise (sounded like bottom end), but he says "Well, these engines make funny noises sometimes", you know, the old they all do that routine.........Everything about his body language and tone of voice was telling me that I would get nowhere with him. I left and rode home. Riding home, I found that the bike was not only gutless, but didn't want to rev over 4000 rpms.
I decided to talk to the man whose name is on the sign. It took a few days, but I finally got to speak to him, and he asked me to take the bike to their other store, as the Service Manager there is really great on engines. I agreed and took it in on 6/1/18. This Service Manager was much different to deal with, he actually listened to my concerns, asked pertinent questions, started and listened to the bike, and did say he didn't like what he was hearing. He said they would check into it and call me. The next morning, he called me and said the power loss was sumping and they pulled almost two quarts of oil out of the engine, where max allowable is 6 ounces. He said they would pull the top end back off and cam chest to inspect/check the bottom end. I spoke to him on 6/5 and he said that both he and his engine man checked to bottom end and all of the other parts and can find no issues, they have an oil pump ordered and he did say that now would be the time to do a cam (parts only) as the engine is apart, and they would not charge me for installed the Stage II fuel/ignition mapping.
Got the bike back today and all seems well with a bonus of being a 114 stage II. It runs well and I can detect no unusual noises.
Hopefully this ends the chapter.....sucks that I missed the whole month of May, however. It is one of the two best riding months in Central AZ. We are into summer hibernation now........
YMMV
Lon
5/9/18 Picked up bike after 1000 service and install of oil filter relocation/cooler kit, along with PA rear shocks and lift kit. Oil line blew off as I approached my home and light came on just 50 feet or so from my driveway. Dealer picked up bike on 5/10/18, as it had not so good engine noises. Dealer told me that the noise was lifters and they had them in stock, that they would replace them and clean the bike up and have ready for me on 5/11/18.
5/11/18 Dealer called me, lifters did not fix it, they were going to tear top end apart to inspect. I told the Service Advisor that I wanted to view the parts when the top end was apart. Two hours later, he calls back and says top end is apart and they took the cam chest apart to inspect also. I went to the dealership and viewed the parts. Pistons and cylinders scored. Cam and lifters (not new) seemed OK, as well as rocker shafts/bushings. I was told the bottom end was checked and was OK. The pushrods I saw in the tray of parts were fixed length, not adjustable, so it was easy to see that the lifters were not replaced like I was told, or they would have seen the scored cylinders when the had the heads off to replace the lifters. Dealer to install cylinders and pistons. We agreed to install big bore for just a discounted price for parts, no labor charge. Parts to be ordered.
5/25/18 Picked up the bike, was told that all was good and that they did a good long test ride to make sure. I didn't make it 5 miles before the check engine and coolant lamps came on. I pulled into a circle k lot, parked and called them. They sent someone to me, he checked the fans and they were ok. When he opened up the coolant bottle compartment in the right lower fairing to check the coolant, the bottle was BONE DRY, and there were NO LEAKS. This tells me that the "long test ride was a lie". Before I pulled over, I was also noticing that the bike had the power of a Honda 250 Rebel and I was hearing a noise I didn't like that sounded like it was coming from the bottom end. Back to the dealer I go.
When I got to the dealer, I got the service manager to come out and listen to the bike. I am hearing a definate knocking noise (sounded like bottom end), but he says "Well, these engines make funny noises sometimes", you know, the old they all do that routine.........Everything about his body language and tone of voice was telling me that I would get nowhere with him. I left and rode home. Riding home, I found that the bike was not only gutless, but didn't want to rev over 4000 rpms.
I decided to talk to the man whose name is on the sign. It took a few days, but I finally got to speak to him, and he asked me to take the bike to their other store, as the Service Manager there is really great on engines. I agreed and took it in on 6/1/18. This Service Manager was much different to deal with, he actually listened to my concerns, asked pertinent questions, started and listened to the bike, and did say he didn't like what he was hearing. He said they would check into it and call me. The next morning, he called me and said the power loss was sumping and they pulled almost two quarts of oil out of the engine, where max allowable is 6 ounces. He said they would pull the top end back off and cam chest to inspect/check the bottom end. I spoke to him on 6/5 and he said that both he and his engine man checked to bottom end and all of the other parts and can find no issues, they have an oil pump ordered and he did say that now would be the time to do a cam (parts only) as the engine is apart, and they would not charge me for installed the Stage II fuel/ignition mapping.
Got the bike back today and all seems well with a bonus of being a 114 stage II. It runs well and I can detect no unusual noises.
Hopefully this ends the chapter.....sucks that I missed the whole month of May, however. It is one of the two best riding months in Central AZ. We are into summer hibernation now........
YMMV
Lon
