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I'm the last guy left in the United States running a stock dry clutch. When I rebuilt the primary in mine I replaced the primary chain oiler line, checked to see it was dripping oil on the primary chain at idle, then buttoned up the inspection cover and called it a day. I never considered what should happen when the bike was at revs. If your oiler is starving the chain of oil, the primary chain is going to get real hot and expand a BUNCH. You would hear it slapping the hell out of the cover. I would go for a 30 minute ride then take off the inspection cover and have a look. The chain should be wet, there shouldn't be a ton of oil on the bottom of the cover, and the chain should be about as tight as it was the last time you checked it. You'll know if it was running dry.
I'll make one last statement about dry primarys, then duck behind the bar before you all start hurling your beer bottles at me. HD ran the dry oiling system for many years before redesigning to a wet system on the EVOs. If it was a shitty as most make it out to be, they would have canned it years prior. If you run a wet clutch you're going to be chasing other problems with the primary that you didn't have before. Leave it stock and change your oil AND filter every 2,500 miles.
Thanks Carl! It hasn't melted down yet and I got the usual tablespoon or 2 of oil out the primary drain so it must be getting something. Started chasing down leaky hoses and decided to rebuild the oil pump so can't try the hot inspection but will definitely do that when it's back up.
I'd be more concerned about clutch dust in the oil if it had micro-polished bearings and was spinning at 12,000 RPM's but an old shovelhead running 4,000 RPM's and 60# oil doesn't bother me. Kick only so no starter grinding either.
I would and do remove the primary oiling system from all my Harleys,
with it in place,.all your doing is circulating dirty clutch oil filled with clutch disc residue of all sorts of nasty things you dont want anywhere near ya Engine !!
one of the most stupid things the MoCo did in my book !
remove & block off the feed & return pipes on the back of the primary or loop the two hoses & blank off the oil pump end
the oil system diagram in the workshop manual shows it clearly
Been searching for a week and can't find the answer.
1980 FXS that's been sitting for 15 years. Just got it back on the road over the weekend.
I get oil dripping from the primary oiler at idle like normal (pulled the cover and watched). It stops when revs go up. It has the clear oiler feed off the pump so I can see oil in it at idle but nothing above idle. It even appears to suck oil back into the pump at revs. Oil pressure at engine seems fine. 30 pounds cold start with straight 60 weight and around 5 pounds at 200 degree oil temp at idle. Is it normal to stop oiling the primary at speed?
Blew air through the oiler line and was clear. Oil is flowing through the engine and back to the tank just fine. Oil had tiny bubbles in it after Friday's ride in 90 degree sun. Oil temp was up to 250. Maybe unrelated??
Sounds like it's working OK to me. You don't need a lot of oil in the primary at any given time. Just enough to keep the chain lubed and to sling some around the chain case. Clutches are supposed to run in an oil MIST not in an oil BATH.
remove & block off the feed & return pipes on the back of the primary or loop the two hoses & blank off the oil pump end
the oil system diagram in the workshop manual shows it clearly
Then pop the little seal off of the Clutch pushrod, and Vent right thru the Transmission...Simple is Good...
simpler to leave it as Stock!!!!
BTW as HeyMan states.. no oil bath for clutch... they work best Dry!!! Reason Belt primaries work well!!!
Anyone ever use this setup instead of stock oil pump? If so which setup would be easier?
The oil lines send and return would go on the bottom two holes. Any idea where I could put the pressure switch?
I have fitted a JBROSG oil pump filter end cover to my 78 shovel's S&S oil pump.....fitted great & a real easy install......, firstly they wont fit if your using mid controls, so if ya have mids, swap em out for forwards, otherwise they are great, VERY well made & designed......... direct feed with an easily spun on & off filter, I made a finned heat sink sleeve that slides over the filter to help cooling & for looks,
the feed & return I take underneath & find it cleans it up as you hardly see the oil lines,
the oil pressure switch I fitted on the top of the tappet feed screen hole on the top of the cases so no problems there.... all in all a great bit of kit to keep ya oil clean.
Last edited by magnum45pete; Oct 2, 2022 at 08:35 AM.
