Top Motor Mount Breaking Bolts

[Mcchet]

I have a problem with my 2009 Harley Tri Glide Trike breaking the top motor mount bolts. Are others having this issue?

 

[pwhoever]

That doesn't sound good at all. Hopefully someone with some knowledge will be along shortly with good advice.

 

[trike lady]

Hello & welcome to Trike Talk Chet.
I may not have an answer right away, but someone may have the correct one.

 

[Zammy]

Hi Chet, welcome to the forums. I know this has been discussed before, right now this is the only thread I found so have a read:

upper engine mounting bolts keep loosing up

Ever since I triked my old Harley I have trouble keeping the upper engine mounting bolts tight, I've used lock washers, red,blue thread lock etc. Anybody else have this problem and what is the solution?:Shrug:

triketalk.com

 

[Gorilla]

Had the same issue on my 2007 107 police conversion. They ended up having to replace the front head.

 

[Old Road Dog]

I have a problem with my 2009 Harley Trike breaking top motor mount bolts are other having this issue?

What's been done to it in the past? Breaking bolts takes a lot of force. All the engine mounts should be inspected/replaced.

 

[trike lady]

What's been done to it in the past? Breaking bolts takes a lot of force. All the engine mounts should be inspected/replaced.

I believe he is on to something. If the trike was purchased used anything could have been to the motor and the mounts. If memory serves me but in the service manual they write about power train alignment.
Maybe this video will help:

View: https://youtu.be/NFEDHfJYL3Q?si=iI9LIUOP64bkwcuu

 

[ROAD DOG]

Do you have picture of the broken bolts? Do they just shear off? or do they loosen up? When the Tri Glides came out the first few years there was problem with the front mount, what I remember {is Shit} But they were replacing the bolts with Grade 8 bolts & lock tight.

 

[trike lady]

After viewing the video, I now understand how the bolt breaks. On the 2 wheeler there is a bit of sway and thus it won't break but on a trike with 2 in the back there is no flexing and thus the force is sent to the weakest member and that being the top motor mount bolt.

 

[ROAD DOG]

Trike Lady & Randy I'm sure you remember on the early Champion trikes you had to reinforce the upper center motor mount on evo motors; they sent you a bracket and a tube of glue to stiffen the mount. I had one break one time on a test ride that was fun, I welded them after that.

 

[Sidecarbill]

This is a problem that rhino2 experienced on his bike and I think was also addressed by jack klarich. Sadly neither post here anymore .

 

[Rogue1]

This is a problem that rhino2 experienced on his bike and I think was also addressed by jack klarich. Sadly neither post here anymore

Come to think of it I haven't seen a post from Jack in quite a while. I wonder what's up with that.

 

[trike lady]

I hope he's okay.
I was not very fond of the idea of using an adhesive to bond a metal bracket on a critical part in order to strengthen it. I think I still may have one of those installation manuals on file from years ago in the dead file.

 

[Mcchet]

What's been done to it in the past? Breaking bolts takes a lot of force. All the engine mounts should be inspected/replaced.

Done and still happening

 

[trike lady]

Did they ever check the power train alignment?

 

[Old Road Dog]

Is there excessive vibration? Like an ginchy flywheel? I think you would notice that. Do the mounts break at idle, rolling in a turn, left/ right? Fore /aft movement.Up down movement.side to side( lateral) movement?