Bevel Gear Adjustment/bearing replacement

[Lincolncruiser95]

Hi, new here so bear with me.

I have a 1997 1500 Classic. The engine had the nylon oil gear that had not yet failed (around 15K on the bike.) purchased a wrecked 2003 nomad for the motor/5 speed. (right around 16k on that bike)

After a top end rebuild and retrofit from FI to my carb. I was in business. Just finished my 600 mile break in and noted that the 03 engine/trans had a howl on decelleration and some pretty good metal on the oil filter screen. Mind you I dont know if the screen had been removed ever and in light of everything that was done to the top end I cannot remember if I removed it either...

Sooo..looked like the bevel gear bearing had failed. Back on the lift with you and all back apart. Bearing a little noisy, but not as bad as most ive seen online. Question is the driven gear assembly. When i spin the assembly, it also has a little but of a feeling of a rumble, kind of a corrugated cardboard feeling but still slight.

Now I still have my entire 97 engine and trans. If i pull just the driven gear assembly from that one, can i install it along with the 03 drive gear and new bearing? Or if the two feel about the same, just worry about the one that fails most times which I already have ready to go in? Also is it just a button up and go deal, or are you guys that just replace the bearing doing all the preload, mesh and backlash checks too? ive got a couple different manuals..seems like doing my own topend rebuild was a lot simpler LOL

Thanks!

[MAS Tequila]

Just swap the entire assembly over to the 03.

The only difference should be that the 97 will not have a provision for the speedo pick up, but the 07 bike doesn't use it so it's a moot point.

If that works out for you, and you don't need the 03 cover, I'm looking for an FI fbg cover for one of my projects.

[Lincolncruiser95]

thought about doing that but the one on the 97 was howling too...think I should put the new bearing in the 97?

I still would need to check all the same stuff correct? Preload, mesh, backlash?

[Lincolncruiser95]

Ok. So I found the Shop Manual online. Looks like backlash and preload are only really at issue when the driven gear is disturbed. I don"t plan on doing that. This is a last minute repair before a long trip next week, so I'll follow your advice and replace the whole unit from the 03 with that from the 97. Plus (as i feared) the gears are a matches set so mix and match is a no no. I'll just kill both birds with one gear fragment and check and replace the drive gear bearing in the 97 fbg. Then we've got no concerns.

This comes after pulling the engine and redoing balancer dampers, valve shims, and clutch springs on the 800 vulcan. Almost had that one buttoned up when I had to put the big one back on the lift for this. This better be it

Thanks for your quick help.

[Lincolncruiser95]

Update. New bearing went into the case for the 97. Everything checked ok and I also reassembled the 03 case with theb97's bearing just so I could close up the side of that motor. When I went to reassemble, the case would not get close enough for the bolts to thread. Long story short the parts are not interchangeable. The countershaft on the transmission and its associated bearing is a larger diameter in the 97. Thus the damper and spring will not slide over the 97's driven gear shaft, nor will the roller bearing on the countershaft go in its home in the drive gear shaft. The two shafts are a different length as well so simply interchanging those will not work. Additionally the cut in the drive gear is, in the 03, deeper and the 03 drive gear spring is too large to drop around the collar on the 97 drive gear. So pounding new bearing out and into the 03 case. Fingers crossed.

figured this would be helpful if anyone gets into my position. A four speed bevel gear assembly will not fit a five speed trans, nor vice versa...at least not a 1997 built late 1996.

[MAS Tequila]

Sorry, I thought yours was a five speed being a 97.