Hello all, first post. I just purchased an incredible custom build '78 shovel head (I just posted a pic in another section of this forum) and I think I already screwed things but I'm not sure how I did. It's got a ratchet top 4-speed with an open primary (I think the tranny is a 1965 because the stamp says: 34703 65).

I wanted to change the gear oil - so first I checked the level which seemed very low. Below the level of the "splasher". When I drained it, only about 4 ounces of gear oil came out which I found strange. I added about half a liter, or more of 80/90 Valvoline (non synthetic) gear oil until the level came up about 1/4 inch over the bottom of the splasher... just like the builder recommended... even though it wasn't there to begin with. Took it for a ride and now it's spitting gear oil near the drive sprocket. It's enough so that it's getting on the back wheel. I immediately sucked out the gear oil until it was at the very bottom of the splasher, and it's still leaking. Worse yet, now I think I'm hearing a whining noise - or maybe my senses are heightened...

Either way, I'm reluctant to ride the bike until I can figure out what's going on.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

 

More than likely main seal is leaking which it why it was so low to start with...you filled it up and it started pouring out..common four speed problem...this page shows how to fix it.



http://shovelhead.us/pics/sheets/leakingtranny.pdf

 

go back to i just got the bike from and tell him what you found and see if he will do the right thing and fix it - jz

 

He bought on ebay from a guy 12 or so hours away...cool bike by the way...I would put an air filter on it, unless you want to kill the motor.

 

thanks Tom - your right that is a sweet ride - not going far on fuel an hour between stops kills the sweetness hahahaha ---- the guys on this site can walk you into and out if the seal change its not hard nor is it very time consuming --

the old glass fuel filter is very cool tractor supply has them in stock if you need a new gasket for it or paper filter BTW -- and + 1 on the it needs an air filter

 

Oh wow - thanks for all the feedback, and for posting the picture! You're right... it's about 12 hours away, and I already shipped the bike back 2 weeks after I got it last year (for some other repairs) and waited 9 months to get it back.

Either I will take it to a local shop, or attempt this myself. I already found the modified spacer with the o-ring on eBay from saddlebag rail, and the james super nut sprocket seal. From what I've researched, these are the two best fixes. Is there anything else I should be looking for?

Also, the bottom of my tranny is stamped "34703 65" Does this confirm it's a 1965 tranny?

 

Oh another thing... no air filter... no OIL filter!

I guess I can always add an inline oil filter, but it's pretty easy to keep the oil changed every 500 miles or so! As for the air filter, I'd hate to change the look, but yeah, I'm concerned.

 

No that is just the casting number for the electric start transmission. They are all marked with that number from 1965 to about 1978. If you want to know the year of the transmission look for the code numbers on the right front of the case. it will be a one or more letters and several numbers. Here is the cheat sheet
1965 C and D

1966 D,E,F, and G

1967 D and E

1968 E

1969 E and F

1970 F and G

1971 G and H

1972 H,J, and K

1973 K and L

1974 L,M,and N

1975 N,P, and R

1976 R,T,U, and V

1977 V,W,X

1978 Y,Z

1979 Double Letters

1980 Double Letters

 

as far as what else - the hgh gear bushing might be worn out and that none of the fixes you talk about = can fix - the trans has to come out and apart to repair -- if you can grab the drive gear and walk it around then you might be in that spot for a repair - jz

 

Yikes - I'll keep my fingers crossed that isn't the case. After watching too many YouTube videos about how NOT to pull your clutch basket off, I decided to bring it to a professional.

I am in the process of ordering the spacer with the o-ring now, but unfortunately the shipping is more than the spacer, unless I want to wait 10 days!

Canada...