cowpie or rachet top
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4th Gear
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
cowpie or rachet top
Hey Guys Ineed some advice I have a 74 shovel flh and a rachet top tranny thats in rough shape never been opened some bushings are wore it jumps out off gear leaks and on and on. I know a guy that has a nice all chrome rebuilt cow pie tranny. He wants 250.00 and my tranny. Is this fare and whats the better trany is the gearing differant? Could really use some help here Thanks
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,854
Likes: 20
From: Eagle River WI
AND THE ANSWER IS NO ! Do not get into a cow pie trany What is a cow pie ??? The ratchets were the best You can still buy a new one for less then $1300 HD did the cow pie to accommodate the rear belt drives (bad seals etc etc )
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 39
From: NW Florida
I prefer the ratchet top to the 79 and later version. I've used both. It has a few things I don't like about it. You can't feel neutral like you can on the older transmissions, you have to depend on the idiot light. The shift linkage wears out much sooner than the ratchet style. You have to use the 79 and later oil tank/clutch cable bracket as well as the later clutch arm. As far as gearing it depends. If it is from an FX it will have a close ratio set, from an FL it should be the same as yours. Also depending on the model and linkage it might shift backwards. A FX transmission will not have a transmission drive built in and you will have to consider a front wheel speedo. Considering all the above $250 for a rebuilt transmission to get you back on the road is not bad. You could rebuild your own tranny for about the same price unless you have some serious damage. I would open yours and check before I gave up on it.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 21,741
Likes: 17,591
From: Driftless Area
I got a cowpie in my FLH. It's a snarly collection of levers, almost like a Rube Goldberg mousetrap. But, at 160,000 miles plus........no complaints.
If it ever stops working, I will consider a ratchet top. You can't even find many cowpie parts in the J&P catalogue.
If it ever stops working, I will consider a ratchet top. You can't even find many cowpie parts in the J&P catalogue.
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Joey Bruce
Primary/Transmission/Driveline/Clutch
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May 21, 2013 05:42 PM
cow, cowpie, davidson, harley, harleydavidson, linkage, photos, pie, pies, ratchet, shovelhead, top, tranny, trans, transmission
