Primary oiling question
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Stage IV
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Primary oiling question
Howdy All,
Newbie here. Been playing with my 1980 FXEF I bought back in 1982. The bike is an un-restored original, for the most part. I've been told there's a way to eliminated the primary chain oiler and return so that you just put oil in the primary, eliminating the return system.
Anyone done this before? Is it a good idea? How do you do it??
Newbie here. Been playing with my 1980 FXEF I bought back in 1982. The bike is an un-restored original, for the most part. I've been told there's a way to eliminated the primary chain oiler and return so that you just put oil in the primary, eliminating the return system.
Anyone done this before? Is it a good idea? How do you do it??
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 632
Likes: 85
1. You disconnect the small chain oiler line from the oil pump. Use the fitting it attached to on the backside of the primary as a vent for the primary (attach a short piece of hose to hang downward.
2. Remove the other lines to and from the primary case. One is mid-level and the other a return line from the bottom rear of the case. Just plug up the holes where the fittings were in the primary. The mid-level is a vent line that is tee'd off a vent line to the oil tank. Just disconnect it from the primary and remove the tee and let this line just run straight to the oil tank. The bottom line on the primary is a return line that goes to the crankcase. Plug off the primary fitting hole and the hole where it goes into the crankcase.
3. Install wet-run clutch plates. Several companies make them. Barnett is popular but I find them a little grabby.
4. Fill the primary with oil up to the clutch basket when the bike is upright. some people use H-D primary oil. Many people use Dexron transmission fluid.
5. Adjust the clutch properly. Loosen the handlever cable. Loosen the locknut on the pressure plate adjuster. Fashion a measuring tool out of something and adjust the pressure plate screw so as to position the clutch actuator arm to be 1/2 inch from the starter motor body when all slack is taken out of it. Tighten the locknut on the pressure plate adjuster screw and adjust the cable and tighten it's locknut.
(I think I got all that right)
Another detailed set of instructions -
http://www.shovelhead.us/specs/oil/oil.htm
I did this conversion about 20 years ago after my primary chain tension shoe disintegrated and polluted the entire oiling system with particles of debris. I can't say that the wet clutch works totally as nicely as the stock dry clutch did but it does fine. I have about 105,000 on the stock motor now.
2. Remove the other lines to and from the primary case. One is mid-level and the other a return line from the bottom rear of the case. Just plug up the holes where the fittings were in the primary. The mid-level is a vent line that is tee'd off a vent line to the oil tank. Just disconnect it from the primary and remove the tee and let this line just run straight to the oil tank. The bottom line on the primary is a return line that goes to the crankcase. Plug off the primary fitting hole and the hole where it goes into the crankcase.
3. Install wet-run clutch plates. Several companies make them. Barnett is popular but I find them a little grabby.
4. Fill the primary with oil up to the clutch basket when the bike is upright. some people use H-D primary oil. Many people use Dexron transmission fluid.
5. Adjust the clutch properly. Loosen the handlever cable. Loosen the locknut on the pressure plate adjuster. Fashion a measuring tool out of something and adjust the pressure plate screw so as to position the clutch actuator arm to be 1/2 inch from the starter motor body when all slack is taken out of it. Tighten the locknut on the pressure plate adjuster screw and adjust the cable and tighten it's locknut.
(I think I got all that right)
Another detailed set of instructions -
http://www.shovelhead.us/specs/oil/oil.htm
I did this conversion about 20 years ago after my primary chain tension shoe disintegrated and polluted the entire oiling system with particles of debris. I can't say that the wet clutch works totally as nicely as the stock dry clutch did but it does fine. I have about 105,000 on the stock motor now.
Last edited by leafman60; Jul 28, 2011 at 09:12 PM.
Thread Starter
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Stage IV
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Great, thanks for the info! I just put a starter drive and ring gear in the old girl. It would have been a perfect time to replace the clutch plates. Oh well, no biggie.
Had a guy tell me about this modification. I was reading in the shop manual about the oil system for the primary and how the return from the primary goes back to the engine oil tank. Seems a little crazy to be running the same oil through the engine that comes from the primary, with all that's going on in there. It seems like a good modification.
Anyone have any good experience with clutch plates they'd recommend?
Had a guy tell me about this modification. I was reading in the shop manual about the oil system for the primary and how the return from the primary goes back to the engine oil tank. Seems a little crazy to be running the same oil through the engine that comes from the primary, with all that's going on in there. It seems like a good modification.
Anyone have any good experience with clutch plates they'd recommend?
Thread Starter
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Stage IV
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Didn't hear back from anyone so I ordered a Rivera Primo. It has an extra friction and steel plate. My steel plates looked a little scoured so I figured I might as well do it all while I'm at it, including the riveted clutch hub friction disc.
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