The Harley-Davidson Sportster primary chaincase houses the compensator sprocket, primary drive chain and clutch pack. Passages at the rear of the inner primary housing connect to the transmission to allow the transmission and primary drive to share a common lubricant. The operating temperatures within the primary and the high shear of the transmission gears break down the primary chaincase lubricant over time. Change the lubricant every 10,000 miles as part of the regularly scheduled maintenance.
Instructions
1. Operate the Sportster until it reaches the normal operating temperature. Park the bike on hard, level ground and have a helper hold the bike upright and level.
2. Place a clean shop rag over the left rider footpeg, if applicable, and the rear brake master cylinder. Grasp the top corners of the left side cover and gently pull it free from the upper mounting clips. Rotate the top of the cover out while sliding the bottom of the cover down on the lower mounting tab. Rest the cover on the rear master cylinder.
3. Squeeze the main fuse cover release latches and pull the main fuse holder from the cover. Grip the main fuse holder and pull the main fuse straight out.
4. Remove two screws holding the left rider footrest bracket to the frame by using a ratchet and Allen driver. Remove the rider footrest and bracket, as a unit, from the bike.
5. Remove the clutch inspection cover screws by using a ratchet and Allen driver. Remove the clutch inspection cover from the primary chaincase. Remove and discard the clutch inspection cover quad seal.
6. Place a drain pan under the primary chaincase drain plug located at the rear of the primary chaincase. Remove the drain plug by using a ratchet and socket. Discard the old drain plug gasket. Allow the fluid to drain fully.
7. Wipe the primary drain plug with a clean shop rag to remove residual oil. Apply a dab of Loctite Threadlocker 565 (white) to the threads of the drain plug. Install the drain plug and new drain plug gasket. Tighten the drain plug to 14 to 30 foot-pounds of torque by using a foot-pound torque wrench and socket.
8. Add primary chaincase lubricant through the clutch inspection cover opening until the lubricant level reaches the bottom of the clutch diaphragm spring. Add the lubricant slowly and allow the level to drop before adding more. Stop adding lubricant when the level stabilizes at the bottom of the clutch diaphragm spring.
9. Install a new clutch inspection cover quad ring into the groove in the primary chaincase cover and ensure that the quad ring is fully seated into the groove.
10. Install the clutch inspection cover and cover screws. Tighten the cover screws to 84 to 108 inch-pounds, in a cross pattern, by using an inch-pound torque wrench and Allen driver.
11. Install the rider footrest bracket and bracket screws. Tighten the bracket screws to 45 to 50 foot-pounds by using a foot-pound torque wrench and Allen driver.
12. Plug the main fuse into the main fuse folder. Push the main fuse holder into the protective cover until the cover release latches snap into place.
13. Lift and rotate the left side cover into position. Align the slots in the side cover with the retaining clips. Push the top of the cover in until it snaps securely into the clips.
14. Start the engine and check for leaks.
Tags: drain plug, main fuse, primary chaincase, clutch inspection, clutch inspection cover, inspection cover
