SHOVELHEAD TRANSMISSION OIL CHANGE HOW TO
SHOVELHEAD TRANSMISSION OIL CHANGE MANUAL

So today I ran a new one about 57 miles on the Castrol 20w-50 that is supposed to be special for air-cooled V-twin motorcycles.

You can hear it and feel it in the motor. The new timing gears and new rings on cast iron cylinder walls seemed to eat the good stuff out of the oil rather quickly. I've built more of these motors than I can remember, I think somewhere along the line I realized just by observation that the oil was not doing real well with the initial startup. Truth be told most of these motors leak so much the additives are being continually refreshed anyhow. So if I'm seeing oil temps of 220 I'm not too worried about a 2,000 mile interval, at 240 we're probably looking at sooner. HD published something many years ago that said every twenty degree increase in temp cut the life of multi-vis oil in half. On a cool day like today (mid-forties to low fifties) the oil temp was right at 200F and the head temp hung right around 345F to 350 F. On the basis of experience, I have always started out a rebuilt motor with fresh oil, an oil change at about 50 miles, then again at 500 miles, and then according to ambient temp and use.

SHOVELHEAD TRANSMISSION OIL CHANGE MANUAL

Use the AMSOIL look up guide to determine what AMSOI engine oil is recommended for your car, truck, small engine, or powersports equipment.The HD Service Manual for Shovelheads (the Big Twin produced 1966 to 1984) specifies an initial oil change at 500 miles and then every 2,000 miles thereafter. If you have a new gasoline car or truck use AMSOIL motor oil to ensure that you will protect your investment with the best motor oils.įor diesel applications either personal cars or trucks or fleet applications learn the proper lubrication options for diesel engines here Remember, for your specific capacity, check your owner’s manual or check out our lookup guide at. As you can see, it’s not that difficult to change the transmission fluid on a Harley Davidson Softail. It’s kind of hard to see because the fluid is so clear, but our fluid levels are right where they need to be. So I’m going to take it off the mechanic stand, back it off and do that. So now with this bike it’s recommended that you check your transmission fluid when it’s on the kickstand. I’ve got about 14 ounces, so I’ve got a ways to go yet. So remember to stop and check your site gauge. It’s very important not to overfill your transmission. So when you get done filling it, you’re going to have 4 ounces left over. This Harley Davidson Softail requires 28 ounces of fluid and, as you know, there’s 32 ounces in a quart. Remember you’re going to need a long-neck funnel and your transmission fluid. So now we’re going to fill our transmission with fluid. So next you’ll take your 3/8-inch ball-end Allen wrench and remove your transmission cover and dipstick. Make sure you check your owner’s manual so you know how much fluid is required for your bike. I like using AMSOIL Synthetic V-Twin Transmission Fluid. So now that we’ve replaced our transmission plug, we’re going to fill our transmission. You’ll want your torque wrench set at 14 to 21 foot-pounds of torque. When replacing the transmission plug, I like to snug mine up by hand. So once you have your new O ring on your transmission plug, take your 5/8-inch socket and your 3-inch extension and reinstall your drain plug. Now take your new O ring and slide it onto your transmission plug, and make sure you run it all the way to the bottom like that. Make sure you remove all the debris, and check it for any damage. So while the transmission fluid was draining, I took advantage of that time to clean my drain plug. I do this so the drain plug doesn’t fall into the oil. So once it gets loose enough, I like to finish removing the drain plug by hand. Now that you’ve located your transmission drain plug, take your ratchet and your 3-inch extension and your 5/8-inch socket and remove it. It’s located in between the shock absorbers underneath the transmission. First you need to locate your transmission drain plug, and it can be a bit tricky. You’ll want a drain pan, a new O ring for your drain plug, a 5/8-inch socket with a socket wrench, of course your torque wrench, a 3-inch extension, and a 3/8-inch ball-end Allen wrench, a funnel and, of course, your AMSOIL V-Twin Transmission Fluid. You’ll need a few tools to do this project. This is a 2014 Fat Boy Lo with a 103 cubic-inch engine.

It’s relatively easy to change the transmission fluid on a Harley Davidson Softail.

SHOVELHEAD TRANSMISSION OIL CHANGE HOW TO

How to Change the Transmission Fluid on a Harley Davidson Motorcycle.

Shovelhead transmission oil change