So I bought my 13 Super Glide with forward controls added by the dealer, and requested a primary that has no hole in it.

When I picked up the bike they had put a chrome button in the hole on the primary, and told me that they could not install a non hole primary because the shifter rod was still inside and could only be removed by also replacing the inner primary, then they could install it all back with a primary cover that has no hole in it.... So I ordered a inner primary which I will have to pay for along with the labor to install it.

Going through my box of parts I received back, I see what looks like a shifter rod.

What are these two parts I have here? Picture attached.

Are they trying to pull one over on me or is what they are saying true?

 

I'd say they got ya. That one looks like a shifter shaft to me.You can see the splines on it

 

Pull the cover off that they put on and see what it loos like.

 

That splined rod is what should have been sticking out the hole that the button now covers (your shift lever attached to the splines.) the other piece is the lever that attaches to the trans. Most forward controls use a longer lever in that position. I would pop the chrome button off and see what is behind it.

 

If I am not mistaken that button is sealed on the inside with permatex. So I would not just pop it off or you will be going inside the primary to reseal it.

 

I took a small hand held mirror and a flashlight and looked between the engine and the inner primary and there is some type of plug sealing that hole on the inner primary.

I think they sealed the hole, put the old primary cover on so they would not have to buy me another primary without a hole in it and give me some excuse so they could save money. $349.95 plus tax, and get me to buy a inner primary.

I wonder why I am so mistrusting?

I am going to do a lot more research into this since I see no reason to have a primary with a chrome button covering the hole.

 

what you are looking at is your mid control shifter shaft. I just replaced mine when it broke . when you do forward controls they take out the mid control shifter shaft. that is how I got my new parts. the dealer had some new take off parts from a forward control conversion.

 

One chrome plug is cheaper than an outer primary cover. I assume a hole-less cover was part of the deal on buying the bike? The shift rod (inkage) assembly wouldnt come out in one piece without taking off the inner primary first. Its possible to cut the rod off between the inner cover and engine and remove it without removing the inner primary, it wouldn't surprise me if it was cut and that linkage in your picture didn't even come off your bike. Their obviously trying to save money on buying you a cover. Replacing the inner cover would be a waste of time and money when you can just plug it. Their using the rod for an excuse to not replace the outter cover

 

I did a bit of research on this recently as I'm going to be putting forwards on my 2014 Street Bob.

What I found is that hole in the outer primary cover isn't really a hole at all. It's a tunnel that goes through the inner primary cover as well. There's a gasket that looks kinda like a washer that goes between the inner and outer primary covers. See figure two in the instruction sheet. That gasket is labeled (4) in the diagram.

If you replace the outer primary cover, you really ought to replace the inner cover as well so you don't have to plug an *actual* hole. There are two types of stock primary covers. One set has that tunnel cast into both the inner and outer covers (for mid controls). The other set has no tunnel at all (for forward controls). If I was at home right now, I could give you the stock part numbers from my parts catalog.

When I put forwards on my new bike, I'm just going to cut the splined shaft as described here so I don't have to remove both primary covers to get it out. I'll then use the little cap they include with the kit to cover the front side of that tunnel. At some point in the future I may replace both the inner and outer primary covers so I don't have to look at that cap any more.

 

The cutting trick is what I did. If you want to replace the covers with no holes then you need to remove clutches and a bunch of other mess that I am pretty sure you need some specialty tools for. The cap has never leaked on mine as if I remember correctly that "tunnel" is there like said before. If they promised you a cover with no hole then that is what they should give you, but the cap is the customary way of doing it.