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Hey all, after a hard ride last week my bike developed a very consistent oil leak. I don’t yet know exactly where it’s coming from, but I do know that I’ll need to remove the entire primary to find it.
Before I tear into it, I want to order all the gaskets I need to reassemble the primary, (and fix the mystery leak).
Can someone help me out with a quick list of all the gaskets and oil seals I’ll need to do the job? I wanna make sure I order a kit with everything I need.
The bike is a 99 FXDS-C with the 88TwinCam.
Thanks!
Cometic makes nice primary kits. I used one a couple of years ago. I like their gaskets, they're usually very high quality (nicer than James, I think). Here's an example (verify which one you need, and check prices at other vendors. Most of the big online retailers carry these):
Or, go to your dealer and hope someone at the parts counter knows what they're doing. When I've needed a bunch of OEM items (like for my fork rebuild), I use an online parts finder (like this one from Ronnie's, but there are others: http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.....asp?make=hdmc). I picked out everything I thought I needed, added it to my cart, printed it, and went to my local dealer with the printout. Sometimes they'll actually price match (or close) when you hand them a list with pricing...
Nothing beats the OEM three layer V shape cover gasket. Would be a great idea to clean up and make sure where leak is coming from. Could be transmission at a couple of places or even oil filter.
Don't tear into things that are not broke. I always add just the thinest film of Permatex Black RTV on each side of that big gaskets while on a layer of cardboard. Tighten in correct order. (center out) Let it dry 24 hours and that little rubber band that squeezes will roll off. Do not try to clean before it dries.
Resnug by hand after first heat cycle in correct order.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Nov 15, 2019 at 10:54 AM.
Right on guys! I appreciate the help. I did get the bike cleaned up and I can’t yet pinpoint the leak, but it’s dripping onto the jiffy stand and coming from somewhere between the primary and engine block...somewhere near the aft cylinder.
I agree with not tearing into anything that doesn’t need work, but it seems logical to remove the primary to find the leak.
Engine, tranny, and primary fluids are all still full, so the leak isn’t enough to cause a low oil symptom in any of the cases (which would lead me in the right direction), but there is enough oil on the ground to cause concern.
Again, thanks for the help and the links!
I had a similar leak in my 2000 WG, turned out the nut holding the drive sprocket stripped off the main drive gear, resulting vibration damaged the seal, causing the leak. Don't forget the 2 little fabric wagers that sit on the posts on the inner cover.
typo washers, not wagers.
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Primary rebuild kit
