ATF in primary - B&M vs ATF+4
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 22,999
Likes: 11,439
HD F+ works just fine and many 1000's of miles never any of the compensator problems so many seem to have with all these fancy lubes in Primary.
Primary is nothing special. Wet clutch and chain.
When people say something works in cold weather ,they need to define cold. Cold to some is just another nice day. Riding in below zero is cold. 30 degrees is not.
Primary is nothing special. Wet clutch and chain.
When people say something works in cold weather ,they need to define cold. Cold to some is just another nice day. Riding in below zero is cold. 30 degrees is not.
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,522
Likes: 351
From: Holly Springs, North Carolina
No beatdown here. I've tried a bunch of different fluids, and I keep coming back to Formula +. It's got the best clutch feel hands-down, and it'll do a far better job of protecting the compensator than ATF well.
Run whatever you want in your bike, doesn't mean a thing to me. I don't hate ATF, I just know that I had lousy shift feel and went through two compensators while I was experimenting with it.
Run whatever you want in your bike, doesn't mean a thing to me. I don't hate ATF, I just know that I had lousy shift feel and went through two compensators while I was experimenting with it.
I've tried others, but good ole Formula+ works best for me.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,433
Likes: 383
From: Arkansastan
Yes, resurrection of an older thread, but one that got me thinking.. Of all the fluids used in the primaries, and all the horror stories of late model SE compensators taking a dump, How many have reported failed compensators while using ATF VS other fluid like F+ or regular oil?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
Yes, resurrection of an older thread, but one that got me thinking.. Of all the fluids used in the primaries, and all the horror stories of late model SE compensators taking a dump, How many have reported failed compensators while using ATF VS other fluid like F+ or regular oil?
for the primary, I used shell rotella t 15w-40. it is jaso rated for wet clutch use while the supertech is not. don't know if that is going to make any difference (obviously in your case it hasn't) but I feel better about it knowing that there aren't any detrimental friction modifiers in it.
you pay $2.44 qt, I pay $13 a gal. only slightly more, but I think we're both way ahead of the $10+ per qt guys
oh, and I've never had any compensator issues on any of my bikes, though to be fair, I've seemed to trade them all in around 40,000 miles
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 9,239
Likes: 3,261
From: west Michigan
If I was buying a used Harley, and if the seller told me that he ran ATF in the Primary, I'd walk away.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,814
Likes: 1,968
From: Lake of the Ozarks
while I have never used the Walmart oil in my primary, I have used their gear oil in my tranny. full synthetic, less than $10 for a quart. made by the same folks that make h-d oil (citgo)
for the primary, I used shell rotella t 15w-40. it is jaso rated for wet clutch use while the supertech is not. don't know if that is going to make any difference (obviously in your case it hasn't) but I feel better about it knowing that there aren't any detrimental friction modifiers in it.
you pay $2.44 qt, I pay $13 a gal. only slightly more, but I think we're both way ahead of the $10+ per qt guys
oh, and I've never had any compensator issues on any of my bikes, though to be fair, I've seemed to trade them all in around 40,000 miles
for the primary, I used shell rotella t 15w-40. it is jaso rated for wet clutch use while the supertech is not. don't know if that is going to make any difference (obviously in your case it hasn't) but I feel better about it knowing that there aren't any detrimental friction modifiers in it.
you pay $2.44 qt, I pay $13 a gal. only slightly more, but I think we're both way ahead of the $10+ per qt guys
oh, and I've never had any compensator issues on any of my bikes, though to be fair, I've seemed to trade them all in around 40,000 miles
