No 5th gear....need help please!
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Stage III
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 3
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From: Clarksville, TN
No 5th gear....need help please!
2003 Harley Davidson 883c Anniversary Edition
Ok guys not only am I new to the forums, I am also new to HD. Just bought a 2003 883c anniversary that needed a little work I was told. After replacing clutch cable, new primary shoe due to old one being melted into a ball of plastic.adjusted clutch, cable and reassembled everything. On test drive everything works great, clutch, shifter etc.....EXCEPT 5th gear! At first it was making a grinding noise in 5th gear only but was pulling, after another couple of test runs now 5th gear seems like neutral. Any ideas?
Ok guys not only am I new to the forums, I am also new to HD. Just bought a 2003 883c anniversary that needed a little work I was told. After replacing clutch cable, new primary shoe due to old one being melted into a ball of plastic.adjusted clutch, cable and reassembled everything. On test drive everything works great, clutch, shifter etc.....EXCEPT 5th gear! At first it was making a grinding noise in 5th gear only but was pulling, after another couple of test runs now 5th gear seems like neutral. Any ideas?
HDF Community Team
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 8,601
Likes: 4,037
From: San Diego, CA
Oviously, re-adjust everything first and double check it. Then, if still an issue:
You may have to pull the clutch hub, chain, and front sprocket and inspect the shift drum and linkage before pulling the transmission if necessary. There is a thing called the detent plate which is held by a crappy clip, and the little pins may have come forward or detent plate wobbling. After that, the transmission can be pulled, I believe you don't even have to pull the belt sprocket off the drive shaft on the right side, but I could be wrong. Perhaps a bent shift fork? IDK
You are very lucky with a 2003 for sure. One year later and your entire engine would have to come apart to fix the transmission. You dodged a bullet there as a new Sportster owner. 2003 is a great year, last of the rigid mount engines. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.
Worst case scenario, your transmission just pulls out in one unit, easy peasy. Sportsters have strong transmissions so hopefully it's minor.
Good luck and welcome aboard.
John
You may have to pull the clutch hub, chain, and front sprocket and inspect the shift drum and linkage before pulling the transmission if necessary. There is a thing called the detent plate which is held by a crappy clip, and the little pins may have come forward or detent plate wobbling. After that, the transmission can be pulled, I believe you don't even have to pull the belt sprocket off the drive shaft on the right side, but I could be wrong. Perhaps a bent shift fork? IDK
You are very lucky with a 2003 for sure. One year later and your entire engine would have to come apart to fix the transmission. You dodged a bullet there as a new Sportster owner. 2003 is a great year, last of the rigid mount engines. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.
Worst case scenario, your transmission just pulls out in one unit, easy peasy. Sportsters have strong transmissions so hopefully it's minor.
Good luck and welcome aboard.
John
Last edited by John Harper; Mar 18, 2018 at 09:19 PM.
Thread Starter
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Stage III
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 3
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From: Clarksville, TN
ok so let me give better detail. First thing I did was remove drain plug in primary and not 1 drop of oil came out. The bike had been sitting outside for 9 months under a tarp when I bought it. I was told the tensioner was bad, and boy was he right. The tensioner was almost totally gone, it was melted into a big ball of plastic. A friend that has rode and worked on Harleys his whole life was worried about the clutch plates being bad due to no oil. Does it sound like maybe that's what happen to my 5th gear? When he first test rode it he said it was grinding but it was pulling, but when I test rode it it just revved up once I shifted to 5th, but we were shifting into 5th at pretty low speeds.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 8,601
Likes: 4,037
From: San Diego, CA
ok so let me give better detail. First thing I did was remove drain plug in primary and not 1 drop of oil came out. The bike had been sitting outside for 9 months under a tarp when I bought it. I was told the tensioner was bad, and boy was he right. The tensioner was almost totally gone, it was melted into a big ball of plastic. A friend that has rode and worked on Harleys his whole life was worried about the clutch plates being bad due to no oil. Does it sound like maybe that's what happen to my 5th gear? When he first test rode it he said it was grinding but it was pulling, but when I test rode it it just revved up once I shifted to 5th, but we were shifting into 5th at pretty low speeds.
Your friend may have ridden Big Twins, with separate oil for the transmission. They are nothing like a Sportster engine. Good luck.
John
Last edited by John Harper; Mar 19, 2018 at 08:18 AM.
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