I'm ready to change fluids on my '16 Heritage Softail Classic. The owners manual shows a oil pan with a plug about in the middle. I look under and I see a drain plug between the two shocks towards the front of the shocks. Is between the rear shocks the drain for the transmission ?

 

Do yourself a favor and get you a service manual.
Don't try to save a buck; get the HD manual P/N 99482-16.

As for your immediate help:

 

Thanks Bluraven. Ride On !

 

The answer to your question is yes. And, if you do some Internet searching, you eventually find a shop manual that you can download for free. That's what I did..

 

Do not pull the drain plug out of the oil pan that's in the middle. That is the sump plug. The oil plug is on the right side about 6 inches away from the transmission plug

 

Thanks all. I wasn't going to pull any plugs till I was sure. Funny though, the 2016 Softail owners manual shows the tranny drain being in the middle of what clearly looks like a engine oil pan (small fins and all). But it does show the engine oil drain on the far back right side underneath, kinda like part of the frame.

 

Oil pan that is in the middle?

 

Little hint. I reach up with a 3/8 drive 6" extension and break it. Then pull the ratchet out and slide up 1/2 length or so, the inner tube of a paper towel roll. The shocks hold it up there.

Then, I take my long length ball nose Allen wrench and screw the plug out. Don't dump it on the shocks. Oil or even degreaser is not good on the shock rubber dampers.

You really do not need a Softtail up to do this. Just use paper under a gallon antifreeze container opened on the side. Once you have the fluid draining in the pan, open the dip stick. Raise the bike up level for a few minutes to get it all.

Remember, the level is with stick sitting on top of the transmission. Not screwed in for all I have seen. It's best to top off when hot.

Use 50 W gear oil. Nothing thicker. No motor oil since there is no filter and you do not want high detergent oil.

 

It's directly under the middle of the tank under the motor and there is a small Allen head screw right in the center of it. Do not touch. Also the best transmission oil I have found and a lot of people here use it is the spectro 6-speed. It's about $19 a quart locally and your transmission will thank you

https://www.jakewilson.com/p/4835/-/...hoCSbYQAvD_BwE

 

I replaced the rubber o-rings on all the drain plugs with copper washers