Harley Davidson Forums - Primary/Transmission/Driveline/Clutch

Dreaded main gear drive seal leak

qclassic — Thu, 21 May 2026 04:18:06 GMT

3 weeks ago while cleaning the chick and seen oil behind the sprocket and I confirmed it is trans fluid sooo i pulled the trans gear set to replace the
main gear drive O-ring .
I did replace all the bearings and new main gear seal So far so good after a ride.

Also I did install advanblack easy pull and there is a good improvement.

XL53c increasing top speed

Thunderboy — Wed, 13 May 2026 14:14:42 GMT

I am considering doing something with the gearing of my 2001 XL53c (883 cc motor), hopefully making it somewhat faster on the highway without compromising the lower gears too much. My concern is that I am a bit heavy, about a 100kg (about 220lbs) but I guess the motor has enough torque to still get me rolling in 1st gear.

My XL53c has the stage1 upgrade, yet it feels a bit slow going comfortably up to aobut 110-120 kmh at highest gear (5th). Pushing it more doesn't do much good. My thought is to replace the rear pulley for a smaller one, and maybe a larger one at the front. Considering my weight and the motor, is it a good idea? I'm not too heavy for a taller gearing with this smaller Harley?

Derby cover gasket help

SciroccoJay — Fri, 08 May 2026 13:27:44 GMT

Hey everyone. Im hoping someone has the same derby cover so they can tell me what gasket I need� 2012 Fatboy Lo 103 with this derby cover

Easy shift bracket

Notgrownup — Thu, 07 May 2026 18:01:05 GMT

I know many are available but I bought this one from EBay for $25. Will report back on function. For $25 I can justify it. it looks and feel like it�s well made and sturdy, the finish is nice. It�s going on my Tri Glide.

What oil do you use for transmission

jwiggle — Thu, 07 May 2026 16:26:04 GMT

Sorry to ask a question that im sure has been asked multiple times. And yes i did do a search in the forum. What oil are you using for the transmission? Same as primary? Thanks in advance for the help. Oh its a 24 street glide

96ci softail primary "noise"

JuzySoftail — Wed, 06 May 2026 15:13:01 GMT

Hi!
I noticed some "noise" from primary at low speed and under lightly loaded engine around 2500 rpm or maybe a bit more. It was like primary chain would be hitting the case. I opened the primary and there are no signs of chain hitting, bolts are tight, the only thing was, that chain was maybe a bit too loose on some spots (maybe 2mm). I'm using man o war compensator and stock tensioner with bump stop.
Is it possible, that the tensioner is making sounds like this?

Noise coming from primary Buzzing/whirring

Hossup — Mon, 04 May 2026 17:00:29 GMT

Greetings,

2006 Softail Deluxe,
I recently replaced both my inner and outer primary, and I am now getting a buzzing/whirring noise from the primary area. The noise does not seem to change with clutch engagement or acceleration. When I shut the engine off, it almost sounds like a squeal, as if something is tight while the engine comes to a stop.

I opened the inspection cover and confirmed the noise is definitely coming from the primary. I then removed the primary cover and did not see anything obviously loose, rubbing, or wearing abnormally. I checked the primary chain adjustment, and it is just over 5/8" upward deflection.

I took the bike for a short ride, about 5 miles. Everything felt smooth and handled normally. Engine noise and wind made it harder to hear while riding, but the noise did not seem to change or go away. When I got back to the garage, it seemed to quiet down slightly, but it was still present.

I have read through several forums and understand that bearings may be a possibility, but I am looking for constructive suggestions on what else to check before assuming the worst.

Has anyone run into a similar buzzing/whirring or shutdown squeal after replacing the inner and outer primary? Any practical checks or troubleshooting steps would be appreciated.

Auto clutch (Rekluse)

Tinker55 — Mon, 04 May 2026 14:07:11 GMT

Apologies if this has been discussed before but I couldn�t find much on it in this section�

I have a problem with my left hand and would be very much helped by installing an auto clutch (Rekluse?); any one done this and prepared to share what your thoughts are?

Thanks in advance, Erik

Do you downshift gears to slow down or just brakes?

Leimy — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:01:31 GMT

Howdy,
I have tried to do a forum search to see if there already is a thread. I can't get good results when using the search options. Maybe its just me.
Recently on a 4 day ride, a discussion came up about slowing down.
One method was to downshift and let the engine start to slow down the speed.
the other method, he said, He pulls in the clutch, does NOT downshift into lower gears and let the clutch out, but rather just relies on his brakes. His comment was brakes are cheaper than gears to replace.

Well... I know what I do. I'm curious what do YOU do and why?
What are your thoughts and ACTUAL EVIDENCE of if downshifting into lower gears is hard on the transmission. ( and I suppose to add is it hard on the engine?)

Clutch cable removal

Beeper72 — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 02:11:58 GMT

If I left my bike on the Jiffy stand would I be able to just take off the transmission cover to remove the cable without having to drain all of the transmission fluid

2018 road glide transmission noise

RicBlack — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 23:03:38 GMT

I have a 2018 Harley Davidson Road Glide 107 M8. At 33,000 miles I noticed my transmission fluid was disappearing and figured out it was being sucked into the primary. I refill and rode the bike two or three times before installing the inner primary vent kit from Harley Davidson. The suction problem has been cured but now the transmission is making a lot of noise, but it�s shifting fine. It sounds like something�s loose inside when it�s running. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

1976 superglide shifting issues

squidman88 — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:10:34 GMT

I've been working on a 76 FXE and looking for a second opinion on shifting issues. I feel like it's a clutch issue but I pulled it apart multiple times this winter and couldn't find any problems.

Symptoms
- very rough shifting when bike is running (easy to shift when bike is off). Stomping the shift lever is the only way to shift when running. Lots of buzzing too if I try to shift without stomping on the thing
- impossible to find neutral when running
- bike pulls a little in 1st when running and clutch is pulled in

What I've done
- repaired and adjusted clutch and shifting linkage to manual spec (I had to adjust later and put way more tension on clutch cable so the bike would shift at all)
- removed, cleaned, and inspected release disk, clutch hub, and drum
- replaced clutch plates and springs
- adjusted clutch adjustment screw to spec (half turn out)

At this point, my plan is to pull the transmission (4speed ratchet top) and check the shift forks for damage/warping. Ya'll have any other ideas of what to check?

HB125-07 primary chain tensioner

Beeper72 — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:01:36 GMT

Is anyone tried Southern Oregon hot bikes HB 125-07 primary chain tensioner? If so what is everyone's experiences with it that have it installed? Is it worth the money?

2019 roadglide primary oil

ultraglide12 — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 21:57:44 GMT

Just wondering my buddies 19 recommended primary oil is 80/140 so he got some from hd and was not happy 40 dollars for a liter and said it was 160 for filter,engine oil,primary from hd so he is thinking of changing brands what you guys using.i just use drag specialty primary oil in my twin cam but his calls for other