Hello Gentlemen....so my 1984 FXSB arrived and all is great. I was going through the bike and I checked the primary fluid level. None in there but the chain was oiled....did a little digging and found that my bike is running a dry clutch with an oil feed from the pump and returning back to oil tank. My question is how much oil should be in there...it appears that none remains in the primary because the return hole is right at the bottom right of the inner primary. Your advice is appreciated. Cheers

 

the best advice one can give is leave it alone - if the chain is wet and the clutch does not slip - effen with that system and not being aware of how and whats going on would be a disaster

leave well enough alone

the factory book has a chapter on what goes on and how it works

 

Cheers John...don't worry I wasn't about to mess with it, I was just curious about the amount of oil that should be in there. I haven't managed to track down a workshop manual as yet.

 

that late system will only have what you found the early system has more oil actually

same idea different way to do it from the factoy

 

Service and parts manuals are here: http://www.chopcult.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20835

My 83 FLH has the feed and returns lines blocked off and seeps oil from the 'wet' primary pretty badly. Preventing that was probably the reason HD went to the 'dry' primary system. Downside is a higher possibility of oil contamination.

 

true - but every big twin made from 1965 to 1984 every model has the return system - many many many of them have seen well over 100,000 miles and using the original return - sure its iffy in how much debris gets sucked into the oil tank

once every couple years we remove the oil tank and wash it out when its snowing and i think it would be a good idea on a bike like this - but i have seen some with the oil tank spotless and its those that change the oil and filter at low miles between services

 

I agree leave well enough alone. Change your oil often and the stock system will not give you any problems.

 

Yep doing motor and gbox oils now. ..

 

Does a stock 84 have a drip primary and the scavenge return system to the motor oil sump?

 

Yep mine does