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Thanks for the tips! I don't recall seeing in the manual the part about loosening the engine and transmission. I'll have to review it more closely. Here's where I left it last night.
Heads up, you can leave the rotor in place to protect the Stator. If you do remove, pay attention to the washer that goes on top of the rotor and one that goes under it.
They have different thicknesses and are used for primary chain alignment so label them if removed.
After reviewing the links I'm leaning towards the Baker bearing and seal. My first choice would of been the S&S race with an OEM bearing but I have a '94 so the race will not work. I'll buy a race puller since I'm not very good with a grinder.
Some questions:
Do I still use retaining rings with the Baker setup?
What are your thoughts about removing primary side bearing shield to allow oil exposure? Removal of both shields?
Are the James seals (starter seal, Quad & transmission seals) better than the OEM ones?
Last edited by jigoe007; Apr 19, 2021 at 01:16 PM.
Yes to using both snap rings to hold the baker bearing, removing the shield won't hurt anything. I did not have good luck with the Baker seal. It leaked after less than 600-700 miles, but could have been a number of reasons why it failed. Could have been my error, who knows.
Removing both of the shields? Your call, I think at least the inner one makes sense.
I can't say about the James gaskets. Hopefully others will chime in. I have had them work fine, and have had them fail. Sticking with OEM is cheap insurance. I know, OEM is kind of difficult nowadays, especially mail order. Lots of places have closed, and other online places are "not in stock", and it is their busy season.
To all of your questions, the best answer is, "do you want to go back and do it again in a 1000 miles?" So let that help with your decision making.
"I don't recall seeing in the manual the part about loosening the engine and transmission. I'll have to review it more closely."
I'm sure some get away with not loosening the bolts on the mounts, however, it is only 6 bolts and all you have to do is loosen them. You do need to remove the rear muffler to trans mounting bolt (at the pipe) also.
If you have the 1993-1994 factory manual, look at pages 6-14 and 6-15.
Use the hylomar with a new O-ring (the large one) that surrounds the stator housing. Use it on both sides, a light coat on the block side, and a light coat on the inner primary side.
Also, the manual is kind of weak on how to seal up the primary, in the pic below, you run a bead of silicone sealer around the holes that are marked red. You also check/replace the sealant (on the back of the inner primary) on any bolts that are threaded and pass thru the inner primary like the chain adjuster bolts and the one bolt that holds the plastic shifter tube (yellow).
Putting the inner primary on can be a little tricky, so dry fit it a time or two without the large O-ring, no sealant, and no inner primary bearing seal to make sure it all lines up and nothing interferes. Don't forget to put the shifter arm back in the plastic tube before putting the inner back on for the final time.
Great info! I found the passage about loosening the motor and transmission mounts in the installation section on page 232 of the '91 - '98 HD manual. What is the name of the gray colored sealant? My manual only talks about silicone being applied to two bottom inner primary housing bolt holes.
Use permatex ultra black for the black painted parts. If you want gray, then use ultra gray. I have used "The Right Stuff" also, but can't really tell the difference between the two and sometimes it's hard to find in black.
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