M8 trans fluid leaking in primary

[FSG]

ya need better memories  or check the Instruction Sheets General & News

try https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson.com/sip/service/document/417967

[HV]

They are still saying to replace the front main seal and spacer for '14-'16 Models. The oil deflector kits are only for the M8 '17-'18. My service manager talked to them this at about a '16 that is transferring.

Yes the oil transfer is only showing up on the M8s here so far

[koko3052]

https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson.com/sip/service/document/379300

appears link is no longer valid... or at least for me. Is the MoCo trying to now pretend this part does not exist ? Too much demand ? Talked to my dealer this morning & was told to bring motorcycle in, let them drain & adjust fluid levels, then recheck in 1000 miles. Says this will have to happen at least THREE times before factory will consider installing this kit in my motorcycle, despite the fact that it has already been in for first attempt at repair under TA0022. WTF ?   

Sounds like the dealer stroking you for 3 oil changes.

[pappashelby]

https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson.com/sip/service/document/379300

appears link is no longer valid... or at least for me. Is the MoCo trying to now pretend this part does not exist ? Too much demand ? Talked to my dealer this morning & was told to bring motorcycle in, let them drain & adjust fluid levels, then recheck in 1000 miles. Says this will have to happen at least THREE times before factory will consider installing this kit in my motorcycle, despite the fact that it has already been in for first attempt at repair under TA0022. WTF ?   

Had mine in one time for the 1k check(lost 12oz) They ordered the new kit(fix) had it in about 3 days. Got installed about a week ago only have 250 miles on it, to early to tell if it will help. good luck

[primebiker06]

was wondering do the m8 trans have the quad ring on main trans shaft ? could get in there?

[twincamzz]

https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson.com/sip/service/document/379300

appears link is no longer valid... or at least for me. Is the MoCo trying to now pretend this part does not exist ? Too much demand ? Talked to my dealer this morning & was told to bring motorcycle in, let them drain & adjust fluid levels, then recheck in 1000 miles. Says this will have to happen at least THREE times before factory will consider installing this kit in my motorcycle, despite the fact that it has already been in for first attempt at repair under TA0022. WTF ?   

Had mine in one time for the 1k check(lost 12oz) They ordered the new kit(fix) had it in about 3 days. Got installed about a week ago only have 250 miles on it, to early to tell if it will help. good luck

I dropped mine off at dealer this afternoon for first drain and refill of primary and transmission. Then have to return in 1000 miles for them to recheck fluid levels.

Thanks for your reply pappashelby. Please let us know if this kit takes care of the issue for you.

[twincamzz]

https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson.com/sip/service/document/379300

appears link is no longer valid... or at least for me. Is the MoCo trying to now pretend this part does not exist ? Too much demand ? Talked to my dealer this morning & was told to bring motorcycle in, let them drain & adjust fluid levels, then recheck in 1000 miles. Says this will have to happen at least THREE times before factory will consider installing this kit in my motorcycle, despite the fact that it has already been in for first attempt at repair under TA0022. WTF ?   

Sounds like the dealer stroking you for 3 oil changes.

Not charging me anything, all covered under warranty. Just a PITA since they have already established problem exists on my motorcycle, so why not just go ahead and install kit and be done with it ?

[pappashelby]

https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson.com/sip/service/document/379300

appears link is no longer valid... or at least for me. Is the MoCo trying to now pretend this part does not exist ? Too much demand ? Talked to my dealer this morning & was told to bring motorcycle in, let them drain & adjust fluid levels, then recheck in 1000 miles. Says this will have to happen at least THREE times before factory will consider installing this kit in my motorcycle, despite the fact that it has already been in for first attempt at repair under TA0022. WTF ?   

Had mine in one time for the 1k check(lost 12oz) They ordered the new kit(fix) had it in about 3 days. Got installed about a week ago only have 250 miles on it, to early to tell if it will help. good luck

I dropped mine off at dealer this afternoon for first drain and refill of primary and transmission. Then have to return in 1000 miles for them to recheck fluid levels.

Thanks for your reply pappashelby. Please let us know if this kit takes care of the issue for you.

That 3 times seems bogus to me. 1 check of mine and they got the kit.  Anyway I have 350 miles and still shows full

[$tonecold]

My fix is working, after dyno testing seven cams there was no transfer or leakage. Oil did vaporize in the primary and condense in the actuator pocket, something I was hoping would happen to lube the connection between the pushrod and actuator. We added an O-ring from a '15 model to stem any leakage that might occur because of the condensation.

[kd]

   I followed your progress on the other site. Huge kudos to you all for your all of your efforts and sacrifices. That was great team work. Now sit back and watch the MOCO steal the idea and patent it. 

[pappashelby]

https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson.com/sip/service/document/379300

appears link is no longer valid... or at least for me. Is the MoCo trying to now pretend this part does not exist ? Too much demand ? Talked to my dealer this morning & was told to bring motorcycle in, let them drain & adjust fluid levels, then recheck in 1000 miles. Says this will have to happen at least THREE times before factory will consider installing this kit in my motorcycle, despite the fact that it has already been in for first attempt at repair under TA0022. WTF ?   

Had mine in one time for the 1k check(lost 12oz) They ordered the new kit(fix) had it in about 3 days. Got installed about a week ago only have 250 miles on it, to early to tell if it will help. good luck

I dropped mine off at dealer this afternoon for first drain and refill of primary and transmission. Then have to return in 1000 miles for them to recheck fluid levels.

Thanks for your reply pappashelby. Please let us know if this kit takes care of the issue for you.

That 3 times seems bogus to me. 1 check of mine and they got the kit.  Anyway I have 350 miles and still shows full

Seems to be working for me. 550 miles and still no transfer

[$tonecold]

https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson.com/sip/service/document/379300

appears link is no longer valid... or at least for me. Is the MoCo trying to now pretend this part does not exist ? Too much demand ? Talked to my dealer this morning & was told to bring motorcycle in, let them drain & adjust fluid levels, then recheck in 1000 miles. Says this will have to happen at least THREE times before factory will consider installing this kit in my motorcycle, despite the fact that it has already been in for first attempt at repair under TA0022. WTF ?   

Had mine in one time for the 1k check(lost 12oz) They ordered the new kit(fix) had it in about 3 days. Got installed about a week ago only have 250 miles on it, to early to tell if it will help. good luck

I dropped mine off at dealer this afternoon for first drain and refill of primary and transmission. Then have to return in 1000 miles for them to recheck fluid levels.

Thanks for your reply pappashelby. Please let us know if this kit takes care of the issue for you.

That 3 times seems bogus to me. 1 check of mine and they got the kit.  Anyway I have 350 miles and still shows full

Seems to be working for me. 550 miles and still no transfer

I really hope that it continues to work for you and everyone else that has the problem and gets their fix. I have no reason to want to see them fail!

[$tonecold]

  I followed your progress on the other site. Huge kudos to you all for your all of your efforts and sacrifices. That was great team work. Now sit back and watch the MOCO steal the idea and patent it. 

It wouldn't bother me if they did steal it. I have done this for my own peace of mind while riding my M8. If someone wants one and is willing to pay the price I will try to accommodate them, but I'm not trying to start a business here. I have been told they won't go with this fix because the venting through the actuator will require them to re-qualify with the EPA and CARB and that is a very expensive process. If they were to make other changes to the engine that would require this, then they might try it.

[Jim Bronson]

I've been following this thread with interest, even though I don't own an M8 (yet). I'll just say a big  to everyone who had a hand in developing this. It makes me more confident in purchasing an M8 if I ever decide to.

[klammer76]

My fix is working, after dyno testing seven cams there was no transfer or leakage. Oil did vaporize in the primary and condense in the actuator pocket, something I was hoping would happen to lube the connection between the pushrod and actuator. We added an O-ring from a '15 model to stem any leakage that might occur because of the condensation.

Have followed you on the other site also, good stuff. Congratulations on your work.

[Deye76]

Is the transfer happening on all models of M8, or just the baggers?

[$tonecold]

Is the transfer happening on all models of M8, or just the baggers?

As far as I know it is only happening on models with a hydraulic clutch. My '15 Road Glide is also transferring, but I did replace the stock transmission with a DD7.

[hd06myway]

wow does this mean the fluid transfer issue is officially OVER now?!!! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaa... kidding aside I THINK U FOLKS HERE SHOULD TAKE A BOW AND DESERVE A HAND for identifying this problem and staying on it until the MOCO finaly realized it was real...

[47FL80]

I have a 2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited, with 13,965 miles on it.  I noted when preparing for a trip to Hyder, Alaska over Memorial Day weekend that the primary had 32 ounces of fluid and the transmission had 24.  I service my bikes and had put 28 ounces of fluid in the primary and 30 in the transmission at 8,279 miles.  I changed the fluids for the Hyder run on 24 May at about 12,000 miles on the odometer, again ensuring there was 28 in the primary and 30 in the transmission.  After short of 2,000 miles round trip, the primary again had 32 ounces and the transmission was down to 24 ounces. 

What I notice is that after a service, the primary sounds good.  After about a thousand miles, there is a rattle when taking off from a stop.  Too much drag on the clutch/primary components?

So, as a test, I put in 24 ounces of Redline Shock Proof Heavy into the transmission at the service I just did and 28 ounces of BelRay primary fluid in the primary.  My reasoning is that MAYBE the Harley spec of 30 ounces is too much fluid in the transmission.

I depart for a Big Alaska Run on 11 June, planning 21 days of riding.  I will find out if the fluid transfers from the transmission to the primary in the approximate 7,000 mile round trip.  I'm hedging my bets by taking extra transmission fluid, an empty BelRay primary fluid container, and a syringe to be able to bleed fluid out of the primary if it grows and be able to put transmission fluid into the transmission if it gets too low.  I can just detect the transmission fluid on the dip stick with the 24 ounces, so will keep an eye on both the transmission and primary.

In any case, it seems like Harley needs fix this issue with a recall.

In my opinion, this motorcycle is the best one I have ridden in over 50 years of riding.  Warts and all!

[BigMo]

Ok, I want the fix, or the instructions to be able to install it on my 2018 Road King before it decides to start this "Potty mouth" too....so where is the parts list, method/instructions, etc. so I can do this....thanks for working this out so we can enjoy these damn machines without worry or issues while cruising the back country....

[hogpipes1]

I have a 2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited, with 13,965 miles on it.  I noted when preparing for a trip to Hyder, Alaska over Memorial Day weekend that the primary had 32 ounces of fluid and the transmission had 24.  I service my bikes and had put 28 ounces of fluid in the primary and 30 in the transmission at 8,279 miles.  I changed the fluids for the Hyder run on 24 May at about 12,000 miles on the odometer, again ensuring there was 28 in the primary and 30 in the transmission.  After short of 2,000 miles round trip, the primary again had 32 ounces and the transmission was down to 24 ounces. 

What I notice is that after a service, the primary sounds good.  After about a thousand miles, there is a rattle when taking off from a stop.  Too much drag on the clutch/primary components?

So, as a test, I put in 24 ounces of Redline Shock Proof Heavy into the transmission at the service I just did and 28 ounces of BelRay primary fluid in the primary.  My reasoning is that MAYBE the Harley spec of 30 ounces is too much fluid in the transmission.

I depart for a Big Alaska Run on 11 June, planning 21 days of riding.  I will find out if the fluid transfers from the transmission to the primary in the approximate 7,000 mile round trip.  I'm hedging my bets by taking extra transmission fluid, an empty BelRay primary fluid container, and a syringe to be able to bleed fluid out of the primary if it grows and be able to put transmission fluid into the transmission if it gets too low.  I can just detect the transmission fluid on the dip stick with the 24 ounces, so will keep an eye on both the transmission and primary.

In any case, it seems like Harley needs fix this issue with a recall.

In my opinion, this motorcycle is the best one I have ridden in over 50 years of riding.  Warts and all!

Why don't you have your dealer fix it before you leave.? they  have the fix it kit , or should have 10 in stock at anytime . There is lots of bike out there  needing the fix.

[harley_cruiser]

I have a 2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited, with 13,965 miles on it.  I noted when preparing for a trip to Hyder, Alaska over Memorial Day weekend that the primary had 32 ounces of fluid and the transmission had 24.  I service my bikes and had put 28 ounces of fluid in the primary and 30 in the transmission at 8,279 miles.  I changed the fluids for the Hyder run on 24 May at about 12,000 miles on the odometer, again ensuring there was 28 in the primary and 30 in the transmission.  After short of 2,000 miles round trip, the primary again had 32 ounces and the transmission was down to 24 ounces. 

What I notice is that after a service, the primary sounds good.  After about a thousand miles, there is a rattle when taking off from a stop.  Too much drag on the clutch/primary components?

So, as a test, I put in 24 ounces of Redline Shock Proof Heavy into the transmission at the service I just did and 28 ounces of BelRay primary fluid in the primary.  My reasoning is that MAYBE the Harley spec of 30 ounces is too much fluid in the transmission.

I depart for a Big Alaska Run on 11 June, planning 21 days of riding.  I will find out if the fluid transfers from the transmission to the primary in the approximate 7,000 mile round trip.  I'm hedging my bets by taking extra transmission fluid, an empty BelRay primary fluid container, and a syringe to be able to bleed fluid out of the primary if it grows and be able to put transmission fluid into the transmission if it gets too low.  I can just detect the transmission fluid on the dip stick with the 24 ounces, so will keep an eye on both the transmission and primary.

In any case, it seems like Harley needs fix this issue with a recall.

In my opinion, this motorcycle is the best one I have ridden in over 50 years of riding.  Warts and all!

Why don't you have your dealer fix it before you leave.? they  have the fix it kit , or should have 10 in stock at anytime . There is lots of bike out there  needing the fix.

From the early reports that I have heard the HD dealer fix is not working, have you heard otherwise?

[47FL80]

I was not aware there was a fix for this issue from Harley.  Have called my Harley dealer to ask about it.

As a follow up, I run a small shop and have a customer bike in here right now for a 10K, 2017 FLHTKUL.  Since the 5K service, the transmission has lost about 10 ounces and I measure a gain of 7 ounces in the primary.  Transmission is at about 18 ounces and the primary is at a bit over 37 ounces.  I put about 28 ounces in the transmission at 5K and told him to check the level when hot, and I put in 30 ounces in the primary.  He may have checked the transmission, or not.  I try to be sure not to over fill any of the cavities, since I believe too much is much worse than a little too low. 

Waiting to hear back from the HD store concerning a fix.

Thank you.

[47FL80]

Had a call back from the Harley store and they said there is no fix they are aware of, but that Harley-Davidson is aware of the issue and is working on it.

[rigidthumper]

Tell them to look up 36300028, HD trans oil deflector kit.