Have a 93 Heritage Classic that I just picked up late last fall. I bought it in Cleveland and rode it to Miami to put it on a boat to get it home. Before leaving Cleveland, I wanted to get it serviced and also needed a new front tire. Since I didn't have any tools or a place to work on it, I took it to a Harley shop just south of there for a 5000 mi service and the tire. I sprung extra for Amsoil in all three holes.

About halfway through the service, the service manager came outside and asked me who quoted me the price and then started going on about how they quoted me Amsoil in one hole and not three, they left the inner tube and rubber sheet that covers the spokes and I don't remember what else. Basically the price jumped from around $500 to over $700. Idiot me was a nice guy and had them talk me through the reason for everything and then asked him what he could do about the price. He cut out some labor hours off the invoice and cut the labor rate and knocked about $150 off which resulted in me paying about $100 over the original quote.

Now the kicker. . . About a couple hundred miles into the trip south, I started hearing what I thought was some valve train noise. The trip was uneventful and I've put a total of about 3000 miles on the bike since having it serviced. The noise has been getting progressively louder and I started looking for what it was. It sounds like a bearing but also has a tick like it's binding at one spot. It runs at the speed of the rear wheel, not the engine.

I opened up the derby cover over the clutch to get a look in there and surprise! no oil. I drained what was in there out and got 9oz although it did look fairly new. Since there's no where for the oil to go but on the ground or through a bad seal into the tranny, I figured the tranny must be over full. I drained the tranny but only got 18oz out.

Now the bike had the engine rebuilt by Harley on the reman program two years before I bought it and the owner only put 2000 miles on it. The engine and tranny look brand new and there are no leaks or even oil spots anywhere on them. I park the bike in the corner of my living room on a tile floor and there has never been a drop of any oil on the floor.

I can only figure that if I'm way short oil in both cases and it didn't leak out that the dealer never finished filling them. It wouldn't surprise me if he had the mechanic stop when they found out the quote was for Amsoil only in the engine when I had asked for it in all three and then never finished filling them after I agreed to pay the extra.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how I could be short so much oil unless it was never put in in the first place? I know I'm partially to blame for trusting that the dealer actually did the work correctly and I should have checked long before now, but whatever bearing is going had started failing just three hours after I picked up the bike. I put a new quart in both the tranny and primary, but the bearing noise still sounds the same. Time to rip apart my tranny.

 

After reading your post, I have a few questions for you. First, amsoil cost about as much as harley syn3 if not less, so I don't understand why this is a problem. Second, you rode your bike from Ohio to Maimi and you logged 3000 miles? Where the hell did you go? I'd like to see some one drive 3000 miles without oil in the primary and tranny.

 

He means 3000 miles since he bought it. He states it had some oil in the components and if Amsoil, being a superior lubricant might have saved major damage. They have tested engines before that had lost all the Amsoil and ran for a long time before failure, being a outstanding oil.
He did say the trip revealed noise, then states it was uneventful...huh?

95 YJ...I think I would drop all the oils and check for metal. If it doesn't have magnetic drain plugs, use strainer-filter, like for paint or dust mask. If it shows NO METAL or reflections in the sun, then I would warm the motor and give it a compression test, just for drill. If okay I would then ride it for further noise evaluations and driveability.
If the transmission had damage, it should show metal signs in the oil. I think the Prim would be okay.
If noise returns....sorry and good luck w/trans.
Something seems very out of place with this entire situation.

 

Haha. Nope, didn't put 3000 miles on it from Cleveland to Miami but did get close to 2000. Didn't exactly ride in a straight line to get there; something about journey and not the destination. . .

Yes, I think something is definitely out of place. . . as in I got screwed over by a dealership where the mechanic didn't take time to put the bike back together correctly. How hard is it to fill three holes with oil and check to make sure the right amount went in?

I had metal stuck to the drain plug in both the primary and tranny. (The primary always has metal due to the chain constantly wearing.) Primary isn't such a big deal to run low. The chain and clutch just need to have some oil on them, not like the engine or tranny. I'm sure my issue is in the trans since the bearing noise runs at tire speed and not engine speed. I've ordered some big sockets to make a trans mainshaft socket tool out of ($100+ is ridiculous for a 7" deep well socket with a bushing inside.) I'll pull the trans out of the bike and have a look. Since I don't want to buy the puller tool for $130, I'll take the trans to the dealer down here and have them replace the bearings inside if that's what it needs. Got half a mind to site there and watch them do it.

 

first drain the amsol out of the tranny and put some Royal purple gear lube in the tranny and see if that quites things down. I am not a fan of engine oil in trannies. Gear and tranny oil has more "shear strength" so it stays on the mating surfaces of gears and moving parts longer than motor oil. Just my two cents worth!!

 

Excellent suggestion. I thought of that too later.

Miacycles, Hey I haven't forgot about the 6 spd deal. I'm in a little stand-still period w/6 spd swap. I have a race car for sale and waiting for check to clear right now. Thought it might sell a little quicker. Still like to do it.

 

which gear weight do you recommend? There's usually 2 at our auto parts store.

 

I run Lucas 85/140 in the trans. Available at almost any parts store.

 

I run Mobil SHC630 in my trans and Mobil 1 synthetic ATF in the primary. Shifts better than when new, and I've had the bike since then (I opened the box.)

Something sure doesn't sound right. Start with fresh oil of the proper type in all locations and then let's see what happens. Yeah, you got took at the shop.

 

Already did that when I opened it up. There's not a lot of choices for oil and gear lube down here so I now have Harley Formula+ in both the trans and primary. Didn't change a thing as far as bearing noise goes.