Thanks. The grandson only put a few of the parts on, but he's learning. I'll be darned lucky to be around when he's old enough to ride (62 years older than him), and probably won't be able to help with his first generation of bikes, but an awful lot of it is just attitude and confidence; that's what I hope to give him while I can. His Mom would be able to help; brought her up right too!

 

Fitted the clutch mod yesterday as my clutch was playing up doing some weird crap in first gear when you let the clutch out.

It has an easy clutch mod fitted ( apparently ) and now the clutch is feather light and working great, also found out why the gear lever was drooping, this was down to the spring in the internal lever assembly being near the point of being broken, and actually broke when I removed it.

I use a proper clutch spring plate release tool, it was very expensive, but saves a lot of work and messing about, you can make your own tools, and some are cheap to buy but not as good, one tool I saw requires you to remove the whole clutch housing, which I had to anyway to get to the lever springs.

The reason I bought the clutch tool was that in future when I have to change plates on big twins or sportster in the future I wont have the drama and will have the best tool for the job.

 

Yes sir...I am a huge fan of using the proper tool for any job. Heck, buying the clutch spring compressor and using it only one time is still saving you $$$ over having the dealership do the work...plus, now you know how to do the job!

BTW: If you ever have to remove the engine sprocket nut (HD tightens this to 240-260 ft-lbs w/red Loctite on the 2012 models) try to use the correct tool here too. I have heard of guys going at this nut with 4 foot breaker bars on the end of their 3/4 drive ratchet, or worse yet, using an impact wrench or a torch which could ruin the stator coils or the oil seal. I purchased a 3/4" drive 4x torque multiplier and the crank nut backed off like it was on finger tight. No straining, no fighting, no fuss.

Now go out and ride!

 

I was told when removing the stator cover nut to use an impact drive ( I bought a very expensive electric one ) because this stops you stretching the chain. and only places stress on the nut and nothing else. To be fair I don't think I could have gotten it off otherwise.

Infact I am signed up to fix my hog, and they even say use an impact drive on both the clutch and stator nut.

 

Back around the first of the year I was at Cycle World in Athens, GA talking to the parts manager about the parts I needed to rebuild my primary after the spring plate detonated. He told me to be very careful removing the sprocket nut as a tech in the shop had recently used his impact on that nut and damaged the coils in the stator. Funny thing is this shop has a 4x tq multiplier available for any tech to use, but at that minute it was in use by another tech and this guy couldn't wait. Boom...new stator!

I am just saying there is a tool to do this job that leaves no doubt that the nut will safely go on and off with simplicity and ease, and the torque setting will be correct when the nut is tightened.

I checked my HD Service Manual and could not find any cautionary note about the use of an impact on this nut, nor did I find anything stating what tool is proper for the job. However, the HD Service Manual does show in section 5.4, figure 5-9, a breaker bar style wrench being used on that nut along with the proper use of the locking link.

I am just curious...what wrench did you use to set your tq value of 240-260 ft lbs when tightening things down?

Rich

PS. If I recall correctly, energy, once released...keeps traveling for a while in some form or another...usually following the path of least resistance. The sharp energy spikes produced by your impact driver on that nut is sending hard blows of energy through the nut, into the crank, into the bearings, into the rods, into the pistons and the rings...etc... I'll conclude, that in the case of the broken stator coils, some of this energy found it's way out right there.

 

Did they fix this issue on the newer 48's? I have a 2016 and curious if I should be concerned about this. Thanks!

 

I got a manual, compressor tool, new bolts and gasket set ordered. So next trip to Fl. I will be doing the clutch, I adjusted it after I rode it home from buying it. It did seem to shift better however you could feel the handle get solid about 3/4 of the travel. So I figured the clutch was bottoming out, I got the Barnett extra plate set with the new clutch spring so I should have everything except my lubricants, I will get them local when I get down there. I plan on changing everything, engine, trans and primary. I want to go over it good before I start putting miles on it, my first trip is going to be to J&P cycles in Daytona Beach. That's a good test drive from Polk City, probably a good 200 miles, besides it's been a long time since I was in Daytona on a bike.

I watched a few videos on you tube that made me aware of the spring plate, not sure if mine still has it or not, however it won't for long either way. I tried posting a pic of my bike on my intro thread however it hasn't showed up yet. I got a dialog box that said a moderator had to look at it first?

 

Most of the videos I've looked at are pretty good, but try to follow along with the manual, and use it's torque values and measurements; I've seen a few things in those videos I didn't agree with. But it can help just seeing how the parts come out, and you can pick up some handy techniques. You won't regret getting the spring compressor. I think you need to post about 5 times before you can post pictures, probably for discouraging one time malicious posts or spam.

 

Does any one know where i can get one of those retainer nuts you show in the picture online? I drive drive a 2014 sportster and cannot seem to find one for the life of me.

 

Is this the retaining nut you mean? If so, it's #5 in the link below. Don't worry if yours isn't a 1200, it's the same for most, maybe all, sportsters going back several years, but you can change the year and bike for specific models/years. Ronnie's Parts List is handy to find things like that, and their prices are good. Did you lose it? Should be reusable just about forever if you don't damage it somehow.

http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche....TCH%20ASSEMBLY