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Harley 4 speed tranny is hard to find neutral

Discussion in 'Motorcycle Tech Talk' started by Tommyc, Apr 19, 2011.

  1. Fatboy128

    Fatboy128 Well-Known Member

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    OK. thanx. I knew how the dry sump worked from my old hot rodder days but I never heard it refferred to as a "total loss" engine (but I knew the old, old bikes ran the oil to the ground and was "total loss".
  2. Tommyc

    Tommyc Active Member

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    I don't dare start my bikes beofre or after a certain time of day. They are loud and we like in a duplex type house so our neighbors are close. Our back and front yards are shared and split with a wooden fence. I they old lady next door would come out screaming if I fired up the bikes too late!!
    Nothing like the sound of an old shovelhead!!
  3. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    We live in the country on 1 acre lots and we got one neighbor who lives closer to my shop than the house. One summer night at midnight I was just finishing up when building the wifes first Trike, we were taking it out the next day. My air compressor started up :rolleyes: and the old women who lives in the house started yelling at me. I yelled back at her and told her that's why I live in the country, so close your F8cking window and shut up. Her husband never said a word to me. That was several years ago and they have never spoken a word to us sense, :p and I still work out there late at night. :D

    Start your bike up and point the exhaust right at her window, :D
  4. Tommyc

    Tommyc Active Member

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    Yeah OK FLHT. If I did that I would prolly have about 10 people come out yelling WTF guy it's midnight! If I had my own garage I wouldn't care. Would start bike any time of the day. But I don't. Maybe soon tho!
  5. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    That is why we moved to the country, don't need some old women pissing me off if I want to work on my bike. However I do keep the door closed late at night if working in the shop. Air compressor is a bit noisy but really don't care to much.:) Good luck and do understand that in your case yea got to keep the neighbors happy. Maybe she will move out.:D
  6. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

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    Yeah Air compressors can get loud,

    Try not and let mine crank on too late, neighbors have little kids
    or start the softail with the bassani pipes on late..

    Gotta live there and see them daily..
  7. FLHTbiker

    FLHTbiker Moderator Staff Member

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    That women next door has two kids and they would come over all the time and check out the bikes, :D
  8. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    i love living in no where land!!!!!!!!!!
  9. Tommyc

    Tommyc Active Member

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    I got a DVD on 4 speed tranny rebuild. The rebuild needs to be done by a certified mechanic/machinist. It's waay over my ability. Lots of special tools are required, a press and lots of different calipers. It would be cheaper and better to have the rebuild done by someone who has done it before and know what they are doing.
    YOu guys said it is easy to do. I have to disagree with you. Maybe a cheap and easy partial rebuild is easy but a full blown correct rebuild is difficult and better left to a professional. I will pull the tranny and have it done right. Anybody want a copy of the tranny rebuild DVD I bought for $28? It is very interesting~!
  10. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    can ya do a copy of it???? i am trying to figure out the difficult part....a press i agree with.....and some measuring tools also.
  11. Tommyc

    Tommyc Active Member

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    I will try to copy it for you. The difficult part is the math first off. Things are measured to the tenth of a thousandth of an inch. That's 0.0001". That's not difficult for you Chuck? There's lots of Jims tools, not cheap, and lots of calipers and feeler gauges and shift fork locators, a press and many different adapters for the press and shims and etc, etc. Prolly about $2000 worth of tools.
    It's definetly not a project for a home mechanic. I have a lot of tools but I have none of those. I could rebuild the shift drum assembly and the kicker assembly but I wouldn't go further than that.
  12. chucktx

    chucktx Moderator Staff Member

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    the measuring isnt hard for me......micrometers, dial indicators, ect. i am fortunate as i have been wrenching since '67. have acquired a LOT of tools over the years,,,,,,,,,you keep wrenching and you will probably acquire more than you need also!!!!:D
  13. hotroadking

    hotroadking Super Moderator Staff Member

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    you don't need everything, you are not HD building it.

    You can get most of the measuring bits at Harbor Freight really cheap

    Just get the bearings, gaskets etc.

    take it apart, replace the bearings
    and put it back together, if the bike moves forward
    you did good... LOL
  14. Tommyc

    Tommyc Active Member

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    It looks harder to rebuild a tranny that it does the motor.
    Maybe the video just makes it look more complicated than it really is because they cover thing! Even replacing the bearing races and line lapping. Prolly stuff only the pros ever do. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying I couldn't do it, I know I could I would rather have it done right, the first time by someone who has do it and has the tools. I would have to buy all the special tools and it would take me prolly 6 months to complete it. It took me 3 months to replace my chain primary with a belt. I kept having to stop and buy new parts/tools and wait for them to be shipped out. I finally got it done and it works fine. Anyway, my mechanic Chicago Bob will rebuild it for me. He is an excellent Harley mechanic.
  15. Tommyc

    Tommyc Active Member

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    Chcuk, send me your address and I will mail the DVD to you. I got a copy of it.
  16. Johnclave

    Johnclave New Member

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    There may be a problem in clutch plate
  17. cowboy

    cowboy Moderator Staff Member

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    tommy it's been a lot of years but I rebulit the trans on 73 shovel, just carried it to a friend who had a press , the rest I did in my garage back then & that was before my boys got old enough to loose my tools :eek:

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