I have been rideing the same 1972 shovel I built in 76. I want to go to synthetic trany oil in it's original 'bullet proof' 4 speed transmission.

I have used kerosene to flush the old trany out before replaceing new trany oil in it. , but does anyone have a better idea of what to use or does it matter? Worse yet any reason I should not use kerosene as it may damage the trany seals?

Any recommends for synthetic trany oil? I use Amsol in the motor. I use a primary belt and have cut of the oil from the primary as anybody with common sense would do so the primary rap does not get sent through my engine.

I use synthetic oil in the motor and it works well beyond any reason or logic or belief, but the motor seems blessed by God. At present the motor has maybe 125,000 miles on it (all southwest and Colorado 2 lane black top miles the bikes never seen a city) since my last rebuild (which was done correctly to the extreme) The bike has never seen any city traffic and never will, isaty out od all ciies as much as I poosibly can.

The miles are beyond belief on this rebuild now, (Twilight Zone stuff really)but the engine shows no real sign of wear or oil consumption and has plenty of power though i don't abuse it at all. Motor runs 55 lbs of oil pressure on my handle bar mounted guage. I have Crane igniton and S&S mobel E carb. I do not use an oil cooler or filter either. It starts first kick almost evrytime. It is a kicker only bike.

Thanks for any expereinced suggestion on what tosue for a trany flush here.

 

Yes you do have blessed bike to get that kind of mileage. For the transmission flush I've used kerosene when I could get it. Thats what the factory recommended and it doesn't hurt anything.

 

Actually, you don't need to flush it at all. When HD went to the 5-speed, they used a semi-synthetic gear oil. It's a little harder to find these days but conventional/synthetic blends of gear oil were common some years ago. Simply drain completely, preferably when warm and refill. So far as recommending a brand/weight, use the heavier wieght (like 75-140) and whatever brand is avaliable locally.

 

mix a bottle of 3parts 75/90 with 1 part lucas gear lube.......unbeleivable difference in the way it shifts and easier to find neutral. it will take a little milage before you notice the differance but theres no doubt when it does. im not a fan of using synthetic in a 4speed gear box.....especially after its seen conventional lube all its life.

....roller bearings tend to skate a lot more in synthetic oil. and if the motors got 125k on it....what about the trans?? its bound to have some issues internally with that kind of milage..even though it may not be showing it yet.....it may when you stick synthetic in it

 

Kero works for me, used it a lot of times with no issues. I would also buy a magnetic drain plug if you don't already have one.

 

Seems I recall the old factory manuals suggesting Kerosene being used for that, and I have used it in the past until I seen what sea-foam does... amazing stuff.. half a can and it comes out like a tooth after a good cleaning from the dentist.

 

Put it up on a jack and strap it. Much better cleaning action to do this with the bike in the air and no load on the tranny. Drain your old tranny fluid and refill with kero. Start and run through the gears for 4 or 5 min and drain. If it's nasty looking, repeat. Now it's clean, you need to flush Kero out as to keep from diluting your synthetic lube down. Refill with Denatured Alcohol, and run it for 3 or 4 min. Drain and fill with your Synthetic lube. Take it for a ride imediatly so you can warm up and evaporate the remaining alcohol out. This works great for me before I pull one out for rebuild. I have some pictures in my profile.

 

I just drain and refill,and then put a couple hundred miles and repeat.No chance of bearing damage that way.

 

Thanks for the input guys! I have heard of 'bearing skateing' with synthetics in some HD motors but I have not heard this with transmissions. In any case my bike would self-destructed tens oif thousands of miles ago if the syntehtic oil I use was causeing this 'bearing skate problem'.

I am reluctant to run my trany even hoisted with no lubricationas in the kersone and alchohol flush procedure presented. Yet it may do not harm I don't know. I think I will flush the puupy with kerosene and then drive it with sytnheic to it gets hot and the drain anf fill again.

I havbe another qwuestion and I will put it in some more approprite forum too, BUT has nay one heard of preocess that allows spoked wheels to sue tubeless tires? I heard it is vulcanized band that is instrled on the rim under heat and pressure.

Since my bike is 1972 shovel basicaly, I can fix most things that might go wrong and break me down in the field, you cna't of course do that with modern harleys as they are all computer controlled.

However the advantage of the new Hogs is they use tubeless tires and a flat can be repaired without removeing the wheel and tire as you must with punctured tube. One two lane balck toip I run when going on trip is 112 mile s acroos a high plain (6789 ft) with no anything, no gas stations either for those 1112 miles too. I truly hate and fear flats as they are bitch to fix in teh flkield really. If I could use tubless tires my mind would be at eace, the heaven's would open up and a Golden ray of brilliant sunlight would break upon me and my beautiful shovelehd.

God rides a shovelehad as I have heard it . Peyton

 

Item 270488890018 ON EBAY No Flat Tires

[/quote]I have another question and I will put it in some more approprite forum too, BUT has any one heard of process that allows spoked wheels to use tubeless tires? I heard it is vulcanized band that is installed on the rim under heat and pressure.[/quote]

Have you ever seen this product? I can not endorse or deny wheter it works or not. I have the same question on tube tire repairs and have been lookiing for options myself.