I been seeing and hearing of more transmission main bearings and other parts failing. It's my belief it's because some folks use 20W50 in the transmission. I have always run gear lube in my transmissions and never had a failure. Presently I'm running Amsoil 75W140 severe gear. Probably overkill, Shifts great in cold weather too. I always suggest gear lube, conventional or synthetic, as long as it's gear lube.
Most metrics run motor oil in the trans as it’s all in one, not 3 separate holes as HDs…the metrics have very little if any of these issues and that oil has clutch particles and hydrocarbons from the engine. It’s not the oil, it’s a design issue. I agree with the autotensioner theory…
Well Kevin, I will probably never do a third of what you cover in your videos, but for sure know where to turn if I ever do. Thanks again for putting these vids together and the wealth of information and seasoned knowlege you pack them full of!
I’ve spent my fair share of $$$ on riding jus because rid’N defines me an the Luv an passion is for real...! I would NEVER hesitate one micro sec to have this man turn a wrench on my bike. They call it trust .. He dam well knows of what he speaks..! If I lived down that way, he’d be replacing my transmission seal right now as I write. Wish I had the tools to do this myself. Perhaps only 20k on a new grudge box an main seal is leaking .. Thanks from your northern neighbour for all your very well done videos, Kevin Baxter...! Keep em coming ...
Your expertise is exceptional and greatly appreciated. Very educational. Not sure this is something I could undertake, but I found myself glued to the video wanting to know more. ♥️👍
Kevin, thank you. I’m in the process of rebuilding my bike that I paid a local mechanic $19k to rebuild from the ground up. Unfortunately for me, everything was toast, including a brand new S&S flywheel. Your videos gave given me the confidence to attempt this rebuild myself. I guess I’ll be buying these tools 😂. Thanks sir
Have a 2010 RG. It was great seeing the transmission disassembly. You are definitely a Master mechanic. The induction heater was interesting. Great job!
Most of us may not have all of the tools or Kevin's experience, but we do have a great teacher willing to take time out of his schedule to show us step-by-step ways to get things done. Appreciate everything you do and share with us.
I think he is the best mechanic of the world. I wonder what would it Cost that operation done by the dealer ( 2000 dollar ?) Kevin can you tell us how did you learn all that skill . I think a lot viewers wonder.
Omg racheting ring clip tool. Where has that been all my life .. For the few times I’ve needed to pull one of those spawns of Satan (fuckin ring clips)…. Every time without fail .. flings off the bike and under something .. I’m sure there are some sitting next to all the missing left socks from the drier and that missing bag of weed from when I was in highschool
Is there a fix for these early models to keep that race from walking? I'm debating going to a ball bearing but don't want to deal with the higher failure rate. Also curious what's the average cost for a shop to go through a trans and freshen it up with bearings and seals?
Heat stickers, what a great idea, I'm gonna look into that. Interesting, when I've drilled into a seal, I've always then screwed a metal screw into the hole and used a pliers to pull the seal out. I'll try a pick next time-
I just finished putting the grudge box, with bakers compensator and the slack adjuster. I would have loved to have seen this before I tore into my 2007 FXST
That was a really good learning video. It is worth the price of admission to watch your video. Are you going back with an upgraded gear set with the engine rebuild?
Great vid thanks. Just a quick question. My transmission gears can be moved laterally what is the most likely cause for this drawing from your extensive knowledge. My new gearset is tight and just has the normal longitudinal lash. Any input is greatly appreciated cheers 😊
I break torque on cover screws etc manually (unless I was the last to install them) but run them out with a bit in a cordless drill or light impact because RSI is no fun and all that turning eventually wears out tendons and joints. One shoulder replacement was more than enough since a replaced shoulder isn't nearly as strong a joint. I am also long out of the heavy lifting business but any mechanic can give themselves easy options (like using a patient lift to pick and place engines, a gantry to sling bikes if you prefer mid-air access at any height with no lift table in the way etc). I often place a wooden hammer handle between a ball pein and engine etc covers. It's easy to see exactly where you strike vs a rag. You can get 200 degree temperature crayons from your local welding supply or online and those last a very long time. The inductor is a neat tool but if you own a torch it's easy to protect the shaft by sliding a loose piece of steel pipe over it to safely deflect flame. Another thing every mechanic with any kind of torch will benefit from is plumbers heat dam putty. Goss, Rectorseal, and many others sell it online and I promise you want a tub. Then go heat some scrap parts and practice with it. It's also popular for localizing heat on sheet metal during body work and only costs ~25 bucks a tub. If you don't already own a mechanical torque multiplier they're perfect for no-shock removal of compensator and sprocket nuts. I use red Loctite on my compensator nuts and can remove them using one hand on a long 1/2" drive ratchet with the torque multiplier. Some engine builders use then on tapered crankpin nuts as they work with any torque wrench. I should have bought on 40 years ago. My local independent shop bros hate Cruise Drive boxes but like the money they make fixing HDs usual indifference to quality. They've never had a customer comeback when they installed Baker transmissions.
Wow Lot Tools , Special tools .... acquired over years iam sure + the Knowledge & experience goes all the way .....to The bank as an Business Man & Yes Pride As another Happy Costumer Rollin Down the road in The Wind Thanks Kevin.
Okay, this brings up a question about the Harley Davidson start-up procedure. Last month, bought my first Harley, a 2015 Street Glide. Southern Tier Harley Davidson in upstate New York. Forty-one years of riding metrics. You REALLY DO start it without pulling the clutch in?? Then, you drop it into 1st with that BIG clunk? That really doesn't hurt anything? I you say so...
I noticed you used a 1/4 drive for the allens on the lock plate me 2 easier feel on the tool harder to break a bolt with 1/4 drive then 3/8 great video kevin.
I bought that Hot Rod induction tool after seeing Kevin use it in a video about a year ago. It’s one of those tools you wonder how you ever got along without lol
So im having a knocking coming from the primary side when i depress the clutch it goes away i followed your guide on the inner primary bearing and am now doing the clutch basket in hopes that the noise goes away and hoping it aint the hear in your video
Hey Kevin, thank you for another excellent detailed explanation of what you are doing. I have an 08 Street Glide with a six speed. 46,000 miles and while in neutral I have a bearing making noise. I don’t care how many Holiday Inns I stay at, I will not have, the confidence to tear the transmission out lol.The technician said he will not know which bearing it is until he gets into it. Thanks again.
Baker has a great upgrade for the Cruz drive 6 and replaces the ball bearings with timken bearings the plastic races break apart and then the bearings do not stay in place
If the "Timken bearings" you mention have a steel cage (not race), they are prone to more friction and heat than the nylon or plastic cage. I am not saying they are worse for the application or don't work. Just that there is a trade off between steel or nylon races. Nylon or plastic works better in marginal lubrication conditions too. I worked for a bearing manufacturer for 16 years that supplies HD with bearings. Baker and other aftermarket manufacturers are sometimes forced to go to alternate suppliers or designs because the part the OEM supplier makes for HD is proprietary and by agreement they cannot sell the exact same part to them. Not usually because this part is a better solution for the application.
While draining my gear oil , a small ball bering fell out 😮 The bike was/is shifting out fine ? Im wondering if its ok to still ride until i can afford a rebuild ?
I know that transmission troubles can be really frustrating!!!! I found a transmission bearing on the magnet when I had shifting drama 😮 but this happened with my Ducati ST2 at 203,000 miles 😊 what a piece of crap 😂😂😂😂😂 would never ride one of those chrome air compressors!!!
At what mileage are you having to O/H these? You mentioned that drive bearing can fail as early as 20K. (That's incredibly early.) Is that the only early failure on these 6-speeds? I love the sound of Harleys and have ridden a few but the more I learn about them, the more the engineering seems to be quite poor. My biggest concern is that press-fit crank. It's dirt-bike technology and doesn't belong in an engine making 100+ ft. lbs. of torque. It should have been welded from the factory, especially given the damage excessive runout can cause. The upside is they seem to be relatively easy to work on and the special tools required seem to be few easily duplicated with stuff I already have. Great video, btw. Very informative.
Well I followed your instructions using the jims tool. Should have read the instructions that comes with the tool because the large gold washer is supposed to go between the 971-2 and the head of the bolt 2138. Instruction line item #3. I just broke the 971-2 in half and damaged the trapdoor side of the case.
@20'01" what was that noise? When I look at the $$$ spent on tools for this job then the knowledge and then the experience it seems like I would trust Kevin to repair my bike but how do we know which shops are worthy of trust? Doing it ourselves is often the only way and perhaps less expensive. I liked the cruise drive, the top gear engaged light on the dash and the silent engaging of first gear from standstill but am put off by some of the tales of lack of robustness. There are some things I would like to see on HD such as outrigger bearings on the primary drive but they do look mostly heavy duty made.
Man, I wish I would have had gaskets come off that easy when I would work on my Yamaha Roadstar. I always had to spend at least an hour scraping and cleaning off gasket surfaces.
I can see you would want to own all the nice specialty pullers before attempting doing this yourself. By the way, the teeth on that starter drive look like you might want to change that too.
2011 Harley Ultra down shifting to 1st gear while slowing down slite wine comeing to a stop sounds like torque no chips in tranny fluid shifts and runs fine other wise any clue
I been seeing and hearing of more transmission main bearings and other parts failing. It's my belief it's because some folks use 20W50 in the transmission. I have always run gear lube in my transmissions and never had a failure. Presently I'm running Amsoil 75W140 severe gear. Probably overkill, Shifts great in cold weather too. I always suggest gear lube, conventional or synthetic, as long as it's gear lube.
Spot on! 👍
Same here!
Agreed. Running motor oil in a HD trans is inferior to proper lubricants. Nothing but redline shockproof for me.
I would say it's the stupid auto chain tensioner
Most metrics run motor oil in the trans as it’s all in one, not 3 separate holes as HDs…the metrics have very little if any of these issues and that oil has clutch particles and hydrocarbons from the engine. It’s not the oil, it’s a design issue. I agree with the autotensioner theory…
Well Kevin, I will probably never do a third of what you cover in your videos, but for sure know where to turn if I ever do. Thanks again for putting these vids together and the wealth of information and seasoned knowlege you pack them full of!
I’ve spent my fair share of $$$ on riding jus because rid’N defines me an the Luv an passion is for real...!
I would NEVER hesitate one micro sec to have this man turn a wrench on my bike.
They call it trust ..
He dam well knows of what he speaks..!
If I lived down that way, he’d be replacing my transmission seal right now as I write.
Wish I had the tools to do this myself. Perhaps only 20k on a new grudge box an main seal is leaking ..
Thanks from your northern neighbour for all your very well done videos, Kevin Baxter...!
Keep em coming ...
Your expertise is exceptional and greatly appreciated. Very educational. Not sure this is something I could undertake, but I found myself glued to the video wanting to know more. ♥️👍
Kevin, thank you. I’m in the process of rebuilding my bike that I paid a local mechanic $19k to rebuild from the ground up. Unfortunately for me, everything was toast, including a brand new S&S flywheel. Your videos gave given me the confidence to attempt this rebuild myself. I guess I’ll be buying these tools 😂. Thanks sir
Have a 2010 RG. It was great seeing the transmission disassembly. You are definitely a Master mechanic. The induction heater was interesting. Great job!
❤ I'd love the video. I don't know if it's the years experience of automotive.
I can see last tension when the bearing breaks loose
Thanks for sharing Kevin.
Great information once again, thanks Kevin, shared with all of our Techs!!!
Most of us may not have all of the tools or Kevin's experience, but we do have a great teacher willing to take time out of his schedule to show us step-by-step ways to get things done. Appreciate everything you do and share with us.
Yea this dude is great. I’d love to have him do a full motor build for me.
What's the mileage on that trans
That is a question I'd like the answer to. At about what mileage could this issue and disassembly woes be expected.
Great informative video. Thank you
I think he is the best mechanic of the world.
I wonder what would it Cost that operation done by the dealer ( 2000 dollar ?)
Kevin can you tell us how did you learn all that skill . I think a lot viewers wonder.
I don't know how many times I've seen it on some of the tek sites .. and forum..s
that that is left hand thread for the pulley nut ...
If that shift shaft has some play, could that be just a seal or a worn pawl?...no leaks...yet. Thank you for this video!
Excelente aula professor.
Very interesting video. 🏍💨🏍💨
Omg racheting ring clip tool.
Where has that been all my life ..
For the few times I’ve needed to pull one of those spawns of Satan (fuckin ring clips)…. Every time without fail .. flings off the bike and under something .. I’m sure there are some sitting next to all the missing left socks from the drier and that missing bag of weed from when I was in highschool
Did you say that there was around 30 thousand miles, surly not.
You know they do make a tool for that shifter seal
Didn't you get the updated intro with Nashville, TN?
Thank you
Thanks Kevin. Always learn something.
I had no idea removing a Harley tranny was so involved. Thanks great video
Thank you again Kevin. As well as being an excellent engineer, you're a great communicator, and that makes all the difference.
Thank you so very much👍that was so infinitive and please keep doing these videos.
Another great video Kevin. Now you are making me spend more money on tools. I've seen the induction heaters before, but now, I feel I need one.
Is there a fix for these early models to keep that race from walking? I'm debating going to a ball bearing but don't want to deal with the higher failure rate. Also curious what's the average cost for a shop to go through a trans and freshen it up with bearings and seals?
I'm curious what the tools cost
Great details on critical items. Thank you. People need to understand the specialty tools needed.no short cuts good video
Heat stickers, what a great idea, I'm gonna look into that. Interesting, when I've drilled into a seal, I've always then screwed a metal screw into the hole and used a pliers to pull the seal out. I'll try a pick next time-
Great to see the MASTER at work again. Love these educational videos. 👍
I just finished putting the grudge box, with bakers compensator and the slack adjuster. I would have loved to have seen this before I tore into my 2007 FXST
Thanks Kevin learning a lot and it’s great to have new shows and may the Lord bless you in your new shop
That was a really good learning video. It is worth the price of admission to watch your video. Are you going back with an upgraded gear set with the engine rebuild?
Can I (provided damage free) use my stock 2020 m8 107 FLHX trans with 2019 m8 114? Or would you prefer not to answer?
Always great information. The proper tools and patience will go along way.
Great vid thanks. Just a quick question.
My transmission gears can be moved laterally what is the most likely cause for this drawing from your extensive knowledge.
My new gearset is tight and just has the normal longitudinal lash.
Any input is greatly appreciated cheers 😊
I break torque on cover screws etc manually (unless I was the last to install them) but run them out with a bit in a cordless drill or light impact because RSI is no fun and all that turning eventually wears out tendons and joints. One shoulder replacement was more than enough since a replaced shoulder isn't nearly as strong a joint. I am also long out of the heavy lifting business but any mechanic can give themselves easy options (like using a patient lift to pick and place engines, a gantry to sling bikes if you prefer mid-air access at any height with no lift table in the way etc). I often place a wooden hammer handle between a ball pein and engine etc covers. It's easy to see exactly where you strike vs a rag.
You can get 200 degree temperature crayons from your local welding supply or online and those last a very long time. The inductor is a neat tool but if you own a torch it's easy to protect the shaft by sliding a loose piece of steel pipe over it to safely deflect flame. Another thing every mechanic with any kind of torch will benefit from is plumbers heat dam putty. Goss, Rectorseal, and many others sell it online and I promise you want a tub. Then go heat some scrap parts and practice with it. It's also popular for localizing heat on sheet metal during body work and only costs ~25 bucks a tub.
If you don't already own a mechanical torque multiplier they're perfect for no-shock removal of compensator and sprocket nuts. I use red Loctite on my compensator nuts and can remove them using one hand on a long 1/2" drive ratchet with the torque multiplier. Some engine builders use then on tapered crankpin nuts as they work with any torque wrench. I should have bought on 40 years ago.
My local independent shop bros hate Cruise Drive boxes but like the money they make fixing HDs usual indifference to quality. They've never had a customer comeback when they installed Baker transmissions.
Wow Lot Tools , Special tools .... acquired over years iam sure + the Knowledge & experience goes all the way .....to The bank as an Business Man & Yes Pride As another Happy Costumer Rollin Down the road in The Wind Thanks Kevin.
Okay, this brings up a question about the Harley Davidson start-up procedure. Last month, bought my first Harley, a 2015 Street Glide. Southern Tier Harley Davidson in upstate New York. Forty-one years of riding metrics. You REALLY DO start it without pulling the clutch in?? Then, you drop it into 1st with that BIG clunk? That really doesn't hurt anything? I you say so...
I noticed you used a 1/4 drive for the allens on the
lock plate me 2 easier feel on the tool harder to break
a bolt with 1/4 drive then 3/8 great video kevin.
I was unable to locate the video where you show the secondary shaft bearing removal and install can you provide the link?
Kevin, you got all the cool tools!
Great Stuff Kevin!!!!!!
I bought that Hot Rod induction tool after seeing Kevin use it in a video about a year ago.
It’s one of those tools you wonder how you ever got along without lol
So im having a knocking coming from the primary side when i depress the clutch it goes away i followed your guide on the inner primary bearing and am now doing the clutch basket in hopes that the noise goes away and hoping it aint the hear in your video
Hey Kevin, thank you for another excellent detailed explanation of what you are doing. I have an 08 Street Glide with a six speed. 46,000 miles and while in neutral I have a bearing making noise. I don’t care how many Holiday Inns I stay at, I will not have, the confidence to tear the transmission out lol.The technician said he will not know which bearing it is until he gets into it. Thanks again.
Baker has a great upgrade for the Cruz drive 6 and replaces the ball bearings with timken bearings the plastic races break apart and then the bearings do not stay in place
If the "Timken bearings" you mention have a steel cage (not race), they are prone to more friction and heat than the nylon or plastic cage. I am not saying they are worse for the application or don't work. Just that there is a trade off between steel or nylon races. Nylon or plastic works better in marginal lubrication conditions too. I worked for a bearing manufacturer for 16 years that supplies HD with bearings. Baker and other aftermarket manufacturers are sometimes forced to go to alternate suppliers or designs because the part the OEM supplier makes for HD is proprietary and by agreement they cannot sell the exact same part to them. Not usually because this part is a better solution for the application.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏Congrats ,very good job 👏👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍
Thanks sir for the lesson. Always learning from you. Glad to see you having some time to pass on tips & tricks to us.
So good to see you actually working on customers bikes once again. The move is successful !!!
Yay !!!!
😆
I absolutely enjoy watching you do amazing work.
I enjoy learning from Mr Baxter
Thank you sir
HAVE YOU EVER DONE A VIDEO ON ENGINE ALIGNMENT ON A ULTRA CLASSIC?
Gitcher dipsticks outa tha way!
It's not a "transmission"....it's an engine that wants to be a woman!
I guess it would've
Stayed on.
While draining my gear oil , a small ball bering fell out 😮
The bike was/is shifting out fine ?
Im wondering if its ok to still ride until i can afford a rebuild ?
I would say no. There's only 3 bearings it could come from.
Thank You Sir ! ;-))) Peace/;-)
You just talked me out of working on my own transmission.
👋👋🫡🇺🇸😎
I done 3 of these last week 😂
I know that transmission troubles can be really frustrating!!!! I found a transmission bearing on the magnet when I had shifting drama 😮 but this happened with my Ducati ST2 at 203,000 miles 😊 what a piece of crap 😂😂😂😂😂 would never ride one of those chrome air compressors!!!
At what mileage are you having to O/H these? You mentioned that drive bearing can fail as early as 20K. (That's incredibly early.) Is that the only early failure on these 6-speeds?
I love the sound of Harleys and have ridden a few but the more I learn about them, the more the engineering seems to be quite poor. My biggest concern is that press-fit crank. It's dirt-bike technology and doesn't belong in an engine making 100+ ft. lbs. of torque. It should have been welded from the factory, especially given the damage excessive runout can cause.
The upside is they seem to be relatively easy to work on and the special tools required seem to be few easily duplicated with stuff I already have.
Great video, btw. Very informative.
Well I followed your instructions using the jims tool. Should have read the instructions that comes with the tool because the large gold washer is supposed to go between the 971-2 and the head of the bolt 2138. Instruction line item #3. I just broke the 971-2 in half and damaged the trapdoor side of the case.
@20'01" what was that noise? When I look at the $$$ spent on tools for this job then the knowledge and then the experience it seems like I would trust Kevin to repair my bike but how do we know which shops are worthy of trust? Doing it ourselves is often the only way and perhaps less expensive. I liked the cruise drive, the top gear engaged light on the dash and the silent engaging of first gear from standstill but am put off by some of the tales of lack of robustness. There are some things I would like to see on HD such as outrigger bearings on the primary drive but they do look mostly heavy duty made.
Man, I wish I would have had gaskets come off that easy when I would work on my Yamaha Roadstar. I always had to spend at least an hour scraping and cleaning off gasket surfaces.
I can see you would want to own all the nice specialty pullers before attempting doing this yourself. By the way, the teeth on that starter drive look like you might want to change that too.
Excellent video
Thank you Kevin. I appreciate the information and all the good tips.
The old HD 4-speed gearbox was bulletproof.
Why are those induction heaters so expensive?!
A plastic dead blow hammer worked well for me
2011 Harley Ultra down shifting to 1st gear while slowing down slite wine comeing to a stop sounds like torque no chips in tranny fluid shifts and runs fine other wise any clue
Compensator ? They dont like enginebrake heavy
Great work. Thanks.