[dynageno]

And I still have a small leak. I put my hand up behind the inner primary and feel oil running down. I changed all the seals on the inner and my question is this. Should I have pulled the belt sprocket and changed another seal on the Transmission? The oil is dirty and I put clean oil in the primary after the change. This leads me to believe oil is running down the shaft and hitting the back of the primary, then running down. Anybody help here/ Thanx for your input in advance.

 

[frisco-rigid]

Hi Man

It's certainly poss this additional elusive leak could be Tranny fluid via the Main Trans seal or the Drive gear/main-shaft seal..

Yes, you must remove the Drive Pulley to access the Main Trans Seal but you don't need to remove the Pulley to change the Main Drive Gear oil seal..
It slips in between the Main-shaft and the main drive gear..
About 1.250" OD x .150" cross-section..

I knew a Big Dumb Jerk once that changed the Trans Main Seal about 4 times trying to stop a trans fluid leak until I reali,,,,, ah, I mean till he realized it was that wee Drive gear Seal............

Usually you can smell the diff tween Motor oil and Tranny fluid..

 

[dynageno]

Thanx man, I couldn't find anything in the manual with pic's, but Maybe I missed it somehow. I need to figure out when to take it all apart again. Maybe I should wait till I need a new belt or something. Just have to wait and see how much the drip bothers me.

Does that big nut have to come off on the shaft of is the seal visible in picture 2?

 

[blkfalc4]

Did you change out the pos shifter shaft seal, while you had the inner off?

It's notorious for leaking.

 

[mfalba]

In my experience, oil dripping down the back of the primary and accumulating on the bottom around the area of the primary drain plug is either from the shifter shaft seal, or the main trans seal. However, again in my experience the shifter shaft seal is the usual culprit.

Get yourself a bottle of Redline Shockproof, drain your trans and refill it with the Redline. The Redline is is the same pink color as Pepto-Bismol so if the leak is coming from the trans you'll be able to see it, and if it's coming from the shifter shaft seal, you'll be able to see that also.

Many times if the leak is coming from the mail trans seal, the oil accumulates inside the trans sprocket and you'll see it splattered all around the inside of the sprocket when you pull off the inner primary.

Changing the main trans seal is a royal pain in the ass that either requires a bunch of expensive special tools or a bit of improvisation. That big nut needs to come off along with that pressed on bushing, then there are several seals that need to be replaced in order to do the job right.

I'm betting on the shifter shaft seal!!!

 

[dynageno]

In my experience, oil dripping down the back of the primary and accumulating on the bottom around the area of the primary drain plug is either from the shifter shaft seal, or the main trans seal. However, again in my experience the shifter shaft seal is the usual culprit.

Get yourself a bottle of Redline Shockproof, drain your trans and refill it with the Redline. The Redline is is the same pink color as Pepto-Bismol so if the leak is coming from the trans you'll be able to see it, and if it's coming from the shifter shaft seal, you'll be able to see that also.

Many times if the leak is coming from the mail trans seal, the oil accumulates inside the trans sprocket and you'll see it splattered all around the inside of the sprocket when you pull off the inner primary.

Changing the main trans seal is a royal pain in the ass that either requires a bunch of expensive special tools or a bit of improvisation. That big nut needs to come off along with that pressed on bushing, then there are several seals that need to be replaced in order to do the job right.

I'm betting on the shifter shaft seal!!!

I never noticed any oil on the out side of the sprocket. Do you mean the O ring seal on the shifter shaft tube? I hope my inner primary is does not have a crack in it.

 

[frisco-rigid]

Hi Man

The info and advice about the Shifter Shaft Seal could be Right-On,, be sure to catch that or Eliminate it..

No, the Drive Gear Pulley Left-Hand thread Nut holding the Drive Pulley on (seen in photo 2) does NOT need to be removed to change the Main Drive Gear oil Seal..
It must be removed to change the Trans Main seal as stated before..

In photo 2 you can see where the Main-Shaft slips out of the Main Drive gear,,, about 1.5" from the Nut..

The oil seal I speak of slips onto the Main-shaft and into the space between the main-shaft and the Main Drive gear..
There is a special tool for it's insertion but it can be done carefully with a clean pipe of the same size etc etc etc...........

If I recall correct, it only slips in about .050"..

 

[dynageno]

Hi Man

The info and advice about the Shifter Shaft Seal could be Right-On,, be sure to catch that or Eliminate it..

No, the Drive Gear Pulley Left-Hand thread Nut holding the Drive Pulley on (seen in photo 2) does NOT need to be removed to change the Main Drive Gear oil Seal..
It must be removed to change the Trans Main seal as stated before..

In photo 2 you can see where the Main-Shaft slips out of the Main Drive gear,,, about 1.5" from the Nut..

The oil seal I speak of slips onto the Main-shaft and into the space between the main-shaft and the Main Drive gear..
There is a special tool for it's insertion but it can be done carefully with a clean pipe of the same size etc etc etc...........

If I recall correct, it only slips in about .050"..

Ok, I figured that is where it goes from the way you explained it. I ran my fingers up behind the inner primary from the shifter shaft area all the way back to the rear of the primary. my fingers are clean. If I run my fingers under the back of it near the trans shaft area, that is where the oil is running down. As I recall when I took it all apart, there was some oil on the splines of the trans shaft!

 

[mfalba]

I bet it's the shifter shaft seal. I've owned three bikes and that seal eventually leaked on all of them. Replaced them all with a Cometic seal and no further problems.

Another thing that happened that caused a leak in the same area was on my Softail, the nut that holds on the trans sprocket shook loose. When I removed the lock plate I was able to loosen the nut with my fingers. Had to buy a special socket to tighten it back up, but that was an easy fix.

One other thing you might want to check, is sometimes if your trans has been overfilled, you'll leak fluid from the vent hose on the top of the trans.

 

[Dan89FLSTC]

No, the Drive Gear Pulley Left-Hand thread Nut holding the Drive Pulley on (seen in photo 2) does NOT need to be removed to change the Main Drive Gear oil Seal..

The OP has not stated the year and model, and without knowing that, you can`t say what type thread is on the main drive gear/pulley nut.

 

[Mr Cujo]

Did you replace the bolts and o-rings that hold the inner primary on ??

.

 

[frisco-rigid]

""""The OP has not stated the year and model, and without knowing that, you can`t say what type thread is on the main drive gear/pulley nut.""""


Maybe you can't say Dan..

But perhaps you know which year of HD trannys used a Right-hand nut on the Main Drive Gear..

Take all the time you need..

 

[cwilks]

""""The OP has not stated the year and model, and without knowing that, you can`t say what type thread is on the main drive gear/pulley nut.""""


Maybe you can't say Dan..

But perhaps you know which year of HD trannys used a Right-hand nut on the Main Drive Gear..

Take all the time you need..

that's funny :hystria:

 

[BOUTYM]

Mine leaked constantly since it was new and took a while to figure out were it was coming from. Turned out to be the shifter shaft seal on the tranny. Oil would collect and drip from the primary drain and I must have changed the primary gasket and drain o-ring 3 times trying to stop it.

 

[cwilks]

I'm having the same issue here Geno....put that o-ring in on the motor....put everything back together and still have a small leak (definitely primary fluid).....didn't change the shifter shaft seal (although I have a whole bag of seals...duh)...what I don't get is these seals(tranny and shifter) sit above the fluid line in the primary...how in thee hell do they leak after you shut the motor off and its not flingin fluid around anymore?

 

[dynageno]

The OP has not stated the year and model, and without knowing that, you can`t say what type thread is on the main drive gear/pulley nut.

It's a FXDX 2000 Twin Cam.

 

[dynageno]

I'm having the same issue here Geno....put that o-ring in on the motor....put everything back together and still have a small leak (definitely primary fluid).....didn't change the shifter shaft seal (although I have a whole bag of seals...duh)...what I don't get is these seals(tranny and shifter) sit above the fluid line in the primary...how in thee hell do they leak after you shut the motor off and its not flingin fluid around anymore?

I hear ya. Don't make any sense. I replaced the main shaft seal, starter seal,and the big O ring. I did not use new bolts, but bought new keepers and torqued to Specs. I suspect the leak is coming out of the trans shaft as someone mentioned. I did not know of the seal there, but did find it in the manual. I'll be dammed if I'm taking it apart at this time for that. Let it leak a drip or two a day!

 

[cwilks]

I hear ya. Don't make any sense. I replaced the main shaft seal, starter seal,and the big O ring. I did not use new bolts, but bought new keepers and torqued to Specs. I suspect the leak is coming out of the trans shaft as someone mentioned. I did not know of the seal there, but did find it in the manual. I'll be dammed if I'm taking it apart at this time for that. Let it leak a drip or two a day!

I'm with ya...just reminds me of my shovels

 

[dynageno]

I'm with ya...just reminds me of my shovels

SHOVELS, Shovel's, don't talk to me about Shovel's:redrolf:

 

[Dan89FLSTC]

It's a FXDX 2000 Twin Cam.

2000 is a Left Hand Thread on the main drive gear.