Shovelhead bottom and problem.

[gusjustgus]

Got an 82 shovelhead, stator went so I put a belt drive primary on when I did the stator. Was out riding with a buddy of mine and noticed the nut holding the front pulley had come loose. We stopped by his place, he grabbed a big breaker bar and a socket and he tighten that thing down hard. I ride straight home and now it's leaking oil. It's clearly over torqued, but at that point it was just to get home. What kind of damage could have been done? Would I be safe just to change the oil seal pop the assembly back together and loctite it up again? Is this something that tells me I got to crack the bottom end to see if something got pulled out? My main concern is he told me afterwards that it was a problem he used to have with his shovelhead, if memory served me correct his bottom end grenaded on him, so I don't know if he did the same thing to mine that he did to his resulting in the problem.

[Dragstews]

Hummmmmm ....

Can't really see tightening the nut causing a oil leak at the seal ..
Be putting force on the sprocket spacer which butts up to the Timken bearing inner cone ...

What I can see is the casted in bearing steel insert housing breaking loose from the Alum motor case and that's where the oil is leaking from, not the seal ..

Do hope I'm wrong about this, cause the fix is very involved ..

... /// http://www.chopcult.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53110 \\\ ...

[JBinNC]

1) Very doubtful that it is "obviously overtorqued."
Torque for that nut is 150 - 165 ft.lb.

2) The seal could have been damaged; first order of business is to replace the seal, and inspect the spacer that runs in the seal. If it is burred or nicked up or grooved on the seal surface, or if its front or rear faces are galled, replace it as well.

3) Important, and often overlooked, the belt drive pulley hub may be a little narrow, so that the nut bottoms on the shaft spline shoulder, instead of on the pulley. That prevents you from pulling the assembly up tight, even though the nut is tight. I have seen this frequently. A stepped spacer that will clear the shaft splines, fitted under the nut, is the cure. I have made several of them over the years to cure this problem.

4) When the nut comes loose, that can allow the Timkens that support the sprocket shaft to move away from each other and allow extra crankshaft end play. That may or may not cause internal damage. But the Timkens are a press fit on the sprocket shaft, and their axial movement in this case would be very slow. So, you probably have nothing to worry about on that account.

Jim

[frisco1rigid]

If your buddy does not have a Torque wrench, one of the Most important tools any Mechanical guy should have in his toolbox, then you should never allow him near your sickle again with tools in his hand. It should be Illegal for some guys to own tools.

FYI ----- Primo recommends 150 - 165 lbs torque for it's Brute belt drive set-up Engine Nut.
BDL recommends OEM torque which for your 1982 is 105 - 120 Lbs.

I have used Primo, BDL, and one other brand - cannot remember name -- for over 45 years with Hundreds of Thousands of miles on Shovel and EVO's. I do Not torque over 110 on engine nut, never a problem. I do Not use Lock-tite. I use Locke-tite Only on the Belt drive Clutch hub.

JB mentioned an important thing -- always be certain the Long style Engine Nut does Not bottom out on the shaft splines.
The spacer he speaks of is Not available that I have ever seen, it must be carefully hand made, I have also made a few.

Are you certain the oil leak is through the Engine seal.?
Another place to consider is the Stator Plug retainer screw holes. Did a screw fall out, did you forget them.
I have seen some holes with a "bottom" and some that go thru the case that will obviously allow a trickle of oil to enter the Primary case if a
screw is missing.

[Dragstews]

[JBinNC]

HaHa. Standard Harley case.

Jim