Harley Davidson Sportster 1970-2003. Owner's Manual — page 2

Every 5,000 miles (8,000 km)

21 Transmission and primary chaincase oil - change
1 The transmission and primary chaincase are lubricated by the same oil supply. Before changing the oil, warm up the transmission by riding the bike so the oil will drain easily. Be careful when draining the oil, as the exhaust pipes, the engine, and the oil itself can cause severe burns.

2 Prop the motorcycle upright over a clean drain pan. Remove the transmission/ chaincase oil level plug to act as a reminder that there is no oil in the transmission.

3 Remove the transmission drain plug from the bottom of the primary chaincase and allow the oil to drain into the pan (see illustration). Discard the sealing washer on the drain plug; it should be replaced whenever the plug is removed.

4 Check the condition of the drain plug threads.

5 Slip a new sealing washer over the drain plug, then install and tighten the plug to the torque listed in this Chapter’s Specifications. Avoid overtightening, as damage to the transmission will result.

6 Before refilling the oil, check the old oil carefully. If the oil was drained into a clean pan, small pieces of metal or other material can be easily detected. If the oil is very metallic colored, then the transmission is experiencing wear from break-in (new transmission) or from insufficient lubrication. If there are flakes or chips of metal in the oil, then something is drastically wrong internally and the transmission will have to be disassembled

Chapter 2 Part A

Engine
Contents

Camshafts and timing gears - removal, inspection

and installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Crankcase - disassembly and reassembly. . . . . . . . ... 20

Crankcase components - inspection and servicing. . . . . . . . . . ..21

Crankshaft and connecting rods - inspection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Cylinder compression - check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Cylinder head and valves - disassembly, inspection

and reassembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..12

Cylinder heads, rocker arms, pushrods and lifters -

removal, inspection and installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Cylinders - removal, inspection and installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . ..13

Engine - removal and installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Engine disassembly and reassembly - general information. . . . ..7

External oil lines (Shovelhead engine) - removal, inspection

and installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

General information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Initial start-up after overhaul. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Major engine repair - general note. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Oil pressure check and regulator valves - removal and

installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..18

Oil pump - removal, inspection and installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . ..17

Oil tank and lines - removal and installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..19

Operations possible with the engine in the frame. . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Operations requiring engine removal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Piston rings - installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Pistons - removal, inspection and installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Recommended break-in procedure. . . . . . . . . . . .. 24

Top Dead Center (TDC) - locating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Valves/valve seats/valve guides - servicing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Degrees of difficulty

Specifications
General

Engine type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 45-degree V-twin, four-stroke

Bore

1970 and 1971 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..3.00 inches (76.2 mm)

1972 through 1985. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..3.188 inches (81.0 mm)

1986 and later

883 cc engine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..3.00 inches (76.2 mm)

1100 cc engine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..3.350 inches (85.09 mm)

1200 cc engine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..3.498 inches (88.85 mm)

Stroke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.812 inches (96.8 mm)