Has the Primary Cover, inspection cover or derby cover ever been removed? Sometimes water can seep into the primary around the head of a cover fastener or past the derby cover o-ring or inspection cover gasket.

 

Metal on plug sounds like normal amount, I can't say if color is normal or metal without seeing it. It is likely it is metal in fluid and normal, unlikely it is water.

 

It almost certainly has to be water getting in somehow. Do you wash your bike with a pressure washer or use a strong stream of water when washing the lower area? I you don't have complete seal it you might get some water in there.

 

well i have paid the dealer to remove it but who knows?? the service manager treats me very well there but in saying that when i 1st bought the bike 2yrs ago i took it in for a 1k service with 291 miles on it and they didn't even look at the air filter. Got the bike home and was just curious so i pulled the filter and it was full of holes from the bike basically sitting for 4yrs. I immediately went back to the dealer and they replaced the filter but that was the service manager who agreed that the mechanic f'd up. Who really knows what goes on back there when getting a service done???

All i can say is that I am LOVING doing this on my own right now and although I am no mechanic with the help here on this site I am sure I will get through this!

In the past I have been traveling so much for work I never had the time to do this, having a blast

 

I shoulda took a pic and posted it but I drained the engine oil into the same container before posting.

 

When you do your own service you are saving yourself some $$$$ and you get to know your bike..You'll get plenty of answers here so long as you ask!!!!

 

Don't use a pressure washer but use one of those fire hose nozzles that has a pretty strong stream. I would not think that would get in there though. Driving down the road doing 70 to 80 in the rain (which by the way is not suggested) would have similar pressure from the water on the road blowing onto the bike

 

Bet they did not. Nothing to do with dealer. Strickly the mechanic trying to make a living. Bet at least have do it. What is it? Probably moisture. But who knows. The magnet tells the story and that is what they are for. As long as the fuz ball is small (about 1/32 or so and fine drak gray power in 10K) you are probably fine. Same goes for transmission but there they can be some bigger chips from those improper shift that we now and then do. You are not going to be able to drive water in there. You can in the transmission.

 

I have been turning wrenches my whole life but I am fairly new to Harleys so I don't feel that I can give you much credible advice. But I have found with farm machinery that had to sit out in the weather that water will find it's way into a gearbox or chaincase that isn't sealed correctly. If you don't have a good seal, water from washing or rain may have found its way in. Hard to tell without seeing what's going on. Hopefully is is nothing major. Let us know if you find anything.

 

Water & oil usually gives you a cloudy tan or brownish color like real thin pudding , grey is metal period . With all the hard parts slamming around in a primary some amount of grey or tiny metal flake color if you take a bit on your finger and rub it in the light is common , if it's a heavy dark metallic color I'd be looking for larger chunks in the corners and catch places in the bottom of the primary and inspecting the chain for missing rollers .