When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
What started out to be a simple replacement of the O ring around the alternator to stop a leak has become a total drive train rebuild.the farther I got into the primary the worse things got. It started with a previous thread primary blues and now this one.
I have now replaced the the transmission out put drive sprocket, 22t to 23t, the inner primary, old one being refurbished, the compensator ,new primary chain , new clutch hub, new adjusting shoe and removed the total enclosed oil bath chain system to an open chain witch involves a different wheel ,new sprocket and spacer. The enclosed chain is a good system but this change over will make rear wheel maintenance easier for me. I still have the complete system in storage.
The bike has been on the lift for about 2 months and what has been holding me up is the primary chain rubbing against the adjusting shoe bracket . Tried everything I could think of to get it not to rub. Measured every thing , took it all apart and reassembled , flipped the shoe, tried using old shoe, different new clutch hub, my final solution is to just shim the shoe. Put it all together and see how it works. The weather here in St Louis is very nice for the next week and I want to ride this bike. Pics to follow.
Took all apart and reassemble , even put in a different adjusting block
Measured carefully from alternator and clutch hub to primary gasket surface ,difference needed .060 spacer. Checked sprocket alignment, off between 1/32 and 1/16th, considering chain deflection I would think it would be ok. Flipping the shoe made no difference in the problem. To my surprise spinning the clutch hub produced zero wobble in the clutch basket.
Shimmed the shoe 2mm
Did the same for the top of the bracket on the outside
I now have clearance and button up the primary
My new 36 dollar wheel, new bearings and endplayed set, new chain, sprocket and fancy chrome spacer.
The bike fired right up but started pumping oil out of the crank case breather I think, but then stopped. Why did this happen. I have never had a motorcycle do this.
I road it anyway to get some Pepsi ,about 50 mi away lol. Guess what, it still leaks, but at least it is not an ecological disaster like it used to be.
In your first post, the second picture shows the engine sprocket shaft.
The amount of spline exposed does not look sufficient for the compensating sprocket shaft extension to engage.
It looks like too much spacer or maybe the alternator rotor was not pushed on all the way.
I sure hope you have more engagement than that.
I can't imagine it would last long like that.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
