Primary leak.
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 377
Likes: 63
From: South Carolina
It is not transmission fluid. It is primary fluid. Looks like when it gets cold I will pull the outer and inner primary and see what's up. Thanks.
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From: Texas
I've never had any luck reusing one
Ghost
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From: here
I know this is going to throw a few folks for a loop but gotta add to this discussion because I struggled with this for a while. Had a similar leak that was definitely primary fluid. Replaced all the seals, bearings, yada yada, still kept leaking. Weird thing was as it got worse I started noticing it on top of the tranny near the back motor mount bolts. It would pool up there as well as dripping down the inside of the primary.
OK, here's the weird bit ... I finally found that it was coming "through the starter motor". The seal around the starter shaft had given out and was allowing oil to travel through the bottom of the motor and come out of the breather hole in the bottom of the motor housing.
Had to share that with all the comments about going as far as replacing the inner primary, thinking it might be warped or something.
Anyway, for whatever it's worth it's easy enough to stick a rag between the starter and tranny and see if it gets bloody.
OK, here's the weird bit ... I finally found that it was coming "through the starter motor". The seal around the starter shaft had given out and was allowing oil to travel through the bottom of the motor and come out of the breather hole in the bottom of the motor housing.
Had to share that with all the comments about going as far as replacing the inner primary, thinking it might be warped or something.
Anyway, for whatever it's worth it's easy enough to stick a rag between the starter and tranny and see if it gets bloody.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 377
Likes: 63
From: South Carolina
I know this is going to throw a few folks for a loop but gotta add to this discussion because I struggled with this for a while. Had a similar leak that was definitely primary fluid. Replaced all the seals, bearings, yada yada, still kept leaking. Weird thing was as it got worse I started noticing it on top of the tranny near the back motor mount bolts. It would pool up there as well as dripping down the inside of the primary.
OK, here's the weird bit ... I finally found that it was coming "through the starter motor". The seal around the starter shaft had given out and was allowing oil to travel through the bottom of the motor and come out of the breather hole in the bottom of the motor housing.
Had to share that with all the comments about going as far as replacing the inner primary, thinking it might be warped or something.
Anyway, for whatever it's worth it's easy enough to stick a rag between the starter and tranny and see if it gets bloody.
OK, here's the weird bit ... I finally found that it was coming "through the starter motor". The seal around the starter shaft had given out and was allowing oil to travel through the bottom of the motor and come out of the breather hole in the bottom of the motor housing.
Had to share that with all the comments about going as far as replacing the inner primary, thinking it might be warped or something.
Anyway, for whatever it's worth it's easy enough to stick a rag between the starter and tranny and see if it gets bloody.
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 377
Likes: 63
From: South Carolina
I fixed her up this past weekend. It was the inner primary seal and inner primary gasket. Both was leaking. It would have been a easy job if the dealer would have gave me the right race. My bike is a 07 wide glide. They gave me a race for a 08 and up wide glide. 06 and 07 dynas have there on race. The mainshaft is about .003 bigger on the 06 and 07 yrs. Go figure. Running great now.
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From: along the shore of Mishigami
The drawing of the trans. case provided by FXD2003 shows an o ring seal that goes around the shifter shaft into the trans. Those will weep and slowly dribble oil out and then it gets blown onto the primary only to dribble down towards the case drain plug. Had that twice on my 02 FXD.
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Joined: Jun 2011
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From: Glendale AZ
I dont even pay attention to the o rings and always lightly coat the threads on all drain plugs with thread sealer and they never leak. I got the idea from my Touring bike tech manual that states to do so.
The drawing of the trans. case provided by FXD2003 shows an o ring seal that goes around the shifter shaft into the trans. Those will weep and slowly dribble oil out and then it gets blown onto the primary only to dribble down towards the case drain plug. Had that twice on my 02 FXD.
Last edited by FXD2003Rider; Nov 1, 2016 at 01:22 PM.
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