Ok so its not the mainshaft but it is the mainshaft main seal and spacer. Here's whats going on so while doing the refresh on the 5 speed tranny of course I'm going to replace the big mainshaft seal and because the spacer is showing 2 wear lines I decide I better order that as well, so order comes in got the new seal(Jireh #95-736) MAINSHAFT SEAL L 1984/1994 (OEM 12050) and spacer
(Jireh# 96-707) TRANS SPACER L 1984/E 1994 U.S.A. MADE JIMS (OEM 33334-85) both oem numbers out of the harley parts catalog and looked up in the Jireh catalog, all straight forward right?
Wrong first off I install the new seal , done ok , oil up the seal lip put on the quad seal and try to slip spacer on and what the heck, its too long. I take spacer back out and compare to old spacer, what the... the new Jims spacer is not only longer than the old one but also bigger in diameter. So spacer is fine with new seal but too long, probably for a sprocket type drive compared to my belt drive type.
So now I realize that although the old seal and spacer match in hole size they must not be for a 1990 flh 5 speed tranny but perhaps this is what was available last time it was serviced?

Anyone come across this?

 

So it seems the seal and spacer were updated to a 1994 - 2006 larger seal hole size.

 

I was going to say that if you haven't owned the bike from new, it is difficult to know what a PO has done or had done to it. You could possibly have an entire transmission from a later bike, for example.

 

I know there are two types seals before and after 94 for Dynas. Maybe it's the same for your model. HD updated seals in Spring of 1994.

 

what "AlgorNick" said

I ordered a jackshaft seal for my 91 FXSTS 5 speed from Genuine James and I got something completely different than what was on the bike... in fact, although they updated the design, sales person at GJ suggested I stick with the original design because of the way it seated into the primary

odd, to say the least

 

If so, then your pulley is also an upgraded part. The reason that the spacer size changed was because the new design pulley is thicker at the center, so the spacer has to be shorter. The new spacer design also has a larger outside diameter.

I don`t know why these outfits are even selling the old design parts.

 

Dan part of that makes scence or is quite possible. My buddy who is building a trike has a 96 softtail tranny in the frame he fabricated and he bought the sprocket conversion kit ( basicly a splined chain sprocket ) , he had the same length of spacer I had ( short ) and he needed the longer spacer for the sprocket he's using to make up the differnce in spacing.
Speaking of pulley upgraded, I do have the splined mainshaft, hense upgraded 1990 clutch. I really can't see any differnce that can be had with a seal with big hole/thicker spacer compared to smaller seal hole thinner walled spacer as all the spacer does is space the sprocket out. And really as for the seal whole size I figured it was just something new they were trying because it is like this for 94-06 models.

 

The spacer does not just space the pulley out, it supports it.

The newer type seal is a larger outside diameter so that is supports the pulley better, the wider the support on the pulley, the less chance for the pulley to wobble under stress.

 

I second that.....