After breaking my transmission Mainshaft for the second time I decided an Outboard Support Bearing was my only hope. Sadly BDL does not have a direct fit “Bolt On” Outboard Support Bearing for a Shovel (a 3-inch open belt kit with EVO-10S motor plate). But I was able to re-engineer their EVO-3000 Outboard Bearing retrofit kit, which is intended for a Softail with the EVO-9S motor plate.
Since the distance between the Crankshaft and Mainshaft is the main difference, I was prepared to discard the outboard bearing on the Crank Pulley but it turns out that BDL has already abandon it because it was difficult to get all three points, (front pulley, stand offs, and clutch basket) in alignment correctly.
Predictably the position of the four stand offs on the Softail bearing support will not match the Shovel motor plate, not to mention apparently there is an old and a new version of the Softail bearing support, and those stand-offs are located even more differently.
Another snag: the older BDL clutch basket (Part # 76-3E) is not made where it will accept the rear pulley cover derby and would have to be machined out, however a newer BDL Shovel basket (same Part # 76-3E Note the Shoulder) will accept it perfectly. Since the last clutch basket was destroyed in the aftermath of the shaft failure, (it passed me on the pavement) the new basket was a win/win.
Also the Shovel basket is a larger overall diameter than the Softail, and the round stand offs that came with the kit might not quite clear the Ring Gear, so I decided against using them.
I used 5/8 x 4-inch flat aluminum bar. I had them milled down to 3.94 inches to match the length of the original stand offs. With the motor plate bolted to the tranny, and the clutch basket and cover derby all in place, I drilled and tapped my standoffs and bolted them to the support bracket. I then positioned the bearing & bracket onto the clutch basket derby. This would fix the location for the standoffs on the motor plate.
After marking the position of the standoffs, I drilled the motor plate, and then drilled and tapped my standoffs. Then with the standoffs attached to the support bracket, I mounted them to the motor plate.
After making sure that everything was clear and square with nothing binding, I left the standoffs bolted to the motor plate and removed the support bracket.
It all went back together on the bike perfectly.
Four separate “post” could possibly twist or trapezoid. While not as pretty, I think that my two flat stand offs are far more rigid.
Special Thanks to Bandit for putting me in touch with the right people at JIM’s (transmission) and BDL, who both helpfully indulged my imagination.
–Jim Padgett
St. Clair, Missouri
jim.padgett@sbcglobal.net
