Hey all. New to the site. New to Harley in general.
If this needs to be posted in a different thread let me know. Otherwise, here it goes...

Picked up an 03 Sporty 883 XLH last month as a project. It's keeps throwing issues at me so here's my situation.

The previous owner said "the clutch went out" so he parked it and it sat for 3 years. I stripped it down, did a lot of cosmetics and mechanical upgrades. Got it running smooth. So I moved on to the clutch. Pulled the plates and they were worn but seemed rather decent. I replaced them anyway since the bike has 31k miles so why not, I bought em may as well use em.

So I fire it up and it actually shifted to 1st. I was pleased. I put it in gear and was gona just take a spin down the road and maybe shift up to 3rd. Well, it never got out of 1st. The more throttle I gave it it made an awful grinding sound. I got it home and on the lift. Put it in neutral and spun the tire and noticed the trans pulley jumping every rotation.

Pulled everything off to access it. Spent a couple hours running around town looking for a 1 7/8" socket (which I finally found at NAPA for $36 with the 3/4 to 1/2" adaptor. ugh) Took the pulley off and ***** hit the floor. I can see that the bearing is obviously shot.

I got the inner part off the shaft and rented a jaw puller and slide hammer today to get the outer piece out.

So here are my 2 problems:

1: My service manuals (Haynes and Clymer) do not tell me an OE part number for the bearing. The J&P Cycle site doesn't offer a bearing that they say fits my bike. According to other sites is OE part # 8996 or 8996A depending on the site. Searching that on J&P it says it doesn't fit. Says it fits Dynas and touring models but not mine. It has a 5 speed trans and in the J&P catalog on the page with the exploded view of a 5 speed it lists a bearing that's a replacement for OE 8996, but it supposedly doesn't fit. Today's a holiday so H-D is closed so I'm hoping for an answer here from anyone who may have the FSM for this bike and can verify the part # for the bearing.

2: Once I do get the bearing, can I put it in with the trans still in? The shaft that protrudes is the 5th gear main shaft and with the bike on the ground in neutral, if I pull the shaft out a little it spins freely. If i push it in it doesn't spin. So if I can put the bearing in as it sits, do I need to shift to 5th to do it? My concern is I don't want to put this bearing in and it be seated wrong on that shaft and hold it in if it doesn't need to be and screw something else up. Or is this shaft tapered in some way because it is supposed to push it and out like it does with the bearing out? I don't think it is supposed to but I'm sure someone here knows about this. I really want to avoid pulling the trans if possible but I want to do it correctly because I'd like to ride it some before winter begins.

Can't afford H-D labor rates and the only local indy shop is still about 30mi away and has $55/hr labor so I'm trying to get as much done as I can myself. I've never had or messed w a Harley but we all have to learn somehow.

Thanks in advance for any help

 

You're talking about the bearing for the 5th gear outdrive? Right behind the secondary pulley?

In order to replace this, you need to pull the transmission. You will need the special tools to then pull and replace the drive gear and bearing as well as reinstall the drive gear. If you do this without these tools it is very likely you will crack the case.

I suggest you read heavily on this before you go at it. It's quite a project.

 

Might be cheaper to buy a used motor with low miles.

 

Get a factory service manual and read it. The job is easier in a 2003 than a 2004 and the 2003 still has the trap door and you do not need to split the cases to work on the transmission. It is quite a job but not undo-able. Hear is a link to the tool that you will need.http://vulcanworks.net/Transmission-...T-p-17126.html

 

Thanks for the replies and link. I've seen similar tools in the j&p catalog. At least its a decent price. So I pull the trans then use a bearing installer tool (as described in the clymer manual but it was done on a 2 piece that was off the bike) to install the bearing, then use such a tool in tripiiis link to install from there then go by the book for reassembly? As for replacing the motor, that's not an option on this 1. It runs fine, has good compression and the cv carb has a dyna jet upgrade so its pretty strong. My goal was too spend a couple grand turnin it into a bobber, sell it for about 4k and pocketing the cash til tax time and gettin an iron 883. But the deeper I go into this its cost more than anticipated so if it gets to the point its gona cost more than its worth I'll just sell it as is and get what I've spent on it hopefully. the starting price of 900 for the bike was still good to me so maybe ill just find another that the parts will interchange with that runs right and keep this 1 for parts and just switch over all the stuff I've bought so far. Looking back I shoulda taken it to the shop 1st when I had more to spend and got it runnin right and just rode it around in its former dirty rusty state and accumulated the unnecessary parts like apes and wheels and drop kits etc when I had extra money. Well good thing is the rented slide hammer and puller got the outer part of the bearing out at least :/ thanks fellas I appreciate it

 

OK fellas here's an update. I went to the garage, drained the primary and removed it. Pulled the chain and sprockets. Then, by the Clymer, pulled the shift rod and trans out. Easier than i had anticipated. Noticed some "debris" under the trans area so I wiped it out and it was little metal rods. Looked at the gears and forks, look fine to me. The main shaft has a lot of dirt and grime on the out put side, which makes sense because the bearing was blown out and the oil seal was MIA and it's been sitting since 2010. I then inspect the 5th gear part, drive gear whatever you want to call it and it has the little metal rods in it too. I look at the gear side and the needle bearing looks ok. The outer side however, well those little metal rods were what's left of that outer needle bearing. So I gota pull what's left of it out and may as well replace the outer 1 while I'm at it.

According to the book if I install the new outer bearing, then the drive gear as it says to do, then reinstall the trans, I SHOULD be ok because I don't see anything else that's obviously out of whack.

What I still need to know is if the part number I've been seeing for the big ball bearing behind the drive pulley is the correct item before I order it. HD #8996 or 8996a.

If someone can help me out with that it's the last piece of the puzzle to finish this cursed sporty. Thanks

 

Called the dealership this morning with a list of parts. No call back yet so if anyone here has a list of OE part numbers here's what I'm looking for:

Drive side:
1. Main drive gear bearing (big ball bearing in case behind drive pulley)
2. Main drive gear needle bearings (inside gear that main shaft rides on)
3. Main drive gear oil seal (goes over big ball bearing)
4. Main drive seal (small one that plugs the end of the gear. Can be seen with pyulley still on. Where the end of main shaft is visible when removed )

Primary side:
5. Sprocket shaft oil seal (seals crank case, has a small spring that's in a groove on it. Looks like a guitar string if that helps)
6. Detent plate snap ring (removed when removing shifter. Book says not to reuse)

Thanks again to Tripiii for the needle bearing tool link. Best price I've seen so far for it. Now just need correct part numbers on all the above so I can get on the road ASAP.

Looking at the book I'm fairly confident I can fab a device to install the main bearing and gear without destroying anything so once I get my part numbers and proceed with the install I'll update/ask for help lol

Thanks all

 

Wow you are brave to tear into the trans like this.

Hope it works out for you!

 

I have exciting news... ISSUE IS RESOLVED!

I ordered the bearings and seals fro HD and got to work. Mind you I'm thrifty out of necessity so I saved $ and a trip to the shop by doing the following:

1. Put the main out bearing in the freezer overnight. Next day using a pvc cap the size of the outer race I gently tapped it in with the heel of my hand.

2. The 2 needle bearings in the mainshaft were also stuck in the freezer. They have to go in at certain depths so I got a socket that fit perfectly inside it and scored 2 lines on it, 1 for each depth for each bearing. Then using a rubber mallet gently tapped them into the proper depth.

3. I made a puller out of a piece of threaded rod, a couple nuts and washers, a pvc piece the size of the main bearing inner race and used a pvc cap with a drilled hole in top.The washer fit perfectly on the inside of the gear. Put a stop nut behind it. On the outside I put the pvc pieces over the rod and put a washer and nut and with very little effort pulled the gear into the bearing.

Cost of materials to make my "tools": $about $4.00. Time to install everything: maybe 15 minutes all together.

I lubed everything up and installed the trans and shifter, the trans pulley and belt. Used to opportunity with the covers off to paint them satin black and put them all on. Added fluids and gas and it fired up.

Took a test ride and shifts smooth, no funny sounds, all is good.

Also a lil gem I found when I pulled the covers is it has a Crane Cam racing ignition box in it. Score!

Thanks to everyone here and the Clymer manual for walking me through this.

On a side note I took the time to replace my leaking petcock and replaced the 12" lowering shocks with 10" rigid struts. Looks great but I gota get the front lowered. Bought the Burly lowering kit and put it in and there was NO DIFFERENCE in the front height. I have no idea what's up with that but I'll take that to an appropriate thread on the subject.

Thanks again!