Hey there Guys !
Bought a 05 FXD with aprox 15,0000 in Nov. Switched all the fluids to Harley's syn over the winter Been riding it every chance I get however Ive got a oil leak thats driving me nuts I cant get the primary to stop leaking.I changed out the o-ring on the drain plug with the change , tried loctite 565 twice. It seems like the drain plug is seeping slightly along with one of the allen bolts that attaches the primary cover to the bike Its not seeping out of the inspection cover though Any thoughts ? More loctite 565 , teflon tape or torque the hell out of them ? Thanks for any & all of the help

 

The first thing is to clean everything really well and determine exactly where the leak is coming from. You mentioned one of the Allen bolts on the primary is leaking. If it is one of the bottom bolts the oil could be running down and under the bike making it appear the drain plug is also leaking. If it is the plug I would inspect the threads on the plug and the engine case for damage. Replace plug or heli coil the case as needed. As far as the Allen bolt in the cover goes you can check to see if it is properly torqued and if it is you will need to pull the cover and replace the gasket. If that is the case you should also check to see if the cover is warped. The bolts have a torque value and a tightening sequence so as to not warp the cover. Hopefully it will be as simple a a new gasket to fix the problem.

 

My money is on the mainshaft bearing seal. It's not expensive but you have to remove the entire primary case to get at it.

Like bobnehoc said clean as much of the mess off and try to determine exactly where the leak originates. He brings some good points and all worth looking into. You can have a look at the bearing behind the case even before you clean it if you get the bike off the ground or lay down or both! It will show if the leak is up high.

If it is the mainshaft seal there are no shortcuts you will have to remove the primary cover, the chain tensioner the compensating sprocket the stator and the clutch pack and finally the inner primary cover. Might as well check the mainshaft bearing while your in there. Everything you need to know is in the manual.

Just a heads up HD will tell you you have to change the steel gasket, don't bother unless it's visibly damaged, but you will have to change the inner primary seal bolts to acheive proper torque value. and avoid leaks. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the replies so far But you guys are saying nothing I want to hear ! Anyone use telfon tape instead of the loctite version ?

 

I would gunk clean it spot less, then take it for a short ride and get a flash light and mirror and look for the leak. Like a leak on a roof looks to be leaking in one spot but coming from another. I had a guy thinking his primary was leaking and it turn out to be a oil line from the pump dripping down the back of the engine.

 

What are you wanting to loctite or Teflon tape?

 

Well Hathers the truth will not lie. We hate to bring bad news, on the bright side you could get asomeone with experience to wrench that for you, it should be about a 2 hour job. Loctite didn't do anything at all because oil will always seep, the loctite can'e set. Teflon won't do squat unless the leak really is from the plug and then you will only have a temporary fix. Like a band aid on a broken arm. Have it done right you'll be better off down the road! "literally". Don't panic find the leak first then the fix.
That already happened to me when my bike was new 8000 miles or so, man I was pissed! luckily I got it done under warranty.
Smile it might not be what I said!
Loctite didn't do anything at all because oil will always seep, the loctite can'e set.

Oh I just remembered, you said you changed oil in all three, it may also be possible the oil was stuck on the derby cover outside the seal, if it's just that you golden haha false alarm! just wipe it down a few times until it's all gone.

JMO if oil is on the bottom allen bolt and the drain plug it is one of the two places i mentioned. But if it were coming from the derby the bottom bolt would remain dry.....sorry, don't shoot the messenger!

 

He thinks his oil drain plug is leaking.

soap and water will do it.

 

Have you tried just replacing the o-ring? If it wasn't leaking til you changed the oil then you could have just damaged it when it was reinstalled. Don't Teflon or loctite it, there's a reason the o-ring is there. Oil it before you put it on the plug

 

sounds like you're having the same problems I am which I believe can be fixed with 2 new primary gaskets and new oil gasket with proper torque and sequence, I just haven't gotten around to mine yet