Leaking primary question
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,556
Likes: 1,844
From: Albuquerque, NM
Leaking primary question
Hi everyone.
I put a chrome outer primary on my 2007 Street Bob today. It was a used primary that I got from another forum member. It appears to be in immaculate condition.
As per the factory service manual, I installed it with a new gasket. I torqued the bolts in the order specified to 120 inch-pounds. After a short ride of 6 or 8 blocks to test it out, it's leaking like a sieve along the bottom edge.
While torquing the bolts I noticed that 120 in-lb seemed like a really light torque. My first inclination is to re-torque the bolts in order to a higher torque level, but I thought I'd throw it out here first for suggestions.
Thanks
Crazy.
Also posted in the Primary/Transmission/Driveline/Clutch forum.
I put a chrome outer primary on my 2007 Street Bob today. It was a used primary that I got from another forum member. It appears to be in immaculate condition.
As per the factory service manual, I installed it with a new gasket. I torqued the bolts in the order specified to 120 inch-pounds. After a short ride of 6 or 8 blocks to test it out, it's leaking like a sieve along the bottom edge.
While torquing the bolts I noticed that 120 in-lb seemed like a really light torque. My first inclination is to re-torque the bolts in order to a higher torque level, but I thought I'd throw it out here first for suggestions.
Thanks
Crazy.
Also posted in the Primary/Transmission/Driveline/Clutch forum.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,849
Likes: 1,389
From: Florida
First off DO NOT OVER TORUE THE PRIMARY BOLTS. If you do they strip out the inner primary pretty easily and then you will have to buy a new one of those as well. Second thing is now that you have a chrome inner primary the fact that it is chromed makes the properties of the metal outer primary far more slippery. In which case the gasket required needs to be a better one. If you are using a paper or cork gasket invest in one that is silicone. Check and make sure you torqued all of the bolts down in a star pattern not all in a line one after another.
Last edited by misfitJason; May 21, 2011 at 10:53 PM. Reason: bad spelling error
Thread Starter
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,556
Likes: 1,844
From: Albuquerque, NM
Thanks guys. Like I said, I torqued them down in the order that is given in the factory service manual. I didn't over-torque, only to factory specs. I used a new HD gasket from the dealer. I will pull it off and see if it's flat, though.
Any other suggestions?
Crazy
Any other suggestions?
Crazy
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 902
Likes: 3
From: Cincinnati, OH
Did you replace the outer primary with an exact replacement just in a chrome finish? Also, do you have forward controls and what did you do with the mid shifter shaft? The reason I'm asking is I replaced my outer primary with a softail outer primary. They don't have the tube that connects to the inner primary where your mid shifter shaft goes through. I removed that shaft when I did my forward controls. Basically, what ended up happening with me is primary oil was getting up into the tube from the inside of the primary and leaking out the back of the inner primary. It was collecting on each of my lower primary bolts. I had to plug the hole on the backside of the inner primary. This solved my issue but it was difficult to get up in there. Could this be what's happening with you?
Here's a pic of my new outer primary cover. There is no hole for the mid controls.
Here's a pic of my new outer primary cover. There is no hole for the mid controls.
Last edited by fenderzig; May 22, 2011 at 02:20 PM.
Thread Starter
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,556
Likes: 1,844
From: Albuquerque, NM
Did you replace the outer primary with an exact replacement just in a chrome finish? Also, do you have forward controls and what did you do with the mid shifter shaft? The reason I'm asking is I replaced my outer primary with a softail outer primary. They don't have the tube that connects to the inner primary where your mid shifter shaft goes through. I removed that shaft when I did my forward controls. Basically, what ended up happening with me is primary oil was getting up into the tube from the inside of the primary and leaking out the back of the inner primary. It was collecting on each of my lower primary bolts. I had to plug the hole on the backside of the inner primary. This solved my issue but it was difficult to get up in there. Could this be what's happening with you?
Here's a pic of my new outer primary cover. There is no hole for the mid controls.
Here's a pic of my new outer primary cover. There is no hole for the mid controls.
I figured that out yesterday right after I made my last post. The forwards were on it when I bought it, and I didn't realize that the inner primary wasn't plugged. I just put the stocker back on for now. I'm pondering a couple of different ways to plug it. How did you do it?
Thanks
Crazy
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 902
Likes: 3
From: Cincinnati, OH
I figured that out yesterday right after I made my last post. The forwards were on it when I bought it, and I didn't realize that the inner primary wasn't plugged. I just put the stocker back on for now. I'm pondering a couple of different ways to plug it. How did you do it?
Here's what I did:
1. Jack the bike up
2. Took the plug that came with the forward kit and glued it to a long screwdriver with some hot glue (something that breaks away easily)
3. Put some Permatex black gasket on the plug.
4. Reached up and snapped the plug into the hole on the backside of the inner primary. This was a bit of a pain but it did eventually snap in after about 2-3 tries.
I haven't had any leaking since then (500 miles ago) and I check before and after every ride. So far it's held up. In the future, next time I drain my primary, I'm going to plug it from the inside with a dowel rod or something like it.
I have a chrome plug that you can have if you want it. I snapped it into the old outer primary cover but that cover is now sitting in my garage. I'm pretty sure the plug will work on the backside of the inner primary. Let me know...
Last edited by fenderzig; May 23, 2011 at 09:05 AM.
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Thread Starter
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,556
Likes: 1,844
From: Albuquerque, NM
I installed my own forwards and the Harley kit comes with a black plug that you're supposed to use to plug that hole on the backside of the inner primary...that is of course if you take the inner primary off which I didn't. I was hoping I could get by without plugging it but the new softail outer primary made it pretty easy for oil to get into that tube and run out the back of the primary.
Here's what I did:
1. Jack the bike up
2. Took the plug that came with the forward kit and glued it to a long screwdriver with some hot glue (something that breaks away easily)
3. Put some Permatex black gasket on the plug.
4. Reached up and snapped the plug into the hole on the backside of the inner primary. This was a bit of a pain but it did eventually snap in after about 2-3 tries.
I haven't had any leaking since then (500 miles ago) and I check before and after every ride. So far it's held up. In the future, next time I drain my primary, I'm going to plug it from the inside with a dowel rod or something like it.
I have a chrome plug that you can have if you want it. I snapped it into the old outer primary cover but that cover is now sitting in my garage. I'm pretty sure the plug will work on the backside of the inner primary. Let me know...
Here's what I did:
1. Jack the bike up
2. Took the plug that came with the forward kit and glued it to a long screwdriver with some hot glue (something that breaks away easily)
3. Put some Permatex black gasket on the plug.
4. Reached up and snapped the plug into the hole on the backside of the inner primary. This was a bit of a pain but it did eventually snap in after about 2-3 tries.
I haven't had any leaking since then (500 miles ago) and I check before and after every ride. So far it's held up. In the future, next time I drain my primary, I'm going to plug it from the inside with a dowel rod or something like it.
I have a chrome plug that you can have if you want it. I snapped it into the old outer primary cover but that cover is now sitting in my garage. I'm pretty sure the plug will work on the backside of the inner primary. Let me know...
Right now I'm thinking about tapping some threads from the inside, and then screwing in a bolt with some permatex.
Thanks
Crazy
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 902
Likes: 3
From: Cincinnati, OH
So is the chrome plug sized a bit differently than the black plug because I think the black plug snapped it but I have a small bit of nagging doubt because it was covered in permatex so I can't be absolutely sure.
I like you idea idea! I might steal that when I take my outer primary back off
Good luck, man!
I like you idea idea! I might steal that when I take my outer primary back off
Good luck, man!
Last edited by fenderzig; May 23, 2011 at 08:48 PM.