primary cover gasket leak

[pddredduece]

I have replaced the primary cover gasket 2 times on my 2005 Deuce. I used the Harley oem gasket both times and torqued to specs. I have now ordered one with the silicone beed on the gasket. I have read about oem covers leaking because of poor quality. Any one have this happen to them?

[Slammers]

You may want to double check if it really is the primary cover leaking. Sources of leaks can sometimes be difficult to find. I've never had a problem with primary gaskets sealing.

[pddredduece]

This is the primary leaking, I am using trick shift syn auto trans. fluid. It is blue color.

[Ohio HD]

Sure it's not the transmission shaft seal through the rear of the primary? They leak downward, and can look like a gasket leak.

[pddredduece]

The trans has Redline heavy in the trans. The Redline heavy is pink in color.

[No Cents]

Sure it's not the transmission shaft seal through the rear of the primary? They leak downward, and can look like a gasket leak.

     
good place to start looking.
Clean it off from the underneath backside of the inner primary cover with some brake cleaner and wipe it dry with a rag...then take it for a short ride.
If it's wet under there again...I think you found your leak.

Ray

added later:
I have re-used my factory outer primary gasket over probably a dozen times...it's still going strong.

[76shuvlinoff]

Do these vent through the tranny?
Plugged vent forcing fluid past a gasket?

[fbn ent]

You are probably going to have to change both the inner primary seals....mainshaft and starter shaft.

[hogpipes1]

If your dead nuts sure it's the outer gasket  (only) the cover  could be warped, place on a good  piece of flat glass ck with feeler gauge . used sealer on gasket . worse case like  on old shovels double up the gaskets with sealer, messy job but B-cleaner /rags  got the job done .

[pddredduece]

The motor was pulled down in October 2012 by Doc when I went to a 107", all gaskets were replaced. I have put on 1500 miles since. I replace the primary gasket 4 months ago.Trans is full, motor oil is full. The primary gasket leaks on the bottom after a ride then stops when the motor cools down. I have heard of this before with a problem of the primary cover seal surface flaw.

[No Cents]

 is it wet on the inside of the inner primary cover below the tranny?
reach your hand up under there and give it a swipe.
if it's dry...pull the outer primary cover off and wipe both sides of the gasket off with some brake cleaner on a rag. clean the edge of the primary cover the same way.
once the gasket dries...put a thin bead of silicone on it and re-install the gasket and cover torqued to spec.
now here is the important part...let the gasket sit up over night before putting the primary fluid back in.

Ray

[FLTRI]

FWIW, most of the appearant primary leaks are really inner primary seal leaks...which is why it only leaks when the bike is being ridden....splashed oil leaking through the seal.
As mentioned, look from the right side when the bike is leaning over on its side stand, at the back side of the inner primary housing.
If you see oil on the back side...and it's the primary oil color...more than likely you need to replace the inner primary seal...carefully as it is common for folks to drag the seal across the splines on the tranny mainshaft when assembling the inner primary housing to the tranny.
Let us know what you find,
Bob

[PoorUB]

Late model primary gaskets are pretty good. If the primary is leaking, I would suspect it is not the cover gasket and some other seal.

[-deuced-]

I have replaced the primary cover gasket 2 times on my 2005 Deuce. I used the Harley oem gasket both times and torqued to specs. I have now ordered one with the silicone beed on the gasket. I have read about oem covers leaking because of poor quality. Any one have this happen to them?

My 01 Deuce primary weeped from new. It was the gasket mating surface of the primary cover. I laid out 6 sheets of emery paper in 2 rows of 3 on a flat surface. Rubbed the primary cover on the emery paper in a figure 8 motion until the gasket mating surface was flat. I used water as a lubricant. The sheets of emery paper were butted up against each other, not over lapping anywhere, and when wet they pretty much stayed put. They moved a bit during the process, seperating from each other slightly but not enough to concern me. I did not have to apply much pressure to the primary cover when rubbing. I went through the chrome in a couple of places on the gasket mating surface and was concerned about promoting flaking but it has been fine. It just took a little time. When I was satisfied with the result I reinstalled the primary cover with a cometic gasket. Leak gone. This was over ten years ago. The primary cover has been off and on several times since then and does not leak. I'm still using the same cometic gasket. When I first removed the primary cover the flaws in the gasket mating surface were obvious to me and I could not bring myself to put it back on in that condition. I seem to remember the gasket mating surface being a common problem with the chrome primary covers and on most covers the oem silicon bead gasket was adequate in preventing weeping of oem primary fluid.

[vtwinjim]

I've sanded a few surfaces as mentioned above but used sand paper/emory sheets with adhesive backing that kept them in place.
Look for scratches on both pieces if you pull cover.

[Jim Bronson]

May be a silly question, but did you use the proper torque values and sequence? I've not had any leaks on my 05 Dyna since new, and I've had it off a bunch of times. I used to naively replace the gasket every time, but I learned to handle them carefully and reuse them. The present one has been removed and reinstalled three times, and still no leaks.

[truck]

I have replaced the primary cover gasket 2 times on my 2005 Deuce. I used the Harley oem gasket both times and torqued to specs. I have now ordered one with the silicone beed on the gasket. I have read about oem covers leaking because of poor quality. Any one have this happen to them?

My 01 Deuce primary weeped from new. It was the gasket mating surface of the primary cover. I laid out 6 sheets of emery paper in 2 rows of 3 on a flat surface. Rubbed the primary cover on the emery paper in a figure 8 motion until the gasket mating surface was flat. I used water as a lubricant. The sheets of emery paper were butted up against each other, not over lapping anywhere, and when wet they pretty much stayed put. They moved a bit during the process, seperating from each other slightly but not enough to concern me. I did not have to apply much pressure to the primary cover when rubbing. I went through the chrome in a couple of places on the gasket mating surface and was concerned about promoting flaking but it has been fine. It just took a little time. When I was satisfied with the result I reinstalled the primary cover with a cometic gasket. Leak gone. This was over ten years ago. The primary cover has been off and on several times since then and does not leak. I'm still using the same cometic gasket. When I first removed the primary cover the flaws in the gasket mating surface were obvious to me and I could not bring myself to put it back on in that condition. I seem to remember the gasket mating surface being a common problem with the chrome primary covers and on most covers the oem silicon bead gasket was adequate in preventing weeping of oem primary fluid.

This is important so you evenly sand material away, just going back and forth could result in a not flat surface.

[Oclaf]

I have replaced the primary cover gasket 2 times on my 2005 Deuce. I used the Harley oem gasket both times and torqued to specs. I have now ordered one with the silicone beed on the gasket. I have read about oem covers leaking because of poor quality. Any one have this happen to them?

My 01 Deuce primary weeped from new. It was the gasket mating surface of the primary cover. I laid out 6 sheets of emery paper in 2 rows of 3 on a flat surface. Rubbed the primary cover on the emery paper in a figure 8 motion until the gasket mating surface was flat. I used water as a lubricant. The sheets of emery paper were butted up against each other, not over lapping anywhere, and when wet they pretty much stayed put. They moved a bit during the process, seperating from each other slightly but not enough to concern me. I did not have to apply much pressure to the primary cover when rubbing. I went through the chrome in a couple of places on the gasket mating surface and was concerned about promoting flaking but it has been fine. It just took a little time. When I was satisfied with the result I reinstalled the primary cover with a cometic gasket. Leak gone. This was over ten years ago. The primary cover has been off and on several times since then and does not leak. I'm still using the same cometic gasket. When I first removed the primary cover the flaws in the gasket mating surface were obvious to me and I could not bring myself to put it back on in that condition. I seem to remember the gasket mating surface being a common problem with the chrome primary covers and on most covers the oem silicon bead gasket was adequate in preventing weeping of oem primary fluid.

This is important so you evenly sand material away, just going back and forth could result in a not flat surface.

machinist buddy of mine gave me this trick  but one better or worse? just figure 8 it on concrete. for mine its the inner primary housing. guy/neighbor I bought bike from, rode it with no real fluid? dunno, just know the stator and all that was burned to sheet. the heat warped the inner. frustrated the hell out of me. but when I mentioned the leak/weep, that is what I was told to do, and he stressed, figure 8...

[fbn ent]

I have replaced the primary cover gasket 2 times on my 2005 Deuce. I used the Harley oem gasket both times and torqued to specs. I have now ordered one with the silicone beed on the gasket. I have read about oem covers leaking because of poor quality. Any one have this happen to them?

My 01 Deuce primary weeped from new. It was the gasket mating surface of the primary cover. I laid out 6 sheets of emery paper in 2 rows of 3 on a flat surface. Rubbed the primary cover on the emery paper in a figure 8 motion until the gasket mating surface was flat. I used water as a lubricant. The sheets of emery paper were butted up against each other, not over lapping anywhere, and when wet they pretty much stayed put. They moved a bit during the process, seperating from each other slightly but not enough to concern me. I did not have to apply much pressure to the primary cover when rubbing. I went through the chrome in a couple of places on the gasket mating surface and was concerned about promoting flaking but it has been fine. It just took a little time. When I was satisfied with the result I reinstalled the primary cover with a cometic gasket. Leak gone. This was over ten years ago. The primary cover has been off and on several times since then and does not leak. I'm still using the same cometic gasket. When I first removed the primary cover the flaws in the gasket mating surface were obvious to me and I could not bring myself to put it back on in that condition. I seem to remember the gasket mating surface being a common problem with the chrome primary covers and on most covers the oem silicon bead gasket was adequate in preventing weeping of oem primary fluid.

This is important so you evenly sand material away, just going back and forth could result in a not flat surface.

I have a large piece of safety glass I use as a base if I have to lap anything.

[HarleyHiwayMan]

Reading all this, I would suspect that shift shaft seal needs replaced. pddredduece, if the shaft seal is leaking it would be leaking primary fluid, not tranny fluid. And not sure about the older bikes, but the grommet seal of the stator can leak on newer rides too.

[rbabos]

It can also leak from the starter, then trickle down to the bottom.
Ron

[pddredduece]

The leak is coming from the outer cover gasket. I can see the chrome cover isn't square. Both gaskets were the one with out the silicone beed. I ordered one with the silicone beed on the gasket.

[BUBBIE]

WELL, Hopefully that is it....

Just let us KNOW if that was the fix...

Thanks

signed....BUBBIE