Excessive noise on bench test after transmission rebuild

[JW113]

Yes, I did watch your video. And no, it shouldn't take any force at all to turn the main drive gear with the mainshaft stationary. So it's not clear to me exactly where this O-ring or quad seal is being installed, but from the symptoms, it appears to be getting pinched between the inside edge of the main drive gear, and the mainshaft where the splines are. Just for grins, how about removing the quad seal and see how it spins?

-JW

[2017FLHTK]

Yes, I did watch your video. And no, it shouldn't take any force at all to turn the main drive gear with the mainshaft stationary. So it's not clear to me exactly where this O-ring or quad seal is being installed, but from the symptoms, it appears to be getting pinched between the inside edge of the main drive gear, and the mainshaft where the splines are. Just for grins, how about removing the quad seal and see how it spins?

-JW

Nah, the quad seals aren't getting anywhere close to the splined shaft (they're on the other end of the part and normally stick out of the case).

I heard back from Ray / saddlebagrail (the machinist who did the modification).  He wrote:

"you can take one small seal off ,but it would be useless to pay for a work and not getting benefit out of it" and told me that I could "take the small seals out and the gear will spin easily and freely....the 2 small seals are made are what make the gear hard to spin on the shaft"

[kd]

Like you> I can't imagine being that tight is good.  There will be a lot of heat and probably damage because of it. The second part of the video in post #14 where the shaft is tapped back 1/4" and it spins with about the right amount of seal drag makes me think there is something wrong with the stack. Have you measured it with the old gear set installed?  Is the shaft fully into the kicker side bearing? Is the main shaft bearing the correct width? Are all of the parts seated or is a burr holding something back. It has to be something simple that is being taken for granted.  Did you share the video with Ray / saddlebagrail so he could see how tight it is and what happens when you backed it of 1/4"?

[2017FLHTK]

Like you> I can't imagine being that tight is good.  There will be a lot of heat and probably damage because of it.

I'm a shade-tree mechanic at best, but it seemed a little alarming to me.   

The second part of the video in post #14 where the shaft is tapped back 1/4" and it spins with about the right amount of seal drag makes me think there is something wrong with the stack. Have you measured it with the old gear set installed?

I'm not understanding.  What would I measure on the old gear set? 

Is the shaft fully into the kicker side bearing? Is the main shaft bearing the correct width? Are all of the parts seated or is a burr holding something back. It has to be something simple that is being taken for granted.

Agreed on the part in red.  I'm 99% sure that that main drive is properly assembled. When I installed the cluster gear on to the main shaft, I placed the first gear into an arbor, slid the mainshaft in to the other end, screwed on a thread protector on the end of of the main shaft, and then gave the end of the mainshaft some hefty lovetaps until the gear cluster was seated. I'd say its very unlikely that the 1st gear didn't make it's way all the way fully seated, but is within the realm of things that are possible. Unfortunately I don't have access to a hydraulic press.

The main drive bearing is the correct part number, and I have no reason to believe that it's an incorrect width.  It turns freely in the case with no binding or restrictions.

Did you share the video with Ray / saddlebagrail so he could see how tight it is and what happens when you backed it of 1/4"?

He's commenting on the issue in a thread on another forum, but I don't think he's watched the video. 

[kd]

I'm not understanding.  What would I measure on the old gear set?

If it is OK with the old gears then there is something wrong with the fit of the new ones.  Is's the only thing you changed other than bearings.  You seem confident the bearings are correct and seated properly.

I would consider removing the cluster set and looking for witness marks to see if it did seat. It may be sharp teeth digging into a radius on the shaft? Measure it as it is now and then do the math when apart to see if it was all the way. When you reassemble it, freeze the shaft and heat the gear in the oven.   It should change tone when it is seated. If it was me, I would need to know if that gear set is on all the way.   

[2017FLHTK]

If it was me, I would need to know if that gear set is on all the way.   

On another forum, a guy posted about ensuring that the gear was fully set on the shaft: "A quick easy way to know if it is, how much end play does the mainshaft third gear have once the washer and snap ring is in place."

In my case the snap ring clicks in place in front of the washer retaining third gear.  There is effectively no slop / end-play, which tells me the mainshaft gears are properly emplaced.

However, the big news is that now everything seems to be working!

Content that everything was properly assembled on the mainshaft, I decided to reassemble the mainshaft. However, I first put a healthy film of Mobil 1 synthetic red grease on the main drive gear bushing, and a light film of grease on the mainshaft. Everything turned MUCH better than before. I was able to spin the main drive gear around the mainshaft with only moderate pressure with my thumb. When I inserted the countershaft cluster in the gearbox, everything continued to rotate nicely. I can still hear a small amount of gear mesh noise, but that should go away once it's in a proper oil bath.

Thanks to all who provided suggestions / mentorship / guidance while I stumbled through my first transmission rebuild.

[FSG]

did you wash that bearing before lubing and installing?

[2017FLHTK]

did you wash that bearing before lubing and installing?

Yes. Shipping protective film was stripped off with kerosene, and then assembly lube was applied to the needle bearings. Needle bearings were all rolled / rotated to ensure assembly lube was generously applied throughout the bearing.

[dbdevkc]

Found the discussion on gear ratios interesting - I recently tore down my 4-speed and found the following ratio Andrews gears (probably about 30 years old):
1st: 2.24; 2nd: 1.65; 3rd: 1.35

It's a relatively light FXE, and I'm a light guy, but yikes!

[JSD]

I ran the 2.44 as above and same 3rd with 25 trans to 51 rear but it had a primo 3" Kit and 4 1/2 stroke with A grind cam sat on 80mph all day and no problem from start off 2 up. 16 years 2 rear tyres a year. Should never sold that bike. Got a 68 to play with now as i love a good set up shovelhead.