HD Engine Bearing Failure w/Synthetics?

[paulo57509]

Heard something interesting this morning.....

I'm not a HD owner, but I chat with a few that do own them and I have been told that there have been reports of engine roller bearing failures that have been traced to the use of synthetic engine oils. I don't believe any formal studies have been made that back up the synthetic use claim.

The cause of the failures so I'm told, is the slippery-ness of synthetics allows the roller bearing balls to slide around in the races rather than roll. This sliding then flat-spots the balls and chews up the bearing.

Sounds more like a crappy bearing than an oil problem to me.

Doesn't HD market a Screaming Eagle synthetic oil?

One of the few things I've found in a Goggle search:
rec.motorcycles.harley

 

[Jelly]

quote:

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Originally posted by paulo57509:
the slippery-ness of synthetics

Doesn't HD market a Screaming Eagle synthetic oil?

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The "slippery-ness"...are we talking about lower traction coefficients here?

And no...a properly formulated synthetic engine oil WILL NOT cause bearing failure.

Yes, Harley does market their own synthetic:

 

[DNS]

This is considered an "old wives tale" by most people, and yes, Harley now markets a synthetic oil.

 

[tmorris1]

If the synthetic is "so Slippery" then it shouldn't wear out the parts.

 

[cryptokid]

if it was so slippery that it would cause the roller bearing to skid instead of roll, then it would have to be so slippery that skidding the roller bearing wouldnt hurt it.

this is a fake story.

HOWEVER!!

using a high quality synthetic in a previously neglected engine can cause a chunk of carbon or somthing to dislodge from inside the engine and get caught in a roller bearing and cause it to skid. this is certainly plausable however it is still unlikely. now this cleaning of the engine isnt caused by the synthetic oil, but because USUALLY (and i stress the word usually) synthetic oils are made with better additive packages compared to dino oils.

 

[JohnBrowning]

That is right up their with the moon being made of green cheese! Harley did not have a synthetic to offer so they allowed all kinds of mis-truths to circulate. This is especialy true when they had quality issues under warranty. Once they finaly reliased that they were loseing a lot of money to synthetic oil sales reguardless of their mis-truths they final had someone put togethetr an synthetic oil for them. I am sure they claim that only their synthetic should be used though. See Harley has had a huge shift in demographics over the last 30 years especialy so in the last 10-15 years. Now it is mostly profesional and retiree's buying their Bikes. The education level has gone up tremediously and they are not able to lie and mis-lead their owners as well as in the past.

While I like the look of most Harleys I really hate how they operated for a long time! They really treated their customer base like a bunch of stupid nuckle dragers for a long time.It is also kind of funny since GM was the bigest company pushing front wheel drive and now that they are being forced by competion to build some rear wheel drive cars. They are haveing to back pedal as well on all the propaganda they put out about FWD being supior to rwd etc......


Large corperation will say what ever is convient for them and help them make a profit as long as they can. The only time comopanys are honest is when people force them to be honest after the truth comes out!

The above is just my opion!

 

[Quest]

+1 to that John!

 

[medic]

As the story states, this is a myth.

I have always loved this story. If you think about it, friction would be required to make the bearings spin. If it was too slippery, they would slide. However, once there was enough friction to cause a flat spot on the bearing, it would begin to spin again, and the flat spot would never have a chance to happen. Friction make the bearings spin, more friction would make the bearings flat spot. I'm at a loss for where "too slippery" would fall into this equation.

So, anytime you hear too slippery and wear due to friction in he same statement, chances are 99.9% that it is another myth or lie.

 

[wileyE]

I've heard this "rumor" for years concerning needle bearings, specificly the big end rod bearings in chainsaws and other twostrokes. As the story goes it happens under light load/ high rpm like when your limbing and may over rev the saw? Never heard a problem with the roller crank bearings.

IMO the oil companys brought some of this on themselves with their (misleading) marketing claims. The same marketing also has created a lot of positive myths also.

 

[LVHospiceRN]

quote:

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Originally posted by JohnBrowning:
While I like the look of most Harleys I really hate how they operated for a long time! They really treated their customer base like a bunch of stupid nuckle dragers for a long time.
Large corperation will say what ever is convient for them and help them make a profit as long as they can. The only time comopanys are honest is when people force them to be honest after the truth comes out!The above is just my opion!

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While i too enjoy the looks of Harley, i have been on them since the early 80's, i have no respect for the company. Yes, they upgraded their bikes...and promptly priced the very people that kept the company alive during their lean years right out of the bike market. Some of the dealers that kept the bikes rolling during their horrible build quality years were forced to either move their shop to a new location or upgrade the shop to make it more "yuppie friendly". You want to pay >$30 for a black t shirt with a logo on it? Harley can fix you right up. Many of their dealerships are crammed full of t-shirts, headbands, and other related stuff...and they have three bikes for sale.

Harley here in Las Vegas is the perfect example. Have a brightly lit shop that is crammed full of everything a tourist could possibily want...

If my shadow never darkens another Harley dealers doorstep, that will be fine with me...

Also, just IMHO

darrell
sin city

 

[scooter996]

Harley synthetic oil is only in a Harley package. Citgo used to blend all their oils like Exxon Mobil used to do Hondas. Not sure who Harley is using now though. Good wives tail though. Sounds like Harley didnt want to step to plate and admit a manufacturing or design flaw