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Hi, I’ve got a Shovelhead rigid frame basket case with a 4 speed ratchet top transmission I’m putting together. The frame is a Maximum Metalworks frame, motor cases are STD and the trans case is aftermarket.
I’ve got the motor mounted and shimmed, placed the transmission in loosely bolted and mount plate shimmed.(one corner .010” shim).
my problem is when I put on the inner primary the four motor mounting bolts are off a bit and the bolts won’t go in. The inner primary needs to rotate clockwise a bit to align the motor bolt holes. Only way to do that would be to get a thinner trans mount plate about 7/16” instead of the 1/2” or shim the motor both front and rear 1/16” higher.
Anyone run into this before? What to do?
Thanks in advance
Mike
Well you have a full load of aftermarket big ticket parts so factory specs are going to be off some in relation to mounts, bosses and machining of things.
Order I go in is this, motor first tighten the rear mount botts and check the front with a feeler gage, shim if needed & torque then repeat the with upper mount, shim as needed to fit clean & square, you nothing to pull or flex on that upper mount.
Leave the trans mount plate loose and the trans studs loose also and I mean threads on the bolts showing sloppy loose on both. Install the primary cover with the 4 bolts to the motor to spec. Then pull in the 4 studs from the trans inside the primary cover, motor, trans and inner primary are now in alignment.
Tighten the trans mount studs through the plate but not plate to frame yet. If things are out that far you'll have air gaps with the underside trans bolts or plate. Time to do some measuring and recording
Determine if it's shimable or since it's an aftermarket frame is something out there you can rework.
I've run across a couple that where the trans mounts were out enough it took 1/4" spacers to make it right, also had cut down one too. Had the motor mounts out of square before too on aftermarket frames.
The older factory shovel manuals had a frame print with specs for mount heights & location dimensioning, helps with the custom stuff sometimes.
Last edited by TwiZted Biker; Apr 15, 2021 at 09:14 PM.
Thanks TwiZted Biker.
I did follow those procedures but it’s not that I need to add shim to the transmission it’s the opposite. Without any shim under the transmission and the transmission sitting on top of the mounting plate, the transmission is a 1/16” too high. The transmission needs to come down further or the motor needs to sit a 1/16” higher.
I’m thinking I’m going to shave a 1/16” off the transmission plate and see how that works out.
Aftermarket frames can be a pain, try find a later stamped trans plate with the tack welded spacers, they are a bit thinner and easier to modify, see them on ebay occasionally cheap.
I wouldn't do a shim on the rear motor mount unless it's welded in place once your happy.
Aftermarket frames can be a pain, try find a later stamped trans plate with the tack welded spacers, they are a bit thinner and easier to modify, see them on ebay occasionally cheap.
I wouldn't do a shim on the rear motor mount unless it's welded in place once your happy.
Actually I have one of those stamped plates with the tacked spacer. I'll remove the spacer and look for some smaller spacers.
And the primary looks lifeline so the bike could be in the mark but that is a stretch
in the end of all of this - the primary need too just slide right into place with no influence any place
with everything tight - if every time you tighten the primary. it you end up different - your influencing something some place
aftermarket frames we send to my guy at 47 industries mike - he re adjusts the entire thing so at any time it can be fixed and or serviced by someone
johnjzjz, thanks for that I'll mod the transplate and if it doesn't go together easy i'll look for whats causing that. I think the thinner plate should work.
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Transmission too high
