| Author |
Message |
    
B1rdman
| | Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 04:57 pm: | 
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Bill- big question here...why is that plug seal not shown in our manual?? I couldn't find it, and neither could the local HD/Buell dealer parts place with three of us looking for it on their computers.. |
B1rdman
| | Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 05:05 pm: |
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Another big question or two:
1) They said that none of the Sportster 1200s there had that plug...why ours?
2) What about the other guy in this thread who doesn't have the plug but isn't leaking oil? |
Kevmean
| | Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 05:33 pm: |
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All the sprotster derived Buells should have that plug and if it's missing and you aren't leaking oil from it then you eventually end up with a destroyed needle bearing as in Reepicheeps photo. |
Hootowl
| | Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 05:35 pm: |
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"What about the other guy in this thread who doesn't have the plug but isn't leaking oil?"
I think you have two problems.
1. You are missing the final drive oil seal.
2. Your crank seal is shot.
Since the final drive oil seal is missing, your oil is shooting out of the bearing instead of the vent tube.
As Kevin said, you should NOT be able to see that bearing.
The other guy who isn't leaking oil probably doesn't have a bad crank seal, so his tranny isn't trying to blow oil anywhere. It should only happen if it is overfilled. That final drive bearing is splash oiled, not force oiled. |
B1rdman
| | Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 06:47 pm: |
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Oil seal and plug have been ordered. Wished someone local would have the plug here in Columbia, SC.. 
You guys are great, thanks again for all the help. Hopefully I can get this thing fixed in the most economical and swift way so that I can get back to riding. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 08:42 am: |
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Back in 2002 or something, my local dealer got that plug for me no problem. So they were at least in a catalog somewhere.
I bet sportsters have that plug too. I can't see how it wouldn't leak without one. Or rust. And if your crank seal is failing (which is a fairly common problem), that would change it from a leak to a spray. Though I would expect you would also be getting stuff out the tranny vent hose.
When I was chasing coolant leak problems on a KLR-250, I taped a balloon to the overflow vent for the radiator. When the problem happened (turned out to be a bad head gasket) while riding I could see the ballon suddenly inflate. You could do the same thing to see if you are catching goo out that vent line.
The crank seal is inside your primary behind the stator. You remove two big nuts, then pull off the clutch assembly, primary chain, and stator bell all as a unit. That exposes the trapdoor for your tranny on the rear, and the crank seal in the front. Once you are that far in, 4 more bolts or so and you can have the tranny cartridge out on your bench for inspection if you wish. You have to do that to remove that 5th gear drive assembly, which has to be pressed out and back in (the harder part, but doable with threaded rod and scrap steel). |
Kalali
| | Posted on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 11:57 am: |
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"..I bet sportsters have that plug too. I can't see how it wouldn't leak without one."
Reep - This is very intriguing as mine has no plug and is not leaking. How and where could it leak from there? The only possible area I can see is the minute clearance between the shaft and the needle bearing and that should require some significant back pressure from inside the transmission to push the oil past that space. And the hole in the middle of the shaft stubbed. Just curious. |
B1rdman
| | Posted on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 01:54 pm: |
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I've not been able to find ANY plugs in our manuals or otherwise. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 02:29 pm: |
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It's a bunch of needle bearings in a cage... not only would fluid get through, bet you would see daylight through it.
Here is a better picture of it on a sportster forum (not my picture, no affiliation to the site, I just googled it up)
(from http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/showthread.php? t=538955)
You can see a good bearing, but no way that's going to seal fluids. That thread references the (missing) plug as well. |
Kalali
| | Posted on Friday, May 17, 2013 - 08:11 pm: |
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Wes, hope this is helping you as well. Don't mean to thread-jack. Anyway, great picture of the seal and the shaft. I guess I now need to worry about the absence of a leak... |
Kalali
| | Posted on Saturday, May 18, 2013 - 11:54 am: |
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Looks like the HD part number for that illusive plug cap is 12030. You really need to look hard to see it in the parts manual. |
Alfau
| | Posted on Sunday, May 19, 2013 - 05:35 pm: |
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Modification you might be interested in.
http://www.ukbeg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=742
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Jim2
| | Posted on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 11:44 am: |
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I am interested in this. If anybody is ordering from UK to US let me in on this. It's about $15.25 USD as of today. I imagine shipping might be high but if there is a few people buying the shipping should come down.
Or perhaps a machinist here could make up a batch? |
Oldog
| | Posted on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 12:02 pm: |
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One issue I see with that is that you are putting grease in the gear oil and ultimately in the clutch..... |
Jim2
| | Posted on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 12:54 pm: |
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I would think that if you don't put too much grease in, it with the roller bearings and not contaminate the clutch. If the roller bearings in that place don't get sufficient lube from the primary lube then how can the grease get washed out to mix in with the primary? |
Brother_in_buells
| | Posted on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 01:04 pm: |
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It's a small amount of a mix from grease and oil.
And easy to make the plug yourself.
I made it from 4mm thick aluminum plate and put it in the lathe for the final size.
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Natexlh1000
| | Posted on Monday, May 20, 2013 - 04:32 pm: |
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Pretty slick there.
What's the diameter, just out of curiosity. |
Brother_in_buells
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 08:27 am: |
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The stock plug i pulled out and measured is 32.11mm
the inside diameter of the output shaft is 31.85mm
i compared a s1 and xb shaft and both were the same inside diameters.
The alu plug/seal i made was 32.04mm to 32.06mm
Before tapping it in the shaft (used a piece of wooden broomstick for that) make a little of a slanted edge on one side of the plug with a file for an easier start. |
