Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[DESERTBEAR54]

How many people have had a drain plug on their Primary or Tranny cross threaded and stripped out and have had to repair there casings with heli-coils or a Piggy Back fitting? I just went through this with my 2010 SEUC after I had got the bike back from the dealer when they put Syn 3 in the P & T. I couldn't stand the heat and extra noise so I drained the P & T and the drain plug on the Primary wouldn't come out without wrenching it the whole way. To my surprise and heart failure the plug had been cross threaded and chewed up the threads on removal. I ended up installing a Piggy Back Fitting with it's on drain and for the last week has not leaked. It would have been one of those deals that dealer would say they didn't do it and I know for fact I didn't do it but somehow you have to do a repair or replace your whole Primary Casing?  This whole situation came about because of my love for Redline in the P & T. If you all know my situation about motors in BLUU I was told by the Moco I needed to run Syn 3 in my bike because that is what Harley recommends and if I was to keep my Factory Warranty I had to Run Syn 3 in the bike.

[ultrafxr]

Happened to the engine oil drain plug on my '99.  Had an oil change done out of town while on a road trip.  Next oil change when I unscrewed the drain plug the threads from the pan came out with it.  Luckily the pan is easy to change from the rear with the rear wheel off.  But still I was pizzed and like you said - no way to prove who, when or where it happened.  All I know is I sure as heck did not do it!

[DESERTBEAR54]

My feelings exactly!! I'm just wondering what Harley is going to say to me when they see that repair. I'm sure I won't have any warranty on my Primary now that I repaired the drain plug.

[Boatman]

Soory it happened as you have had enough problems.  The only good thing is that the inner primary is not hard to replace with the right tools.  If you ever thought of a chrome one, now is the time.  If not, maybe someone on here put on a chrome and would sell their granite inner cover.  I would not repair it-just replace.

[DESERTBEAR54]

Boatman,The inner Granite Cover on the Primary has the drain port on the bottom side? What is the cost of that for replacement? I don't think I will go with the chrome but I was under the impression you have to replace the whole Primary Case. Pretty Pricey??

[GregKhougaz]

DesertBear, 

Sorry to hear of this... what a pain!  There are several threads here about aftermarket oil v. HD's Syn3.  You absolutely do not have to use HD oil to preserve your warranty.  There are lots of websites about the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act, all of which explain that for the warranty to be voided, it must be shown that the "modification" caused the problem with the vehicle. 

Don't know if this will help but Griot's Garage has a new Thread Restoration Kit.as an alternative to a "tap."  Here is their claim: 

"The tool quickly adjusts to a multitude of thread diameters and pitches. Works on inch, metric, right or left handed threads, fine or coarse. The way this restores internal threads is genius! Unlike traditional taps, this one works from the inside out starting where the threads are still good. This also pulls damaged thread material out instead of pushing it down in. There is no need to measure the thread since they are adjustable. External Metric threads (M4-M18) Standard Threads 5/32"-11/16". Internal Metric Threads (M8-M16) Standard Threads 5/16"-5/8". Includes extra blades for all the tools and comes in a nice storage case that measures 10" wide x 5 3/4" deep x 1 3/4" tall. Made in Israel. Detailed instructions included."

I have not used it but it might be worth taking a look at.       Good luck!

GK

[grc]

Boatman,The inner Granite Cover on the Primary has the drain port on the bottom side? What is the cost of that for replacement? I don't think I will go with the chrome but I was under the impression you have to replace the whole Primary Case. Pretty Pricey??

The granite inner primary housing (60850-08A) comes with a new bearing and seal as well as a new magnetic drain plug, all for about $365 MSRP.  Buy it from a 20% discount place.  Now for the strange part.  Supposedly the chrome version in the P&A catalog for '07 and later Big Twins only costs $299.95; assuming the price is still a valid number this would have to be one of the few times when a chrome part was cheaper than the original.  Don't say anything to anyone at Harley, or they'll jack the price up to $399.95.


Jerry

[DESERTBEAR54]

Jerry, Roger That!! I did the repair with a 1/2 20 piggy back plug and made it permenent with JB Weld. I have put 500+ miles on the bike and no leaks but just a different look than stock. It maybe worth it for me to buy the housing and have Harley install it so that it is back to stock.

[Midnight Rider]

It ain't cheap...the biggest cost will be labor.  With the luck you've had with your dealer, I'm not sure I'd let them do it, unless it was free because they f'd it up in the first place.  It's hard for me to understand how someone cross threads a drain plug, but I know it happens, even on cars that are taken to some of the "quick change" places.  That's because they have jack leg, untrained, inept people doing the fluid changes.  Any idiot can tell when the plug is not threading properly during installation, but I guess they just don't give a chit, or are using an impact wrench and can't tell.

If you don't want to fight with your dealer (which I would, but that's me), I'd try to find someone on here who has swapped their inner for a chrome, as Boatman suggested, buy the part, and find an independent shop that you can trust to install the new inner, if you can't do it yourself.  How the hell would HD know?  If they are telling you that you MUST use Syn 3 in all holes, then you're already screwed unless you do the work somewhere else and put Syn 3 back in the holes.

[grc]

I'd love to have a face to face with the POS supposed Harley rep who told him he has to use SYN3 for them to honor his warranty.  Even better, I'd love to see him pull that crap on an attorney who wouldn't mind spending a little time and energy suing the living crap out of him and his employer for warranty fraud.

BTW, since I seriously doubt the cheap bastards would spend any money to test the oil to make sure it was SYN3, what makes anyone think they could actually tell what brand of oil you use anyway?  If you don't volunteer the information, they won't have a clue (except in the case of the Shockproof of course, since it's kind of pink in color). 

Best advice is as Boatman and TCnBham mentioned.  Get a chrome inner, or look for a granite takeoff at a good price, and don't let that poor excuse for a dealer touch it.  Find a good independent and have him do all your nonwarranty work.


Jerry

[Midnight Rider]

To top it all off, although my dealer does not sell any other primary/engine oil other than HD chit, the DO sell Redline Shockproof for the Tranny...the service manager actually told me that "it works better" than HD products.

I actually wrote this earlier, but deleted it before posting, as I didn't want to seem like an ahole, but if I were in your shoes at this point, when I took out the drain plug and found it stripped, I would have at least called the dealer and told them to come get the bike, fix the f up that their tech did, with nothing less than a new inner primary.  If they gave me any chit at this point, I'd go see an attorney about the entire situation that you've experienced, and light a fire under somebody's ass, force them to put IN WRITING that you MUST use Syn 3 in all holes, else your warranty would be null and void, then turn around and sue them for warranty fraud and whatever else the lawyer advised.

You're a more patient person than I am with regards to this kind of stuff...

[Twolanerider]

To top it all off, although my dealer does not sell any other primary/engine oil other than HD chit, the DO sell Redline Shockproof for the Tranny...the service manager actually told me that "it works better" than HD products.

I actually wrote this earlier, but deleted it before posting, as I didn't want to seem like an ahole, but if I were in your shoes at this point, when I took out the drain plug and found it stripped, I would have at least called the dealer and told them to come get the bike, fix the f up that their tech did, with nothing less than a new inner primary.  If they gave me any chit at this point, I'd go see an attorney about the entire situation that you've experienced, and light a fire under somebody's ass, force them to put IN WRITING that you MUST use Syn 3 in all holes, else your warranty would be null and void, then turn around and sue them for warranty fraud and whatever else the lawyer advised.

You're a more patient person than I am with regards to this kind of stuff...

Damn, now I know where Toby gets it from....