Transmission main shaft
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 815
Likes: 0
From: GA
Was no leak with mine. Told tech I was hearing noise and they agreed and took her apart. Was a good thing they did as we are leaving next week on multi-state trip. Would have been really PO'd had she come apart on the road.
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 119
Likes: 2
From: MN
Spoke to soon, Mine was fine, no noise and all was well. Noise started again. A suggestion of changing oil. Formula Plus... Oh the fine filings on the magnet was too much to see the magnet. All was new inside. Any way new oil, noise went away. 75miles later, it's back and louder. Now a grinding or growling noise from the primary! oh dam. More to come I am sure.
Later
Tom
Later
Tom
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
FWIW, a friend with an '09 Ultra had his primary mainshaft bearing fail on a trip to the Smokies recently. He had 38k on the bike at the time, so it's obvious this isn't solely an '07-'08 problem.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: S. E. Georgia
Just my two cents. I had my 08 FLSTC replaced at around 35K and had the compensator upgraded also. Rode to CA. and back and no issues. On the way back, wife's 08 FLSTN started maiking noise. hers never got real loud so she waited to tell me about it. Luckily we went to the dealeraship for a ride and it decided to quit there in the parking lot. When hers went out she ended up with bearing, compensator and stator all tore up. My theory is it is the compensator. The stock compensatory will bottom out due to the torque involved during start up. That force has to go some where and I believe it stresses the bearing and race. They have identified the compensator as a problem by putting the upgraded compensator in the 11 touring bikes as stock. They may not admit it but action is worth more than words and the 11 bikes have the new ones and I will bet the 12 bikes will all have it. I put the upgraded compensator on mine and hers is getting it now.
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 170
Likes: 9
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Seems when the main drive gear bearing fails it presents itself differently on different bikes.I noticed mine when we were on a ride and I pushed the bike backwards not running out of a parking space I got a loud clicking. I then pushed it forward and still had the loud click. The next morning when the bike was cold the noise was gone. I took a short warm up ride and sure enough the noise was back. I threw it on the trailer and took it to the dealer. They also had to warm the bike to duplicate the noise on the lift. They tore into the transmission kind of on the blind not really knowing what the noise was and found the #8967 bearing bad. Of course this was a few months after the warranty was out
After reading this hole thread though I see a "trade in" in my near future...
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 170
Likes: 9
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Forgot to mention, bike is an 08 with a build date of 02/08. I also wanted to mention when i took the clutch locknut and realease plate out, i fould a trace of "pink" oil in there, which i assume is my redline heavy shock oil that i just changed in my transmission a few hundred miles ago. Why and how am i finding traces of it in my primary???
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,602
Likes: 3
From: Southeastern Michigan
This is the first time I've heard of 3 out of the 6 bearings on the mainshaft going at once (relatively). Might want to check the runout on the shaft while you have it apart. The manual has the tolerances. I also put in a new Main Drive Gear assy during the bearing replacement. They're cheap, around $60, and you don't need to remove the bearings inner race.
As far as the Redline getting in you Primary - the hollow mainshaft actually connects the two.
As far as the Redline getting in you Primary - the hollow mainshaft actually connects the two.
