2004 RKC, ~30K Miles. Owned the Bike ~ 1 year. I noticed last week that my rear shifter was quite loose on the pawl(?) that sticks out of the transmission. almost to the point I was worried it'd fall off.....If it weren't for the inner face of the primary, it likely would've someday. (Yes, I know...VERY common issue). PO seemed surprised (see below)

Thanks to this forum, I searched til my eyeballs bled so decided to try the cheap fix first. I removed the (very tight) Allen head bolt (which APPEARED to have coal black grease/oil/something on the threads, not threadlocker- I don't think(?). (at least after I hit it with brake cleaner it was super soft something. It had been tightly in the pawl.

I cleaned up the interior pawl threads with brake clean. Black stuff oozed out of the hole. No idea what it was. PO is a mechanic and a smart guy (My bro in law) so can't imagine it was grease, but certainly wasn't anything I am familiar with. He said he didn't know anything about it and had owned the bike since new.

Did Harley ever use a black threadlocker?

I replaced the Allen head bolt with a Grade 5 (couldn't find an "8" in town Saturday afternoon) 5/16th x 1" x 24TPI hex head bolt with a small AN washer under the head and blue threadlocker on the threads. I don't know if I was doing something wrong or what, but I tried every combination of extensions and sockets that I own and couldn't come up with a combo that would clear the fins on the cylinder and still get the head of a rachet in their somewhere, (and couldn't find my 3/8's knuckle joint which might've solved that interference problem) so ended up using a rig which I don't know the name of. It's basically a bar with a 3/8's square male socket on it, instead of a ratchet.(like a mini power bar almost. less the flexible head) Once I got the bolt good and tight I put a big cheater wrench on my small mini "bar" and cinched it up real good.

30 miles later, it's still tight. Shifting seems tighter and I can actually find neutral most of the time. Yeah, not much of a test period, I'll admit, but I am gonna check it weekly for a while, then maybe monthly and see if it loosens up again. The "Better Lever" is my very expensive (and hopefully distant) plan B

As always, your mileage may vary!

Thanks to the many on this forum which have posted on the numerous loose shifter threads. I put the info together and was (knock on wood) successful.

 

Ve9aa,

Yah, very common problem. If you did succeed in tightening the shift lever on the shifter shaft, you're lucky. Most owners (like me) find out when the shifter falls off. By then the splines on the shaft are so buggered up the lever CAN NOT be tightened enough that it is not always loose, no matter how tight you get the allen bolt.

I did go for the "Better Lever", it was cheaper 5 years ago when I bought it. And he was only an hour drive North in Norfolk, VA, I just drove up there and bought it from him in person. It HAS solved my loose shift lever problem though.

 

After I posted this, I googled it.(duh!, should've done it before). Evidently, they do indeed make a Black Threadlocker. I never knew.

Black Loctite 2047

Whether that's what was actually in there, I just don't know. The bolt was singing tight and never came out easily, but once I had it a few turns loose, it came out not too bad.

 

I have had same issue on my 2016 Road King. Stuck in first gear for 30 miles and used a litre of oil to get home. Absolute nightmare. Required dealership van collection and new splines and shifter change. Cops put me off motorway which did not help. Its time that issue was sported by HD!!

 

LOL 1st gear for 30 miles....I cannot even imagine.

This thread is about the REAR shift lever btw....saw a good thread on the front one somewhere here.....it was IRT newer bikes.

 

Mr. Ford F150 Heavy Duty, yes, rear shift lever, on the transmission, correct.

If it comes loose anytime soon, I'll resurrect this thread and report back.

It was my hope that by putting all the details in one place I can help someone, somewhere, sometime. I had to read 100's of posts of shifter threads (and it gets confusing sometimes just WHICH shift lever folks are referencing....oftentimes both in 1 thread) before I had the exact size, type, etc. of the bolt, so that's why I put it all in 1 paragraph in my initial post.

Shift exuberantly folks!

 

You 100% nailed it- many of these I cannot keep track of who is referring to the front lever or rear lever. Rear lever is def more of a PITA to replace versus front. Good clarification. That is why this forum is great, having a problem you can read thru old threads etc....I have done this on the road on 2 separate tours when I had things go wrong.

One was for the exhaust bolts that attach to the clutch release cover assembly (right side of bike where clutch cable enters, they loosen, it drips, 2012 Ultra)

This summer my kickstand was 'floppy' out West....read going over a speedbump the spring can get damaged, replace it. Did that once home problem solved.