Primary Chain Cover - '32 VL

[loch]

Hey Everyone,

Is there a trick to getting the primary cover installed? Every time I slide it on and check it I can hear and feel the chain rubbing the cover when I work the kicker. I've put this on before without really knowing what I was doing. Now I cannot seem to get it installed correctly.

Any pointers or tips. Searched Steve's book and didn't find anything there.

Thanks!
Loch

[Peter Cooke]

Can you post a pic of your setup without it on showing the inner covers, chain, etc, and another of the cover itself? There's only 2 connection points so we should be able to figure it out.

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Loch, you could be trying to fit the 1934 up VL primary with the deeper gutter and the slimmed down lower inner primary. As Peter says, photos would help.

[loch]

Hi Peter, Steve,

Thank you for looking taking the time to answer this question.

If you look closely you'll see there is fiber repair attempted to the bottom of the primary cover. This is the one that came with the bike. I cannot attest to how it fit before the rebuild work commenced. I do recall it was difficult to remove.

Peter, I'm not sure what you meant by

without it on showing the inner covers, chain, etc

I think in order to do that I would need to remove the clutch and chain and the inner covers. Not a problem at all (I'm pretty good at now) but I would need to do it after work today.

Let me know if you need to see something else, some other angle, or just want some idea of dimensions of the gutter.

I'm anxious to get started with the road tests. I nearly took it out Saturday without the cover on but didn't want oil all over the tank. I've run it without the cover for just a minute or two, not horrible but still requires some clean up.




IMG_7438.jpg

IMG_7440.jpg

IMG_7436.jpg

[Peter Cooke]

Peter, I'm not sure what you meant by

Sorry, i meant can you give us a side on view like the one below. Don't take the clutch off though. Steve will confirm but I think your inner is 34 & up and your outer looks like it should be the right one to match, but the repair may be causing some grief. Can you see rubs marks anywhere from the chain?

Primary Chain Guard - Inner.jpg

[knucklehead 61]

i do not enjoy fitting VL inner primary covers. every one has been a fight to get to fit decently & not rub. typically takes a couple hours to fit them properly.

[loch]

Thanks knucklehead for the insight!

i do not enjoy fitting VL inner primary covers.

I'm learning that since just a couple of weeks ago I had it all together and running - primary cover installed - when I figured out it wouldn't go into 2nd. Now with that fixed...

Peter, et al, here is a pic of the set up. Considering I know I had it on before, I'll give one more attempt while I wait for some more insight regarding the set up.

Cannot really see rub marks from the chain. I didn't really crank the kicker over hard. Just lightly by hand with my left hand on the cover to feel for vibrations/rubbing. There are nicks in the paint on the lip of the trough but that's probably from whacking it with the table end of my closed fist when I was, well, probably being too forceful with it. <frustration>

Cheers,
Loch

IMG_7451.jpg

[Steve Slocombe]

It does look like you are trying to fit a repaired 1934 style outer primary to a '32. The lower inner primary is narrowed for 1934/5 to clear the deeper gutter in the later style primary. You could remove the inner primary and see if it fits the outer off the bike. You can cut the gutter on the later primary cover, cut the lower section of the inner, or leave off the inner primary if you are not in a very dusty area. I would also use the correct inner primary screws and locks, as you don't want those fixings coming out when riding.