Tranny Oil Capacity Question
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Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Leonardtown, Maryland
Tranny Oil Capacity Question
I've got a strange question for you Road Glide folks. I picked up a used '05 RG and am changing the fluids. My SG is a '10 and I didn't have any issues with that bike. I also have the HD manual and it says to put 20 to 24 oz of oil in the 5 speed transmission (which is also stated in this forum). It also says to check the level with the bike in a level upright position and not on the Jiffy Stand. But when I do that the oil is almost to the dip stick threads. It is also way up over full on the dip stick. I sucked out 5 oz of the 21 oz of oil I poured in and it is just above the F on the dip stick when on the stand. I have a lift so the bike was up and level when the old oil drained so there should not have been any left in the pan. I am leaning towards going by the dip stick Full mark but is it upright or on the stand? Any other recommendations or ideas? Thanks!
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Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Fla
Go by what the manual says...
Later years are checked with it on the stand. If your manual for that particular year/model says upright and level, that's how you should check it. Also, there is no pan that holds oil for the transmission. The pan beneath the transmission is for the crank case oil.
On the dipstick you should see two marks, one for low, one for full. Some with hash marks between, some not. I fill my transmission midway of the two marks when warm. When I fill it to the full mark, it pushes the difference out of the breather tube.
I own an RK, but the engine/transmission is the same as the RG.
Later years are checked with it on the stand. If your manual for that particular year/model says upright and level, that's how you should check it. Also, there is no pan that holds oil for the transmission. The pan beneath the transmission is for the crank case oil.
On the dipstick you should see two marks, one for low, one for full. Some with hash marks between, some not. I fill my transmission midway of the two marks when warm. When I fill it to the full mark, it pushes the difference out of the breather tube.
I own an RK, but the engine/transmission is the same as the RG.
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From: Honah Lee
Did you drain the wrong hole. It's darn easy to do on a Harley. Is your engine dip stick just below add line after running? Your transmission is above engine oil pan and the engine pan is not the crankcase that you may have drained. The transmission drain runs thru a closed chamber down thru the engine oil pan.
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From: Leonardtown, Maryland
Thanks! One of my concerns is that the volume the transmission seems to want to take is quite a bit less than the 20 - 24 oz stated in the manual. I've always gone by the dip stick (on other vehicles) but there could always be something I don't know. I'll recheck it with the bike level, adjust my fluid level to the dip stick and all should be good.
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From: Leonardtown, Maryland
Did you drain the wrong hole. It's darn easy to do on a Harley. Is your engine dip stick just below add line after running? Your transmission is above engine oil pan and the engine pan is not the crankcase that you may have drained. The transmission drain runs thru a closed chamber down thru the engine oil pan.
Thanks, but I did pull the right plugs. I did the motor oil first and then the transmission. So I got that part right.
Road Master
Joined: May 2009
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From: TN
Thanks! One of my concerns is that the volume the transmission seems to want to take is quite a bit less than the 20 - 24 oz stated in the manual. I've always gone by the dip stick (on other vehicles) but there could always be something I don't know. I'll recheck it with the bike level, adjust my fluid level to the dip stick and all should be good.
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 222
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From: Palm Springs
When I did my ape hangers and changed my clutch cable, I refilled it with 24oz and level is perfect and no issues...this is on a 5 speed, 2000 Road King.
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From: Bedford UK
The quantities in the manuals are there for guidance IMHO, not to be blindly followed! In other words have the stated amount available before you start. Every hole should be filled to the correct level, as per dip-stick, edge of clutch, etc.
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From: Honah Lee
I agree 100% that you go by levels and not amounts. However, it appears that he is saying he drained the transmission and upon putting 16 oz of oil back in, the transmission was full to the top. This is not going to happen if you actually drained transmission. His statement in his followup post 5 is that he did drain correct plugs does not prove it since the oil necessary to be added after topoff off for the oil filter could have also been the 16 oz crankcase oil that stays in the crankcase block since the return side of the pump leave this amount for the inner camshaft bearing lubrication. Just a thought.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Sep 14, 2018 at 11:09 AM.
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From: Leonardtown, Maryland
I Confess
All right here is your laugh for the weekend and yes alcohol is involved. Honest, I only had a couple of beers. It appears I do not know how to read measurements. Who knew that a quart is 32 not 16 oz? Apparently yesterday it was not me. And they even put it on the bottles! What a dumb-***. Thanks for all the replies and sorry for bothering everybody.
But wait, theres more. Today I drained the Primary. No problems but it seemed like a lot of oil came out. The manual says to pour 32 oz in, but I measured what I drained and I took out 64 (two quarts)! I have not felt any clutch slippage or drive train issues but neutral was a little hard to find sometimes. So it appears that whoever serviced the primary last either did not drain it before filling, or is measurement challenged like me.
Im looking forward to a test drive tomorrow when this rain stops to see if there is any change. Take care and have a great weekend.
But wait, theres more. Today I drained the Primary. No problems but it seemed like a lot of oil came out. The manual says to pour 32 oz in, but I measured what I drained and I took out 64 (two quarts)! I have not felt any clutch slippage or drive train issues but neutral was a little hard to find sometimes. So it appears that whoever serviced the primary last either did not drain it before filling, or is measurement challenged like me.
Im looking forward to a test drive tomorrow when this rain stops to see if there is any change. Take care and have a great weekend.