Just realize this particular job is a PITA even for an experienced mechanic with all the right tools. in come cases the pulley locking nut comes right off with an impact gun. in other cases you need to heat it up, or grind away at it to weaken it. I am a huge proponent of DIY, but in this case I recommend ponying up the labor $ to have a dealer do it. If you end up with any leaks and the dealer did it, or if a locknut / tensioner etc comes loose, you have recourse.

Besides - by the time you buy all the right tools, a good impact gun, etc, you'd only be shelling out maybe a hundred more to have the dealer do it.

plan ona weekend if you do it, if you don;t hit any hitches. I'm not trying to ward you off of doing it, just set your expectations accordingly.

And *get a HD service manual* for your year / model - you cannot do this job right without one.

 

I suppose it's possible to remove the pulley nut without the right socket, but I don't know how you'd ever get it torqued back on. I did manage to do the job without the pulley locking tool, but I probably wouldn't recommend it. I used a wood clamp and jammed as tight to the pulley as I could against the swingarm (mines a little different setup, as its a Dyna) and it worked well enough to get it back on, but it was pretty sketchy.

I'm guessing the bearing you're referring to is the inner primary bearing behind the clutch. I don't know of any reason to replace it, but I could be wrong. I didn't replace mine when I did the pulley, just was careful when removing and reinstalling the inner primary.


If you don't have access to a fairly powerful 1/2" impact, then maybe I'd consider taking it to a independent shop. Otherwise, its really not that bad of a job in my opinion. I did the job over the course of a couple weeks during the winter, so time wasn't an issue. But I'd bet if I had all the parts ready to go I could easily do it in a day.

 

Thank you for your input LA Dog. The RPMs at 70 MPH are about -2.46 less than the 30/70 combo and +10.35 RPM higher than stock setup. I believe a sportster 29 tooth may work up front. I really didn't want to get rid of my rear pulley ,because its not bad looking. This will be a winter project.

 

A 29 tooth pulley, if actually available, and if it fits the Breakout, would resuylt in a 10% gearing change versus the stock 32T pulley, and engine RPM at 60 mph would be 2400, and at 70 MPH would be 2800.

Do note though that:
- a 29T might be pushing the limits of the range of axle adjustment at the rear wheel
- a 29T pulley will wear the belt faster, as it flexes the belt notably more than a 30 or 32T pulley on each revolution.

Jim G

 

I calculated that the 131 dyna belt with the 29 pulley would .18 inch or about 3/16 difference in belt adjustment. Very interesting about the belt wear you mentioned, Jim. I really appreciate your input as well. Food for thought .

 

It appears the sportster pulley will not fit. The shaft splines are not the same .Now I have to find out if a five speed pulley will fit a 6 speed

 

Finally getting the bike together after about a month of being apart due to delays with blacking out the front end and some other parts. My bike is about a day away from being back on the road. New sprocket is on, but it looks like I'm gonna need that spacer. The belt is about a 1 millimeter from rubbing the mud guard with the belt tracking all the way to the left. Since I have about a ź" gap on the right side of the pulley (since the belt is quite a bit narrower than the pulley), it will definitely rub when pushing 'er backward, tho the belt did not track to the right when I rotated the wheel backward while up on the jack. Need to give it a test run and see for sure. That will be tonight or tomorrow...





UPDATE:
Got 'er all back together and went for a test run in the evening. Everything seems to be fine. Belt does not seem to rub the mudguard at any height (Shotgun Shock) and belt does NOT track to the right when the bike is rolled backward so, doesn't look like I'll need a spacer, after all; which is a great relief knowing that I won't have to pull the rear tire again, loosen all the bolts already torqued down to 108Nm with thread locker cured and then buy a whole new set of bolts. Phew!
I think I just need to let out the belt adjustment screw about a half turn cause the belt feels a bit tighter than it should at stock height and I can hear that pulley ringing/whining a bit when I let off the throttle.

Torque is excellent. Worth the money paid for the pulley. Might even go with the 30T front pulley sometime soon, but have a pro do the work. I don't think I'm up to the task of pulling the primary myself, nor do I have the tools. Local independent quoted me Ľ30,000 (about $300) for labor, which would be worth it to me. I just bring the pulley and gaskets...

As a side note, I went into the T-Max module before my test ride to adjust speedometer settings for the new pulley. It seems this thing has been set for a 70T pulley this whole time; so, my speedo miles (kms) are likely WAY off, now. I bought this T-Max, 2nd-hand, from a buddy who had it on a Dyna before, but I never thought to go in and change the speedometer settings for my Fatboy with 64T pulley. Thought it would be the same. Never thought about different pulley sizes between different H-D models before reading this thread. I never stop learning from this site, which is why I'm a club member. Invaluable info here for just about all Harley enthusiasts. This particular thread has been a great education in final drive gearing. Thank you LA Dog and everyone else here for your incredible help and input!

 

Good to hear it all worked out !

 

Have you done yours yet? Or are you still planning on it?

 

I did the 30T Andrews but I didn't get the 70T before I left for Europe. OL told me it arrived, so it will be the first thing I do when I get back 8/28 !
Sorry I didn't go to Fuji, how was it ?