Primary oil leak
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Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 151
Likes: 0
From: Ireland
Primary oil leak
Hi all,
Had my inner primary bearing replaced [2006 fxdci] and now a month down the line have developed an oil seepage from up in behind the chaincase.....thought it was the drain plug at first so removed that and tidied up with thread tape and a new "o" ring but whatever is leaking is above that and trickling down.....only leaks after i've ridden at least 10 miles and the oil is good and hot and only ever a single drop on garage floor.
Would prefer to try and fix it myself as if i leave it back to workshop i'll be off the road maybe a fortnight.....anyone any ideas where leak might be coming from and would it be easily accessible if i pull the chaincase cover off??
Had my inner primary bearing replaced [2006 fxdci] and now a month down the line have developed an oil seepage from up in behind the chaincase.....thought it was the drain plug at first so removed that and tidied up with thread tape and a new "o" ring but whatever is leaking is above that and trickling down.....only leaks after i've ridden at least 10 miles and the oil is good and hot and only ever a single drop on garage floor.
Would prefer to try and fix it myself as if i leave it back to workshop i'll be off the road maybe a fortnight.....anyone any ideas where leak might be coming from and would it be easily accessible if i pull the chaincase cover off??
Last edited by HoolyNI; Aug 6, 2012 at 11:58 AM.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,226
Likes: 7
From: Junction City, KS
Transmission shift shaft seal...... I've had mine replaced twice. Indy told me to keep it on a jack for about 48 hours sitting level and garaunteed it would stop leaking. Sure as ****, he was right. He said the OEM seal is garbage and gravity will allow a tiny bit out while SITTING..... But not while riding, not sure if this is the case for you, but your mirror pic is quite similar to my leak.......
As my father once said "the only time you worry about a Harley leaking, is when it stops leaking" meaning it's out of fluid!
I also used a UV dye kit in my trams and a black light to identify the leak
As my father once said "the only time you worry about a Harley leaking, is when it stops leaking" meaning it's out of fluid!
I also used a UV dye kit in my trams and a black light to identify the leak
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 151
Likes: 0
From: Ireland
Only other leak i ever had was when the tower gasket moved out of position, which was a simple enough fix....You think its coincidence that this one has developed so soon after the inner primary work?
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 151
Likes: 0
From: Ireland
A bit of an update:
Has been back to workshop twice since my last post [off the road for four weeks] AND still the bloody thing leaking.....fella has changed the inner primary seal twice and replaced the bearing race, thought we'd it fixed this time but just after doing about 50 miles and back of primary gleaming with fresh oil :-(
Has been back to workshop twice since my last post [off the road for four weeks] AND still the bloody thing leaking.....fella has changed the inner primary seal twice and replaced the bearing race, thought we'd it fixed this time but just after doing about 50 miles and back of primary gleaming with fresh oil :-(
my first leak was the starter o ring, the 2nd leak was the inner primary bearing gasket on back... have to pull the inner and outter to get to it. but thats about it, no other special tools or nothing just a lock bar for the primary and secondary bolts
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Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 33
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From: SoCal
Any chance he is reusing the sealing bolts that secure the inner primary to the trans and engine?
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Joined: Oct 2010
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From: Near Frankenmuth, MI
I'm fighting that same battle. Just pulled the outer primary and checked for a bad boot seal on the solenoid. I was hoping it was from the seeping, weeping main gasket and replacing it would stop the issue. It's been one leak after another for me.
I went as far as putting my bike up on the hoist and crawling under it. I attached a q-tip to the end of a screwdriver and swabbed the entire pulley area and could not find the flow.
I'm beginning to think it is the starter seal.
Let me ask you Joe, Can I minimize the tear down if it is the starter seal? Wouldn't I be able to fix it with the inner primary still bolted in place? I don't think I'd even have to remove the primary's insides. The starter, and solenoid are removed before the inner primary. I do think I'll have to take down the pipes to pull the starter.
I had a seal between the input / output shaft leaking, or should I say pouring out real bad and thought it was the IPB seal and bearing had gone bad. The race had but the bearing I just put in was fine. Then on assembly the race ripped the IPB seal and had to go back into again. By this time the new gasket had been overused and leaked, or should I say seeped oil too.
I put up with the drip all summer and I'm just now trying to locate and fix mine. Today's effort failed... Maybe the next time I feel like hunting it down I'll go a few more steps and locate it.
Wish it was the only leak I had to think about!
I went as far as putting my bike up on the hoist and crawling under it. I attached a q-tip to the end of a screwdriver and swabbed the entire pulley area and could not find the flow.
I'm beginning to think it is the starter seal.
Let me ask you Joe, Can I minimize the tear down if it is the starter seal? Wouldn't I be able to fix it with the inner primary still bolted in place? I don't think I'd even have to remove the primary's insides. The starter, and solenoid are removed before the inner primary. I do think I'll have to take down the pipes to pull the starter.
I had a seal between the input / output shaft leaking, or should I say pouring out real bad and thought it was the IPB seal and bearing had gone bad. The race had but the bearing I just put in was fine. Then on assembly the race ripped the IPB seal and had to go back into again. By this time the new gasket had been overused and leaked, or should I say seeped oil too.
I put up with the drip all summer and I'm just now trying to locate and fix mine. Today's effort failed... Maybe the next time I feel like hunting it down I'll go a few more steps and locate it.
Wish it was the only leak I had to think about!
you can tear out the battery box, and try to pull the starter out that way and see if that will work... re using those sealing bolts can cause the leaks as well
when my primary bearing seal went it was just slowly leaking and would blow on my back rim... i got sick of it, opened it up and replaced everythign... EVERYTHING, that worked
i also RTV my primary with the gasket and the tower gasket inside the primary
if it will help you here are some pics of what is under there if it helps... please let me know fi you have any questions at all i am more than happy to help any way i can!
when my primary bearing seal went it was just slowly leaking and would blow on my back rim... i got sick of it, opened it up and replaced everythign... EVERYTHING, that worked
i also RTV my primary with the gasket and the tower gasket inside the primary
if it will help you here are some pics of what is under there if it helps... please let me know fi you have any questions at all i am more than happy to help any way i can!