Who has come up with the best way to refill primary fluid. I want to drain primary again .......but at the 5000 mile service we pulled derby and adjusted clutch.Then we put about 26 oz. brought fluid to just under derby opening. This time no clutch adjustment needed and only want to drain fluid and fill usinginspection window. How can I tell when filled without seeing clutck basket??? Straight 26 OZ. do it ?Shoild I fill to just under chain tensioner? Inpection gasket $6 and the Derby is $16 Does anyone have a system figured out?...As always thanks fellas

 

This is a good question.. I too will be interested in what the experts say.
I've done it through the inspection cover and judging the amount to full is difficult at best I think..

Getting the fluid in the primary via inspection hole isn't too terribly difficult with a skinny funnel, but knowing when you're full is not exactly a breeze. I would make note of the fluid level as checked from the inspection location (with bike upright), as at least some reference of where it aught to be.

 

When I change the primary fluid, I refill through the inspection cover and add the amount shown in the owners manual. However, on my wife's Deluxe, there is no inspection cover so I have to take off the derby cover. Guess in the end, it doesn't really matter.

 

Hey oldgeezer, about that carb tuning on my scoot... the temp dropped here in the last couple weeks.. all the sudden the bike runs like a scalded dog.. go figure.. It likes cooler weather. That's a clue, huh.

 

Colder air increases the airdensity,
you may have been runing rich at higher ambeint temps

 

I would drain the fluid into some container with measurement and refill the new fluid same amount. JMHO

 

i Just do my best to get what I think is 26. oz. I have never even taken off the derby cover to check it.

 

i believe the 88ci motor takes the 26 ozs in the primery but the 96ci takes over a quart check your manual

 

There is a new product that has a spout built into the inspection cover that look s similar to the tranny spout,screw in lid...I cant remember where I saw it but try JP cycles.It will save $$ on gaskets .

 

What he said is basicalycorrect, 88inch engines take 26oz through the inspection cover or Darby cover.
While the 96 inchers take 32oz through the Darby cover. The 96 inchers Darby cover has a captive reusable gasket on it that only needs to be carefully wiped off (just enought to get any dirt off) and lightly oiler (like an oil filter gasket)before reinstalling.
Its much easier on the newer engine becasue all you need to do is drain the old oil, pop off the cover, dump the whole quart bottle in, reinstall the cover andgo.
But becuse the cover hole doesn't line up with the clutch basket anymore, clutch replacements are not going to be so easy. Fortunatly you don't have to replace a clutch nearly as often as the oil.

As a side note has anyone who owned a metric bike, ever owned it long enough or put enough mileage on it to need a replacment clutch?
I never have, but I get the feeling that I'll be riding thisbike long enough, and or far enoughfor it and a lot of other consumable type parts tobecome a real consideration. I think on my last metric, its been relegated tocollecting dust in the back of my garage, the only things I ever replacedwas the air cleaner, spark plugs,oil and filter, and that sucker is almost 20 year old.
Funny part of that even though its old,it only has a little under 6000 miles on it. While by contrast my 1 year old Custom has about 4500 on it. Guess that's a good measure of how much happier I am on mySoftail.
The wife is always kidding me that I will use ANY excuse possible to ride it instead of her Escape or my new Ranger.
Sorry about hijacking the thread.