Simple, you tighten til it strips and back off 1/4 turn.... Just kidding..

Get a new grade 8 allen and a AN style washer (small washer that just fits under the allen head. I use blue loctite more as a thread lubricant than locker. Clean. Blue LT on the threads, a little molly grease on the washer and allen screw head, Here's the hard part, These arms are stiff and don't like to collapse around the shifter splines. What you need to do is use an allen socket on a 3/8 breaker bar. You tighten the bolt till it feels like it's stripping. It's not. If you keep tightening, it will get tight again. On the second tightness you need to give it a little more and stop. The issue is that the first time it feels like stripping, it's really bending the arm clamp around the splines, second time it gets tight it is actually clamping on the splines. Check by trying to slide the arm off the shaft. You see it move sideways, you are not tight enough.. Start over and go tighter. You can have front to back (ref motorcycle) slop. It's simply some slop in the shifter return spring.

The last 2 HDs I bought used both had the shift arm loose. One belonged to a HD mechanic (10K miles). The other was a rental bike that should have had regular service (14.7K miles). I was able to get them tight. Check em regular. Might take more than once before they stop coming loose.

 

Great info, thanks. Unsure what an 'AN style washer' is.

"You can have front to back (ref motorcycle) slop. It's simply some slop in the shifter return spring. "

That was a big question to me, thanks. As some wiggle/freeplay might not be the lever, rather the shaft.


I can slide the lever left to right on the shaft with the bolt out. Using a breaker bar isn't something I would have imagined using, am afraid of bolt breakage or stripping the threads out. I do have a new Grade 8 allan from HD (picked up last week), could not find at any hardware store.

Did try a Grade 8 hex (using socket easy to tighten)....did it super tight, the lever still wiggled front to back some but that may have been the freeplay in the shaft I asked about, using a breaker you state it will crimp the arm clamp tight around the splines. May give that a try today....

Edit to add: am wondering at what point does one know that lever needs to be replaced....

 

AN stands for Army / Navy but it is simply a narrow OD waster that fit under the screw head.

Yes on the slop. it is more appropriately the mechanism inside the tranny that has a little slop that you are seeing from front to back play. You will also get some in the bushing.

The main problem with the shaft having issues id that the splined shaft and arm do not fit perfect. As a result they come loose. If you keep in it as far as keeping it tight you won't have a problem, The arm which is a little softer well bed into the spline on the shaft and stay tight. If left loose too long, the splines in the arm narrow and arm cannot bed. It will continue to come loose. Catch it early and you may only need to tighten once. If it keeps coming loose after a few trials, it will need replace. Once you get it tight it should last the life of the bike.

This is not an uncommon problem, It's also worth while to check the arm and shift levers on the primary. I've seen the same kind of problem on shift levers for many other motorcycles, not just HD.

 

Thanks, going to try the grade 8 bolt again, and see if the breaker bar makes a difference. Really don't want to pull the entire primary if I don't have too to fix it. I I ever need a belt etc, then easy time to replace as primary would come off then.

Seems ridiculous one cannot remove this lever w/out pulling the entire primary. Have seen the 'better lever' but its $$$$, at that one needs to then 'cut' this OEM one off somehow.

 

worn shifter shaft bushings. Watch the 3:20 mark in the video. Also shows the Jims tool to remove/install.
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