Here's what i ran into for future searches. Got the builders kit for my Superglide. I took the gearset apart and replaced all the bearings and seals except the trap door with HD parts and used HD gaskets instead of the supplied ultima gaskets. I also replaced the old style shifter pawl that comes with the kit with the Baker anti-overshift unit as the old design has springs that occasionally break. The Baker pawl is similar to the later twin cam style. This took some grinding to the pillow block for clearance but it went in OK. I installed the shifter pawl adjuster that came with the kit. It is a direct replacement for the stock non adjustable one. Had to cut a plug to go in the trap door to keep the long shifter shaft held in place as there was not one supplied and the hole in the trap door is not threaded. I also had to cut the shifter drum spacer down to get the proper sideplay. .002-.010 . I also discovered the screamin eagle six speed end cover that i bought off ebay does not work as the alignment dowels are in the wrong place and there is nothing there to hold the shifter shaft in. I suppose the screamin eagle trap door is a different design than stock. I also replaced the inner primary bearing with the one piece design as i found my inner race had walked up tight against the main drive gear. It's not running yet but it seems to shift good so lets see how a cheap gearset holds up over the long run. I have done everything i could to prevent a failure. Thought this might help someone.

 

PLEASE!!!!! let me know how this works out.

 

For future reference the Baker shifter pawl does work with the Ultima shift drum and seems to shift very well, you just have to clearance the top of the pillow block to allow for full shifter pawl travel on the upshift. Also very important, the spring contacts the side of the pillow block slightly if you don't clearance that also!! This would mean a failure in the long run by the spring wearing through and breaking. Very bad. I can try something like this as i have the tools and the knowledge. Not recommended for the ordinary guy. If it works, fine. If not, well i can go back in and replace it. Seems like most of the problems i have heard of with cheap gearsets are bearings and broken shifter pawl springs. If this fails it ain't no big deal to find a Screamin Eagle gearset and use it. I already have the sidecover. LOL. Primary bearing races do walk. Mine was flush against the main drive gear and i only have a 96HP motor.

 

An update. Bike is running and it shifts really well, goes into gear with no clunk and requires very little effort on the shifter to change gears. Much better then the stock 5 speed with 60,000 miles. I believe this is because of the Baker anti-overshift ratchet pawl i installed instead of the stock Ultima old style pre-2000 pawl. If you just have to use a cheap gearset do yourself a favor and use the Baker shift pawl. It does not take much to adapt it to fit. They are only about $75. Now to find out how it holds up in the long run.

 

Thanks for the update and keep us posted.

 

Well 20,000 miles later it's still going. The stock throwout bearing disintegrated last year and i replaced it with the Baker heavy duty bearing kit. I know some metal got in the transmission but it did not seem to hurt anything.

 

Truckerdave, thanks for updating this thread 5 years after getting your gearset installed! It's now more than a year and a half after your last update..... How many miles on this gearset now, and is it still problem free???