Author |
Message |
Lager
| Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2010 - 09:04 pm: |
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Im wondering if there is a better transmission oil out there that will provide smoother shifts or at least less foot effort? Yeah, I know its an HD and its not going to be silky smooth but I figured I would throw this out to the members. Since I have some down time due to the weather here in the Carolinas,feeling the need to tinker. Third gear is the worst, high effort and the most travel to stick it. Suggestions? |
Ratbuell
| Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2010 - 09:44 pm: |
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Adjust your primary to spec and keep an eye on it. I run Syn3 in all the bikes, no issues. |
Buellistic
| Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2010 - 10:21 pm: |
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Look at it this way ... If the motor sprocket seal goes bad, just where do you think the transmission oil is going to go ??? IMHO, H-D Syn3 20W50 is the best for Transmission and engine ... |
Slayer5690
| Posted on Friday, November 19, 2010 - 12:13 am: |
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I like running amsoil 60 weight. In the summer it was a major improvement over HD transfluid with regards to heat and shifting but i live in AZ and this time of yr may be too could to run that thick of oil in most places (Message edited by slayer5690 on November 19, 2010) |
Littlebuggles
| Posted on Friday, November 19, 2010 - 01:26 am: |
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I've found any synthetic gives better performance than the HD sport trans, I liked the straight gear oil best but the stuff was bad for the stator so I generally use Syn3, it's the easiest to come by. |
Buellistic
| Posted on Friday, November 19, 2010 - 11:10 am: |
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It is not only the oil in the transmission that makes the transmission work and shift better, "BUT": A PROPERLY ADJUSTED CLUTCH ... Proper PRIMARY CHAIN ADJUSTMENT(not loose enough) ... Proper DRIVE BELT ADJUSTMENT(not loose enough) ... Correct FOOT/SHIFT LEVER "ERGONOMICS" ... A lot of MILES ON THE TRANSMISSION(useage) ... |
Blue_pipe
| Posted on Friday, November 19, 2010 - 08:26 pm: |
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Red Line with shock is what I've been using. It get's better every time I change it. (Message edited by blue pipe on November 19, 2010) |
Lager
| Posted on Friday, November 19, 2010 - 08:49 pm: |
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I thank everyone for their posts or suggestions. Have no idea what oil is in there right now. I just bought this bike a month ago,considering the condition of this bike? I can say that the origional owner was very picky or concerned about this bike. Its too perfect for a hack to have owned it. Im betting the suggested oil is in the transmission already and this is the best its going to get. Thats Ok, I can deal with it. Many Thanks to member Buellistic for his many suggestions to create a smoother shifting transmission. In my forced down time due to the weather, think Im going to do a trans fluid change with the recommended HD oil anyways and hope for the best. I threw this post out in hope someone had a slicker oil suggestion? Guess not, it is what it is. Im Jiggy with it. Hey! Cant have everything right? |
Sloppy
| Posted on Saturday, November 20, 2010 - 11:30 pm: |
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I went through all the oils (syn 3, formula, redline, sports, royal purple, etc) and made all the adjustments for the primary and even went with a banke shifter. They do work "better", but it's basically polishing a turd. The "fix" is to use a Baker 5 or 6 speed tranny. The culprit is two fold - one is the drive pins for the detent plate and a Baker shift drum fixes that. The other is what I found on track days is the tranny housing seems to have too much flex in it so hard powered gear changes were a game of lotto if you got it up to the next gear Once I upgraded to the Baker 5 speed tranny the bike now shifts BETTER than my dirt bikes. The transformation is amazing! Their tranny caries both a better shifter drum and a billet and stiffened housing. I wish they would have done this from the factory... So if you're not doing track days then do the shift drum / detent plate upgrade. If you're on the track though, then a new tranny should be looked at. |
Littlebuggles
| Posted on Sunday, November 21, 2010 - 12:05 am: |
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Brinnutz had a stock shift drum polished and said the shifting was a lot better. I've considered doing the same myself as I can polish stuff and put it back without any cost besides the fluid change anyway. Not sure if there was any chamfering of the groves involved or anything like that though... |
Sloppy
| Posted on Sunday, November 21, 2010 - 05:33 pm: |
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The cheapest and quickest "fix" is to tap and drill the drum plate to accept the detent plate. IMO, the problem is the stock detent plate wobbles, due to the circlip and pins attachment, so the roller on the cam doesn't engage it properly. There's plenty of write-ups on that mod. |
Buellistic
| Posted on Sunday, November 21, 2010 - 06:06 pm: |
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Sloppy: PLEASE give a road map to where this "INFO" is since you are giving us a heads up on it ... "i" will write up a HELP SHEET on this and send it to those that ask me for transmission help ... There are two reasons that "i" do not post my help sheet "INFO" ... 1) do not know how ... 2) It will go to never, never land and can not be found easily ... THIS SITE NEEDS TO BE SET UP LIKE "THUMPer Forum" where the "INFO" STAYS UP FRONT" ... |
Jim2
| Posted on Sunday, November 21, 2010 - 10:14 pm: |
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I took some emery cloth to the edge of the shift drum guide channels. These are the slots that the shift fork pins ride in. I did this because I could see that the edges were puckered a bit. I'm using Rotella T 15W-40 after hearing some good things here on Badweb and because I installed Energy One clutch plates. It now shifts like butter. |
Sloppy
| Posted on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 - 12:00 am: |
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Buellistic: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/476 23/160713.html |
Buellistic
| Posted on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 - 09:31 am: |
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Sloppy: "THANKS !!!" Working on HELP SHEET "INFO" |
Littlebuggles
| Posted on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 - 06:10 pm: |
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Thanks here too Sloppy, that was good reading and food for thought. |
Yamafreak
| Posted on Saturday, January 01, 2011 - 01:39 pm: |
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Amsoil 60 weight makes finding neutral at a stop as ez as in my car! |