My step dad has a 1992 model Softy Custom with the Evo with 39,000 miles with a solo seat, lowered for his short legs and a custom black cherry pearl paint job and he had a guy offer him 7,000 cash for it the other day. Of course he loves the bike and wouldn't sell it. Hope this helps.

 

I go in old fort harley all the time thats probably where i'll take it theres a good indy shop here to River Valley Cycles . I'm a decent wrench on metric bikes older KZ's etc but kinda lost in the Harley stuff ..

 

Well, your first purchase for the bike should be a Genuine H.D. Shop Manual. You can get them from the discount online dealers like BikerBobsStore.com or others. If you can work on the metrics, an Evo will be pretty simple for you. The factory shop manual is pretty well written and explains it all.

 

The symptoms began as an annoying 'spot' of oil under the bike when parked on the side stand. I incorrectly diagnosed it as the outer primary gasket. I recently had installed a chrome outer cover. So I replaced the gasket. Only to have the leak reappear, on and off over the next two months. I was cruising home from York, PA and I heard the squeal and felt the 'miss'. I initially thought I had a wheel bearing going out. The miss was the pulley hitting the inner primary and the squeal was it milling out a groove in the aluminum. Luckily there was a dealer in Chambersburg, PA and they were (luckily) open on Saturday, and they (luckily) had one mechanic working. Who (luckily) got me in/out in under four hours.

To answer the question specifically, the mechanic told me that you only have to reach up under the bike and feel the back side of the pulley for oil. It really doesn't take a lot of movement for the bike to begin leaking, as the pully/nut/lockplate is what holds the transmisson output shaft seal in place. Move the pulley out, even a few thou, and the seal will become ineffective.

The second time it happened was in Daytona, FL. I had parked the bike, and on my 'walk up' to it (I like to check for stuff that doesn't look right), I noticed another quarter size spot of oil under the primary. I knew exactly what it was, and rode the bike back to Kissimmee and had it fixed. That was back in 2002, and I haven't had it loosen again.

This is one of those 'come and go' issues, but it does need attention ASAP. And it isn't a job you want to do on the side of the road or in a parking lot out in BFE.

Hopefully they work on 'older bikes'. Most dealerships don't have anyone that can even spell EVO. And they look at you funny when you mention Shovelhead...

It's a pretty straight forward repair. However, you really will appreciate an impact wrench, because everything has to come off the left side of the bike. Like I said, you really don't want to do this on the side of the road.

Most of the repairs on these bikes are hand tool jobs, with an occassional 'special tool' specific to HD. If you've worked on ricers, you already know how to read a torque wrench...

 

I think your right about what the problem there was a good spot of oil under it this morning . I'm half deaf from running woodworking tools my whole life but it sure sounds like its coming from the primary to me . I talked to Mike the service manager at Old Fort Harley and he said the exact thing you said said , he saw it on alot of evo's ...

 

No trailers, but three candidates, all on the first page: blue Austin A40 (unlikely), dark red Riley Elf (a Mini with a boot and facelift) and a red Austin Mini. Best of luck with your Lotuses, you certainly like to live life on the ragged edge with two of them!

 

If you want to verify, just do like I replied and lay down under the bike, stick your hand up behind the pulley and see if it's wet.

When M&S Cycles in Chambersburg, PA fixed mine (9/29/1996) here's the part numbers back then:
1 - 40210-8SP Sprocket 'upgrade kit' $75.95
1 - 11147 O-Ring $3.95
1 - 34901-85 Gasket $14.95
1.5 quarts primary oil $6.38
1 pint trans oil $3.50
Total Parts $104.73
Shop 'supplies' $2.00
Labor (remember it's 1996) $85.50

Total Repair $203.76

Here's the parts list from Kissimmee Harley-Davidson to repair the leak a second time (10/21/2002):
1 - 34901-85 Gasket $14.95
1 - 11105 O-Ring $.28
1 - 11147A O-Ring $1.75
1 - 12052 Oil Seal $3.20
1 - 12053A Oil $5.65
1 - 31430-93 Thrust Washer $3.60
Total Parts $29.43
Supplies $5.00
Labor (3.5 hours) $210.00

Total Repar $244.42

 

Did what you said there is no oil on the pully . Took it for a ride and listened real close the noise was coming from that area started checking the belt and noticed it was not lined up even close and was kinda loose after aligning it right and tightning it up noise is almost gone . Took it out for a ride and on the way home it blew out the rear head bolt on the rear cylinder . Could'nt find it so had to order one ..

 

Wow!! I bet that was your leak..... Maybe a new bolt will fix your leak...

 

Heard it right before it blew out sounded like an exhaust leak . I had noticed that the head on that bolt was really rusty and the others are'nt i just hope the threads are ok on the stud .