i have a 2016 softail slim and noticed the shifter is loose and the bolts are tight. does it have a bushing inside the housing or just the shaft needs replacing. this brings me to another question on where do i get a service manual or can you recommend one i can download.

 

Look at ronnies.com...great parts microfiche. Im in the same boat as you. I have my heal shifter on just for looks...id use it occasionally to shift into 5th or 6th. I didnt like using it because ive heard all the storiez how heavy footing the shifter can strip out the shaft or the shifter lever itself. So i got some new work boots about a week ago...had to get a different brand because the redwing store is closed due to corona. So the new boots wont fit between my heel shifter and my highway pegs. So ive been using the heel shifter. Out on a ride saturday i noticed the shifter seemed to be a little funky...thats a word right?...after pulling away from a stop sign it wouldnt shitft into second gear. I pulled over and i was able to tighten the bolt on the shifter lever enough to get me home. I ordered a shift shaft and the inner lever. I probably could have drilled it and either tapped it for a bolt or maybe a roll pin but its still a nice bike so for 50 bucks why not fix it right? Oh yeah and the online pdf manuals are considered pirated material and is highly frowned upon here. Check out one of the many online discount dealers for factory service manual, honeslty its worth it. Try surdyke, new castle and im sure theres others.

 

Think about how the shifter works. Once you push on it in one direction, that slop goes away. Hurts nothing. In fact, on a Harley gear box, it helps since it allows the slight dovetail angle on transmission dog engagement to drawl in.

Some of the China spherical bearing type (ones with plastic bushings) are too tight and cause failed engagement and miss-shifts.

 

If you are talking about the foot shifter shaft, on the front of the primary, yes there are replaceable bearings... But new bearings will still wiggle a little, make sure the old ones are actually worn out.

Before changing the bearings, make sure the play isn't from the shaft that attaches to your transmission, behind the primary... there have been some issues with that shaft to spline attachment point. That repair a bit harder to deal with...

I switched my '01 FXSTS to a heel/toe shifter to match my '03 Heritage & '16 Bagger.... all now have heel/toe shifters. I really like them, and have been using them exclusively on 4 different bikes since 2003... As long as you don't STOMP on the shifter like you're killing bugs, the bearings for the foot shifters should last a good long time. Stomping can also strip the splines on the levers. Their metal is softer and supposed to give first...

I changed the bearings on two bikes, one bagger & one softail... both bought used, probably stomped on by prior owner. The bearings on my 2003 Heritage, that I have owned since new and never stomped on, are still good.

You can remove the foot shifter mechanism easily....

On a bagger, there is a tool that makes the bearing change easy, but it is the wrong size for the bearings on my older softails...

On a softail, the foot shifter shaft mounts to the jiffy stand/shift lever/footboard bracket.... I did not have a specific tool for that, so when I replaced them on the used softail, I used a bushing driver to remove the old bushings... then a long bolt, nut, and two washers (appropriately sized) to press the new bearings into place... I learned that trying to press the new bearings into place one at a time, makes it much easier to maintain proper alignment of the bearing while it's being pressed in, with less chance of a bearing(s) going cockeyed and getting damaged, than if trying to press both in at the same time with washers, instead of the proper tool...

For the OP... as for your service manual... stick with the Harley Factory Service Manuals... they are more $$$, but are far better than Clymer, Haynes, or other off brands...

Look up the part number for the appropriate Service Manual (it is usually in the last pages of the owner's manual) and check online vendors for best price for a new one... You can also check on eBay for a used one, but beware... While searching for Service manuals, I have found more than a few used ones on eBay selling for more than a new one from an online vendor..

Another suggestion for the OP.... For every bike I have owned, I have purchased a Harley Service Manual, Parts Manual, and Electrical Diagnostic Manual... the Service Manual pays for itself in short order. The Parts Manual allows me to go online, or to a dealer, knowing what part I need... Plus I am a visual person, so the exploded diagrams in the Parts Manual, paired with the directions in the Service Manual help when I tackle a repair for the first time. The Electrical Diagnostic Manuals are used the least... but when needed, they are worth their weight in gold...

Good luck with the repair...

 

big thanks for the ronnies.com link ,they did better service than my states hd dealers. got everything i needed at a reasonable price