Primary tower gasket leaking
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: Valencia, CA
Yeah it was the gasket with adhesive. I considered the fact that I maybe didn't have the surface cleaned well enough when I stuck it on.
I like the chrome carriage bolt idea though, the plug in the HD kit isn't chrome.
I like the chrome carriage bolt idea though, the plug in the HD kit isn't chrome.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,124
Likes: 255
From: From Long Island, now in So. Cal
The adhesive on the gasket probably doesn't hold up well with the heat and the thermal expansion and contraction of the two covers, and shifts out of place without the shaft in there to prevent it from moving,
It's a pretty common problem: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/showt...eferrerid=9012
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: Valencia, CA
i think it started to shift out of place last week. i was stuck in horrible traffic on the 405, eventually came to a complete stop and had to turn it off it got so hot.
i couldnt find any 9/16" freeze plugs nor any chrome carriage bolts locally so i just RTV'd the **** outta the tower holes and said **** the tower gasket.
i couldnt find any 9/16" freeze plugs nor any chrome carriage bolts locally so i just RTV'd the **** outta the tower holes and said **** the tower gasket.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 736
Likes: 1
From: Iowa
Mine has never leaked either, but mine are not chrome. RTV'd the gasket and torqued it down.
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Supporter
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 15,788
Likes: 5,621
From: along the shore of Mishigami
In the days when there was a removable primary chain inspection cover, two bolts (screws) would go through the cover into two towers on the inner primary. When these two bolts were tighten to torque specs the gaskets were compressed. My shift lever shaft has been covered since my forwards went on 11 years ago and no leaks from that hole. Why? There is a seal around the shaft. Keep in mind my FXD is a 2002 and I realize it is different than yours.
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 509
Likes: 10
From: Bristol, England.
the gasket will continue to slip out of position without a shaft running thru the tower to hold it in place... what I did was took my outer cover to napa and found a freeze plug ... 9/16ths if i remember correctly... tap one into the outer tunnel where it mates to the inner primary, and another into the inner primary.the hole on the inner primary is slightly larger but reduces insize a couple inches in... use the same size plug.. it will slide in loosley until it gets to the reduced size area,,, give it a couple taps with a hammer and a 3/8ths extension or something similar till its in snuggly... wont ever leak again....
Last time I just renewed the gasket but it's leaking again less than a year later.
Have ordered a couple of 9/16 core plugs so hopefully will fix it for the last time now!