Broken Transmission Main shaft...

Energy One

bigdogjohnny

Active Member
Franco if I were you I would send that tranny out to Andrew ASAP. I bought my 05 Chopper last August and had Andrew replace the main shaft and all bearings in it 2 months later. After he told me what could happen if it broke, I didn't want to take any chances. I feel so much safer knowing that Andrew rebuilt it and put the new shaft in it!:whoop:
 

DRBarnhart

Insert title here...
Dennis, yours was built in the first part of 2006. Like I have been telling others, to verify if it needs a new one or not, you will have to check the end of the Main shaft. Only because this is the cutoff year. It could have either one in that transmission. Because it was built at first part of 2006, it's very likely it has an old style in it.
Thanks Andrew! :2thumbs:
I'll take my primary apart to verify what I have and ship it off to you if need be.
Sorry for the bad news.
It would only be "bad news" if it broke while I was out riding! As it is, the bike is sitting in the garage at home and the weather sucks. The perfect time to do pro-active maintenance!!! :cheers:

Dennis
 

francoblay1

The Spaniard
Franco if I were you I would send that tranny out to Andrew ASAP. I bought my 05 Chopper last August and had Andrew replace the main shaft and all bearings in it 2 months later. After he told me what could happen if it broke, I didn't want to take any chances. I feel so much safer knowing that Andrew rebuilt it and put the new shaft in it!:whoop:
Yes John, I really would like to be able to do that, trust me! but, unfortunately my bike is in Spain!!! I can just hope it will not brake! :(
 

bigdogtech01

Well-Known Member
that second scenario sounds like a lawsuit if you live through the skid !!
I'm not one for starting any lawsuits, so in my mind, it's Better to get it fixed before it leads to that...Now that you know it can and will fail after time...

I called baker today they said no recall on the shafts
Baker has never had a recall on them. However, when Big dog was going strong and backing anything and everything up (100% more than H-D ever did or will) they were paying us to replace any that had failed. Some of them even if they had not if the customer got word of it and bitched enough.
 

nobbyjohn

Active Member
I was doing 75 when it let go ,really glad it didn't lock up could have been a real mess. Now by shipping the transmission out to Andrew in New York it will have more miles on it than the bike.
 

Nukeranger

Nukeranger
Franco,

I wouldn't worry about it. If you can't ride it, then it can't break.:D

Although, if you are worrying about your hot chick spousal unit, then you should do something about this. She is probably cheating on you every day (riding your Big Dog).

Huw:D
 

chopsteak

Active Member
11k. Double bearing failed and felt the vibration. Took the primary cover off, slipped the basket off and main shaft had play side to side up and down.main shaft still chugging. Changing shift forks, shift fork rod, 2nd gear and 3rd gear main shaft next week. Dog teeth are still ok but one tooth has a chip in it. Very slight. These gears are hard.very hard. But like my buddy said its like an egg shell, strong when in tact, once it's stressed,cracked it can go down quick and crumble to pieces.
 

bigdogtech01

Well-Known Member
11k. Double bearing failed and felt the vibration. Took the primary cover off, slipped the basket off and main shaft had play side to side up and down.main shaft still chugging. Changing shift forks, shift fork rod, 2nd gear and 3rd gear main shaft next week. Dog teeth are still ok but one tooth has a chip in it. Very slight. These gears are hard.very hard. But like my buddy said its like an egg shell, strong when in tact, once it's stressed,cracked it can go down quick and crumble to pieces.
It's all in the hardening of the metal...the rockwell has to be right or it will fail under load. The gears have never been a problem..it was only the Main shafts. In this case, they were hardened all the way through giving no flex, when they get enough stress under load, instead of flexing, they break. Might start with a hairline crack and then fail completely. The hardness can be tested. I have thought about sending the old and a new to a local place to have them tested to see what they come up with...but it might not be worth the money. We already know there was/is a problem with them.
 

Mr. Wright

Knows some things
It's all in the hardening of the metal...the rockwell has to be right or it will fail under load. The gears have never been a problem..it was only the Main shafts. QUOTE]

I had to replace the 2nd gear in an 03 chopper a couple years ago. He broke 3 teeth off.
 
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