Derby cover change - 2003 Harley Davidson FLSTC Heritage Classic

Hi Anonymous, for more information on your question please visit the websites below and good luck:
2014 Harley Davidson Iron 883 Derby Cover removal install

Over filled with with transmission oil or "O" ring in cover is out of position. If it was just seeping a little after the transmission oil change it could be residual oil from the derby cover. There is a specific torque to those screws on the derby cover. Also very easy to over fill the transmission by not draining long enough and/or when oil is not warm. If you aren't talking about the derby cover as the point of leakage please repost the question. If the gasket to the derby cover is broken or nicked the part number is 25463-94A. The torque for the derby cover screws is 90-120 inch pounds. Inch pounds, not foot pounds that we usually associate touque with.

Yes, you should replace the o-ring every time you remove the cover.

There is a small drain plug under the clutch (derby) cover. Remove the plug and the oil will drain out. Replace the plug when the primary is empty. Stand the bike upright and pour oil into the primary after removing the derby cover. Oil is at the proper level when it touches the bottom of the clutch basket.

Remove the drain plug under the derby cover. After most of the oil has drained, stand the bike upright and remove the derby cover and inspection cover. Re-install the drain plug after all the old oil has drained.. Pour oil into the primary through the inspection cover hole. Oil is at the proper level when you look into the derby (clutch) cover hole and oil is touching the bottom of the clutch.

The case you're changing the oil in is called the primary drive case or "primary" for short. Yes, it does the same thing as a transfer case but in the future you may confuse someone using that terminology.

The drain is a small pipe plug that uses a Torx bit to remove. It's on the underside of the primary cover back directly below the derby cover. You do fill the case through the derby cover opening. With the bike standing straight up, fill the primary with oil until it comes just up to the bottom of the clutch basket, the shiny aluminum drum that holds the clutch plates. It holds about a quart of oil. Do not overfill or the clutch will drag causing you to be unable to find neutral with the engine running.

You say the bolts won't tighten up on the derby cover. Your model should have the five bolt cover and the screws screw into the tapped primary cover. If the threads are stripped out in the primary cover, you can have it repaired by a competent machinist by having them install threaded inserts in the original holes called Timeserts or Keenserts. If the screws will tighten but the cover still leaks, the bolt holes in the cover may be pulled through and standing high on the backside. This will not allowing the cover to seat against the full gasket. In this case, the purchase of a new derby cover would fix the problem.

Good Luck
Steve

If you'll remove your inspection cover and the derby cover as well, look on the backside, you'll probably see that the bolt holes have been "pulled" through on each bolt hole. The raised backside of the bolt holes holds your covers up just slightly allowing oil to creep underneath the gasket.

Now, you can do three things. Replace the covers with new ones or use a large smooth file, lay it flat on the backside of the covers and file the "pulled" through areas down level with the rest of the cover, or apply a generous amount of RTV to both sides of the gasket. On the Derby cover, Harley now offers a solid disc type gasket for this application. I use both the solid disc and the original O-ring on the derby cover.

Good Luck
Steve

I never pull the derby cover unless I have to fix something. I do exactly what you described and have for 20 years. Never had a problem.

what is the torque specs for a derby cover on my 2009 Soft tail?

Either try a new gasket or get the right derby cover