I have a 1994 FXD my son was riding when he shifted from 3 to 4 it made a noise and coasted to a stop. I got the primary cover off everything looks fine. No metal in the oil. I took the transmission top cover off and drained the oil there wasn't any metal in that oil either. With the bike off it will shift into every gear and I can water the transmission gears start to move a little and then they stop spinning the bike will still roll like it's in nuetral the whole time with no resistance. Clutch feels normal. Engine sounds good no noises. Belt needs replaced but yes it's on there ! Should I pull the transmission??

 

Could you be more specific on what happened?

Chances are the front drive belt pulley came lose/lost it's splines. You have to remove the inner primary to inspect that. Fairly common issue with the pulley and /or splines and the 5th gear main drive gear. Depending on when your 1994 bike was made, the pulley/spacer may have been the older (weaker) design. Even if you have the newer stronger design, the problem can still pop up (like mine did).

Don't pull the trans till you figure out what the problem is. Consider this an opportunity to finally replace the belt. If it is the problem I mention, then the gear set will probably need to be removed but these transmissions are made for fairly easy gear set removal. Plenty of threads on this issue. Check the EVO section for more info also.

 

I don't have much info about what exactly happened. He was more than likely shifting while pretty high in the RPM range from 3rd to 4th when he said go she said no. I believe you know exactly what you are saying because the belt was making noise a while back and it's worn out on one side I know thought it was old and needed wheel bearings which it does and I ordered. I ordered a manual this bike belongs to me now but it's a clymers or whatever are they junk?

 

OEM is best to have. Clymer can get you started but plan on getting the factory manual. I have not found any gross errors in my Clymer, but I mainly use the factory manual. Clymer is more for a "quick reference".

One of the early warning signs of pulley getting lose is trans fluid leak and. Even a little drip can mean something is wrong. It is rarely "just a bad seal". Yes a leak can mean other things, but a leak means "time to check things out".

Your bike is a rubber mount engine so you really need to pay attention to the process when it comes time to re-installing the inner primary. More so than solid mount engines. All the mounts need to be lose, exhaust mounting bracket to frame needs to be disconnected also. Front and rear engine mounts, upper (under the tank) engine mount, trans to engine bolts lose. Then you install the inner primary based on what the manual states. Your drawing or pulling the engine into it's proper position against the inner primary and same thing for the trans. If the engine and trans are not free to move independently, you can get some uneven tension (torque) on the inner primary. Can't remember if it's trans to inner primary bolts first or engine to inner primary bolts first but the manual has the specific steps. Cracking the inner primary should not be on "to do list".

Good luck with the project, but first things first: find out what the hell is wrong. Until then it's just speculation.

 

Remove the derby cover, put the transmission in gear, roll the bike, does the clutch rotate?

 

Thankyou for the excellent advice. I was thinking splines on the shaft was a pretty good bet I didn't know where or which one though. Anyway I got the inner primary off and the pulley had definitely taken a ****

 

Yes it was leaking I was in the process of trying to find out where it was coming from I'm pretty new to Harleys, I have the " fever" I love working on things and I love learning how they work and remembering how to fix it the next time. I never would have thought about needing everything to be loose to reinstall the inner btw i need a new one I would have waited for my book to come come but I have learned the hard way like that many times before!

 

Yes it rotated I first thought that was the problem because the previous owner had a new one put in

 

Thanks for the help everyone, now who makes a good pulley ?

 

Post a pic of the 5th gear/drive gear splines. I'm sure that is toast as well. Pulling the gear set/trap door is in order for the repair. You can home brew the pulling tools for the 5th gear/main drive gear. You will need a new 5th gear main drive gear (35029-91A), (get one that has the small cage bearings and wedding band seal already installed). Also a new main drive gear bearing, C-clip, and the mother of all C-clip pliers. Don't use made in China parts.

In addition will be a new pulley, spacer, and all related seals INCLUDING the quad seal (easily forgotten seal). Inner primary bearing and seal, C clips, shift shaft seal, trans cover gasket (use the aluminum/foam style), primary cover gasket. You also need the large O-ring that goes on the engine before installing the inner primary (near the stator). I'm probably missing a few other items but had a few beers over at the neighbors so whatever...

Oh yeah, new pulley nut and locking plate with new bolts. Get most of your parts from the dealer. including the belt. The only thing I did not get from dealer was the actual pulley and 5th gear MDG. Bought Andrews MDG and pulley from an independent dealer. Spacer was a Baker from the same indy. Upgrade to the larger diameter spacer and matching pulley and seal. There used to be an upgrade kit that came with the pulley, spacer, seal, nut and locking plate. Not sure if still available

When you start looking for parts you will see what I'm talking about regarding pre and post 94. Pre 94 was smaller and failure prone, so harley came up with a larger diameter spacer and pulley to compensate for the weak point. Pulley teeth count remained the same. You want the larger diameter set up.

There are some threads with all the part number you will need or someone will post them for you. If not, I can find the numbers for you at a later time. There is a trap door puller on ebay that goes for about 25 bucks that works well and is well worth the purchase price.

Sorry if I'm bouncing around, as I mentioned, had a few and these are just the random things I remember when I was in your shoes. That's all I have for now.