Tri Glide Primary Oil

Aug 16, 2012
263
5
Manitoba, Canada
Name
Hank
Just throwin this out there people..Lets Discuss!!
What Oil do You use in your Tri Glide Primary?
Why?
How Much?
How often R & R?

ATF? Dennis?ThumbUp
Please Explain, as we all value your choice!
:Shrug:
 
manual says 38oz's. thru the derby cover torque the torex screws 84 to 108 INCH pounds and 45 oz's if you remove the primary covertorque these screws 108 to 120 INCH Pounds. drain plug 14 to 21 ft . pounds.

i use NAPA #41 "o" RING STOCK # 35755b 9/16X7/17X1/16 AND tfe paste (pipe sealant) on the drain plug threads.

don't overdoo the torque. just tight & it won't leak. you can get a 1/4" drive "click" torque wrench on the net for about $40.00 delivered.
 
always used HD primary oil in all my bikes and the trike, change it every time I change the oil (3000 miles )
 
Just throwin this out there people..Lets Discuss!!

What Oil do You use in your Tri Glide Primary?

Why?

How Much?

How often R & R?

ATF? Dennis?ThumbUp

Please Explain, as we all value your choice!

:Shrug:

I just do allot of reading on allot of different things. The search engines just takes one to allot of stuff out there and some not true too I guess.

Looking into clutch stuff , I went through tech stuff on racing clutch setups as well as stock setups. Barnet and Rivera both recommended ATF in HD primaries. One specifically recommended not to use +1.

Everyone has reasons why they use any fluid in the three holes of the TG. Whatever you use, fluids we have today are probably not close to wore out when we change them. I change crank case and primary around 5000 or so. I have taken several trips which were over 7000 and changed when I got home. Tranny I change at 10,000.

Guess I would change it at end of season if I did not put that many miles on it. I do only use the Red line stuff in there.


Opinions are like noses, we all have one, I just went to ATF in primary because when I ask my independent wrench what he used, he smiled and said Valvoline ATF, had been for years. His point was it is used in transfer cases with clutch packs and chains and such as well as a detergent in it. It is also recommended by the clutch companies.

While on clutches, those of you who have had dyno runs, look to see if it shows any clutch slippage anywhere. It should show you even if you cannot feel it yourself.

From charts of runs I have seen, most folks who do even slight build on motors without updating clutch packs are leaving allot of the gains on the floor.

Just rambling again, food for thought and cussing and discussing.
 
Food for thought to those who have Screamin Eagle compensators or those who have 09 to present Triglides. The compensator suffers from lubrication issues, it doesn't get enough which leads to a shorter life. When you shut your engine off and hear a bang and sometimes a clang, its the compensator which has failed. There are some folks on their 2nd or 3rd compensator due to its early demise. What has show to help it live a little longer life is Harley Davidson Formula+, ATF shortens the life.

I can understand why some clutch manufacturers recommend ATF because the frictions and steels are very much like those in an automotive transmission. What they fail to recognize is the shear in which the compensator ramps are under, this leads to high wear in the ramps to the point of ridges developing.

Just my 2 cents.
 
:Agree:

I use Amsoil in the motor and trans, but like Formula+ for the primary.

I don't use anything automotive in my Harley.....oils, tires etc. .....not counting wax's cleaner's etc.
 
I use RedLine Primary oil, 38 oz wet change. Had primary opened recently, around 16,000 mi, saw no compensator wear.
 
Havnt taken delivery of my TG yet, but in my FXSTB I ran Royal Purple in the engine, Redline shockproof in the tranny, and Formula+ in the primary, as soon as the TG comes home thats what will be going in it...The only place I use Syn3 is my lawnmower, worst crap I ever ran, bike ran hotter with it, clutch slipped with it, and the transmission sounded like it was crushing rocks with it....

Ryan
 
Havnt taken delivery of my TG yet, but in my FXSTB I ran Royal Purple in the engine, Redline shockproof in the tranny, and Formula+ in the primary, as soon as the TG comes home thats what will be going in it...The only place I use Syn3 is my lawnmower, worst crap I ever ran, bike ran hotter with it, clutch slipped with it, and the transmission sounded like it was crushing rocks with it....

Ryan

In defense of Syn3, I ran it in the engines of my bike and trike for quite awhile. I can say I saw no difference in oil temp with either one between the Syn3 and Amsoil. I ran it in the primary of the bike for quite awhile without any clutch slippage, at 1 point I was making 104hp 100ft/lbs torque with the 95" engine I had in my 06 Ultra at the time. I will say I don't like it in the transmission at all, always found metal fuzzies on the magnetic drain plug when it was in the transmission. I switched to Redline Shock proof in the tranmission years ago which ended the fuzzies. I started running Formula+ in the primary because it is cheaper and has shown to help the compensator live a little longer. I had some oil analysis done by Black stone labs when I was running Syn3 in the engine of the 2010 Triglide I owned at the time. The oil held up fine, they found no damaging issues with it.

10triglide72711.jpg
 
Just throwin this out there people..Lets Discuss!!

What Oil do You use in your Tri Glide Primary?

Why?

How Much?

How often R & R?

ATF? Dennis?ThumbUp

Please Explain, as we all value your choice!

:Shrug:

Syn 3 20W50…. First change at a thousand miles and then every 10 thousand miles after..

And I let the dealer do it’ Mostly cause I enjoy the 80 mile ride to them..👍..
 
Can anyone explain why a 2012 HD Tri glide with only 3k miles burns a quart of oil every 1200 miles?

David..Welcome to Trike Talk..👍👍.

10 years old with only 3thousand miles on it how long has it been sitting ??

And if you are trying to keep the oil level right at the top mark check the air cleaner to see if oil is coming out from it…
 
Oil consumption

I bout it used with only 1540 miles on it. The dealer I got it from went over the whole bike replacing all lines and all fluids. Air cleaner looks brand new...
 
I bout it used with only 1540 miles on it. The dealer I got it from went over the whole bike replacing all lines and all fluids. Air cleaner looks brand new...

You didn’t say do you see smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes..If not then….

I’m trying to do the math The dealer change the fluids at 1500 miles.. there is now 3000 miles on it….So you added a quart at 25 hundred miles?.

I run all my Harleys a half quart below the full line….I’ll ask again are you trying to keep the oil level at the top ..If so that might be where the oil is going… on Harley‘s sometimes The oil level will seek its own level….
 
Oil consumption

I haven't noticed any oil coming out of the tail pipe or any residue sitting at the end of the pipe. I'm trying to keep the oil level where the manual says to keep it. I usually check it cold. Was talking with a gentleman I just met said he runs his 2015 HD between 1/2 to a quart low with no issues. I've only had this bike for 5-6 months. And, yes, it sat a long time in a garage.
 
For years I used HD primary oil, then they changed it to sport trans for trans or primary. Shortly after that I switched to Lucas primary oil.
 
. I'm trying to keep the oil level where the manual says to keep it. I usually check it cold. .

Next time you think it’s a quart low….Instead of adding a quart just add a Half Quart and maybe the next time you check it you’ll see it didn’t go lower….That is if it isn’t going past the piston rings and as light smoke out the exhaust pipes but not enough for the smoke to be noticeable..??
 
Easy to get Formula plus. … On my 07 flhtc I have a Barnett at the time they said Redline was the best so that is what I’ve used. 10000 miles is what I try to get bet if not then once a year.
 
Re-looked at exhaust pipe, and there is oil residue. Oil is getting through the pistons. Where it sat so long, would Luca's oil help any?

Don’t know about Lucas… but back in the 60s when I used to monkey with engines i used Rislone oil treatment…👍
 
Re-looked at exhaust pipe, and there is oil residue. Oil is getting through the pistons. Where it sat so long, would Luca's oil help any?

You should have a leak down test done to see if your rings are holding a seal and engine has good compression before trying anything else

Oils are probably not going to help if you have poor ring seal and or valve seals leaking
 
You should have a leak down test done to see if your rings are holding a seal and engine has good compression before trying anything else

Oils are probably not going to help if you have poor ring seal and or valve seals leaking

Jack.. Me’ I always use the law of parsimony (Occam’s Razor)..IE go to the easy solution first sometimes when an engine sits for long times’ Years? The rings can gum up .. If the Rislone doesn’t work then all the OP is out a quart of oil …
 
Whatever primary juice you decide to use make sure you change it every oil change every time. Heres why- see that silvery fine particle sludge ( not chunks or slivers!)on the magnetic drain plug? Guess where else there are magnets? On the rotor. Those fine particles will attach themselves and over time will lead to your alternator shorting/ burning out.Its a fresh quart of oil now or a new alternator later. Might as well throw a new regulator/rectifer and battery onto the final bill- bad news comes in 3's. CHANGE THAT PRIMARY OIL!
 
Jack.. Me’ I always use the law of parsimony (Occam’s Razor)..IE go to the easy solution first sometimes when an engine sits for long times’ Years? The rings can gum up .. If the Rislone doesn’t work then all the OP is out a quart of oil …

Keep in mind, many Twin Cam engines had poor machining of the cylinders when put together @ the factory

This caused higher than normal oil usage, this is why a leak down test is in order here
 
Oil consumption

To both rhino2 and Jack Klarich, thank you. Due to finances, I might try the oil additive first. If that doesn't work I might try and find you Jack. It looks like you're in Jax, Fl and I'm about 60 miles in Glen St Mary....lol
 

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