We're going to take you through this
New BDL installation from start to finish.
Generally belt drive installations are straight
forward. There's a couple of key issues:
The inner primary is your guide to a proper
running, aligned belt drive. If it's square
to the engine and tranny, all else is golden.
This new drive EVO-3000 helps guarantee
that your pulleys are aligned through the outer
bearings and plate.
Here's Roger's Softail just
before we kicked into gear.
The only other element that needs
scrutiny is the starter pinion shaft and gears.
With a little care and measuring, your starter
will work effortlessly for years to come. Watch
the installation closely.
Let's get to work: This application
was chosen for a near-stock Evo Softail with
no offset. Roger won the Free Bikernet Door
Prize Giveaway that we post weekly. BDL has
offset insert kits for their front pulleys from
1/4-inch to 2 inches.
Check the grease in the chain case.
Note how we jammed the screwdrive
handle into the primary chain.
This compensator sprocket was backed
with a heavy Fisher balancing system.
The chain tensioner must go before the
primary drive can be removed.
An internal snap ring holds the clutch
adjuster plate in place. It must be removed
before we could reach the clutch nut.
Remember the 1/3/16 socket is turning a
left handed nut.
The lefty clutch nut removed.
We saved this shim for use with BDL pulley
spacing.
We started by removing the primary cover
on Roger's home-built custom Softail.
For some reason, instead of oil Roger packed
his inner primary with grease. The chain was
loose as hell. It took a 1 1/2-inch socket to
remove the compensator nut. We used the
handle of an old screwdriver to jam the chain.
Mailman grabbed a 9/16 socket and removed
the chain adjuster nut, while I dug out a 1 3/16
socket for the clutch basket, which is left
handed.
It's always a good idea to disconnect
the battery.
We stopped for a minute and removed
his custom embroidered seat and the ground
wire from the battery to the frame. You
don't want to touch that starter drive with
the battery connected--it will engage.
Mailman jumped to the right side
of the bike with a long extention and an Allen
socket to remove the two bolts that hold the
starter in place.
Here's one of the starter installation
bolts.
We removed the driveline as one piece
and set the greasy bastard aside. With a
screwdriver or wedge we bent the tab on the
starter drive gear and with a 5/16 socket
removed the long bolt from the starter jack
shaft. We set this stuff aside in case we might
need it for the installation, although the BDL kit
comes with a complete starter pinion shaft
and gear.
All the bolts left over from the stock inner
primary.
Here's his starter pinion shaft parts
up to the coupler for the Compu-Fire
starter.
Here's the catch. If you're not
running a stock starter, you may need some
versatility when it comes to the installation. We
did since Roger ran a Compu-Fire starter.
Next, we removed the starter Allens from the
right side and set them on the lift. The starter
didn't need to be removed or
disconnected, just backed out.
Note from a reader:
First, the BDL installation guide is GREAT!
There is, however, one VERY important part
missing and I hope you can add a notation to
the web.
After successfully installing my
BDL, I notice a few drip of oil after every ride.
Nothing major at all, but annoying. After
pulling the drive train several time, I finally
called S&S and learned that the Sprocket
Shaft Seal needs to be installed the opposite
direct as with wet primaries.
The Harley
Part number is 12026B. It's an easy install,
but a real pain to pull the entire primary, so
this would be a very good tip to include EARLY
in the guide.
Hope this will help anyone else installing
an Open Primary...
Checking the alternator rotor for loose
magnets.
Next we bent the locking tabs down
around the inner primary bolts, then removed
the bolts. Mail man saved Roger's
engine sprocket shim and pulled the
alternator rotor for inspection to see if any
magnets were loose. It was golden, so we
moved immediately into the installation
phase.
BDL supplies all the fasteners you
need.
First we placed the pulley/shaft insert into
the front pulley. Here's where you'd
be forced to find an offset insert for an offset
drive line. We installed the Allens in the holes
to hold the pulley in line (not permanently).
There's a reason why they use roll pins
and bolts and we discovered it later. If you
need to remove the pulley, a puller is
necessary and the Allens will need to come
out. The roll pins hold the pulley securely in
line. Using a drift punch we started the roll
pins, then used a vice as a press, then finally
finished the job with another punch. These
slip into the unthreaded holes from the back.
Here's a key we forgot. It's
easy, but don't forget to install the
polished alternator cover onto the backside of
the pulley with the three supplied button-head
Allen bolts, with Loctite. We forgot and had to
remove the pulley later.
At this point I crawled around
Roger's bike loosening up all
motormount bolts with 9/16s sockets and
wrenches. Bandit has one wrench, heated
and bent to a 90 degree angle for the left rear
nut under the frame. Works perfect to get a
grip on that sucker. Mailman removed the two
bolts holding the top motor mount to the head,
since we had a tough time reaching the top
motor mount bolt above the carburetor. With
the engine loose we checked the alignment of
the rear pulley to determine whether we felt we
needed to loosen the transmission. We
eyeballed the rear belt to transmission
alignment and the belt for wear.
Here's a shot of the front motormount
bolts. Don't forget to loosen the rear and
top.
I forgot to mention to remove any exhaust
pipe mounting bolts to allow the engine full
flexibility.
With supplied Allens I bolted the inner
primary securely to the transmission, after
cleaning a rusty residue off the main shaft
preventing me from slipping the bearing and
inner primary into place.
I used 400 wet and dry to clean rust off the
mainshaft.
With the inner primary securely in place
we looked at the engine. It looked seriously
out of line. We installed the front inner primary
Allens and the engine sucked right into line. It
fit like a glove. We checked it top and bottom,
side to side with feeler gauges and tightened
the Allens all around, then I tightened the
engine back to the frame and Mailman
tightened the top motormount down.
In the instructions from BDL they pointed
out that no engine shaft splines can protrude
from the front pulley. We dug around and
found a .190-inch spacer and used
Roger's .010 shim for pulley spacing.
Suddenly the pulley seemed to be in just the
right position.
Coupled together we had .200 spacing
which worked like a charm.
This simple tool held the driveline in
perfect position for shaft alignment. I turned
the makeshift turnbuckle while Mailman eyed
the fit on the front pulley.
With a wire brush we cleaned the splines
on the transmission mainshaft and slipped
the entire clutch package into place. We
checked the alignment with the front pulley
with a straight edge. It was cool so we
removed it partially and slipped the belt into
place and attempted to install the front and
rear pulley/clutch. It was guitar string tight and
we fought it until Bandit stepped up with a
handmade spreader tool made up of two
2-by-2 pieced of 3/4-inch thick wood to protect
the pulley surfaces. Pressure came from a
large coarse thread, 5-inch, 1/2-inch bolt and
large washer stuffed in a 3/4 deep socket. It
worked like a dream to hold the pulleys
aligned while spreading them slightly.
Remember this is a left handed giant.
This is a key measurement. That angle
iron needed to touch the front and rear of both
pulleys equally.
We slipped the entire driveline in place
then discovered that we forgot the rotor cover.
We used a common puller for the front pulley
(with Allens removed) and a JIMS puller on the
rear for the clutch. Slipped right off. We
installed the polished aluminum rotor cover
and replaced the driveline (don't forget to
dab the mainshaft splines with red locktite to
prevent vibration wear on the shaft or pulley),
then using a straight edge we double-checked
pulley alignment. It was golden.
JIMS puller is use. JIMS makes every tool
you need for Harleys.
There's that puppy (the polished
alternator cover) in place behind the engine
pulley.
The BDL line drawing of the clutch basket
and components.
Mailman installed the left handed clutch
nut with seal, clutch pack, pressure plate and
clutch springs, then the snap ring and
pushrod adjuster. We installed the engine
pulley nut (right-handed threads) and
snugged it down for final alignment checks.
Mailman adjusting the clutch lever pull with
the clutch pushrod.
After it was adjusted properly we tightened
the locknut for secure operation.
He adjusted the clutch using the dime
adjustment procedure. He screwed in the
adjuster making sure to maintain some slack
in the cable at the lever on the left handlebar.
When he was close he checked the lever for a
dime thickness of cable slack. When it was
perfect, he tightened the adjuster locking nut.
BDL supplies builders with tubes of red
Loctite.
With every thing in place and running cool
we installed the clutch cover with supplied
Allen countersunk socket heads and the front
pulley cover. Both these beautifully polished
aluminum billet covers come with bearing
races pressed on the noses. Mailman made
up the bearing plate, aluminum stands with
threaded studs and screwed them into place.
Here's the clutch cover. Note the
bearing race on the nose.
I was concerned about the tightness of the
stand studs, but Mailman focused on half the
threads slipping into the stand and half into
the inner primary.
Quite a compliment from BDL. We
appreciate their support.
"The stands tighten themselves,"
Mailman said who is an avid racer of dragster
Sportsters. "They're tightened from both
ends."
Here's the piece that holds the shafts
in line and reduces pressure to each shaft
under a performance load.
We polished the cover bolts.
Next we installed the stylish polished
aluminum outer cover that contains two
massive bearings. It's held in place with
four stainless doomed Allen bolts that Bandit
polished for a chromed look. Bandit made a
comment about how he liked the original BDL
system without the outer cover, but Mailman
straightened him out.
Polished bearing caps.
"This system is similar to top fuel
systems," he said. "It supports the entire
driveline with this plate and bearings. Adds
alignment and strength."
We installed the final bearing caps and
turned to the Starter pinion gear from BDL
which is designed for stock Harley starter
motors.
This is called the pinion gear tube.
They also supply two long bolts with every
belt drive, 1/4-20 by 2 1/2 inches long for
'90 to '93 starters and a 10-32 by 2
1/2 inches for '94 and up. It comes (in
order from the starter out) with a spring seat,
then a spring, the pinion gear (or jack shaft),
then a pinion gear tube (small diameter first).
It fits into the pinion gear from the outside,
then a bolt collar and the bolt (don't
forget Loctite).
With all the elements slipped over the
starter drive shaft, we tightened the bolt down.
Giggie from Compu-Fire taught us how to
check the drive play or air gap between the
starter drive gear and the clutch ring gear. The
gap is intended to be between .075 and .125.
We learned to check it with Allen wrenches. A
1/4 Allen is .250, so a 1/8 is .125 a 1/16 is
.062. We checked it since, if it's too close
the starter doesn't get a chance to
muster full momentum. If it's too far the
starter gear is flying and doesn't want to
engage with the ring gear. We slipped various
Allens between the two gears and checked
the clearance. It wasn't right
(there's shots of this operation in the
Shrunker FXR tech on installing the latest
Compu-Fire Starter).
Here's where we ran into a glitch
since Roger's bike was installed with a
Compu-Fire Starter. We ultimately used the
coupler and drive gear from his original jack
shaft and it worked out fine. We greased the
brass bushing in the starter gear cover and
slipped it into place and bolted it in with the
supplied 5/16 Allens. This monster fired right
to life.
The EVO-3000 is also available as a
retro-fit through a BDL kit. It will retro fit to all
BDL Softail and Dyna drives. The support
plate keeps the engine and trans shafts from
flexing. This plate is a must for all large
engine, wide tire applications. The BDL Retro
Kit includes a polished custom billet support
with bearings pressed in, polished pulley
covers with races, new pressure plate and
hardware. Modifications must be made for
fitment.
There she is. A thing of beauty. It's
not only cool, but strong and supportive for
performance, wide tire bikes, or any bike for
that matter. Bandit pointed out that it's
happy hour.
Let's Ride.
--Wrench
