Yea, I know, the clutch is supposed to be dry and the primary wet. Previous owners mechanic left the cover off and now I know why the clutch was so mushy. Actually didn't shift too bad except for 1st. I just started taking her out after fixing a few things. Pulled the plug and found the primary chain a little too tight, pulled the cover to adjust and found a nicely soaked clutch. New plates comin up! Also, since I'm new to the Ironhead world, how does the oiling system work in the primary??? Manual says to pull the lower plug and that should be the perfect level of oil. There seemed to be a lot more in there than there should be.

 

Hey Slow, What year is the Ironhead ? You should have a drain plug under clutch baskrt! The Combo Primary & Tranny takes 1 qt. total, of 20W-50, or for less Drag, 10W-40, both Synthetic! I thought are Sportsters were WET/

 

Yea Jim, always helps to know the year. 1970 XLH
The manual says "Dry Clutch" hence the cover, or in this case, missing cover..........
Enclosed wet primary chain is my understanding. The proper fill point, according to the manual, is up to the small plug near the front.

My knuck has an oiler that drips on the chain, collects in the bottom of the primary and exits through a drain tube in the back., so the chain is lubed but just a little residual stays. Dry clutch.

 

You may have clutches designed to be run wet. Remove then to inspect them.
Green = fill Red = level screw, Blue = drain plug on bottom the usually strips

 

I guess that's possible but it's mushy taking off in 1st gear, shifts fairly good in the other three. I'll pull it apart to see but I'll probably put it back to being dry, new cover and gasket, dry plates.

 

My iron is an 80 and it is a wet clutch, my 77 i use to have was also a wet , not sure of the 70 year model looks all closed up and dry.

how much fluid came out?
should be a quart or under I think, primary and trans share fluid

when i add fluid I stand the bike up straight on a block open the overflow hole, poor fluid in the fill hole slowly till it comes out the over flow, when it stops coming out its at the right level

 

+1

 

Hey Slow, I know all the late 50's & all 60's Sportsters were dry clutch? I had a Good Friend buy a New XLCH in 69, the last H-D, before AMF bought them? 1970, was the 1st AMF year, I don't know what year they went WET? Good Luck!

 

Just a cursory look on you tube and it seems "1970 and earlier, 1971 and later" so maybe that was the break point, not an expert on Sportster timelines. I know HD was migrating over to AMF in 1970 but I hope most of the good guys were still around when my bike was made.

According to my original service manual, it should be a dry clutch.

 

Ordering new parts for the clutch, hey curious question: The clutch basket has a litle side to side movement. Is this normal or should it be snug? Once inside, it's always good to do things right.