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1997 FLSTF Fatboy

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andyfnp

Member
I made a spur-of-the-moment 97 Fatboy purchase Saturday morning, had 6700 miles on it, has been in storage for almost 2 years. I'm wanting to change oil-primary-trans fluids, and first look at the bike I find it's a different animal from the 05 Road King I'm used to servicing. No owners manual included, unfortunately, web and forum search yeilded some capacity info but still needing more info. Clymer service manual is on the way for next week. Hoping you guys can help out!

The oil drain appears to be a hose on the right rear engine coming from the oil tank. It has a plug in the end of the hose that is held in by a small standard ring clamp, and that plug assembly is held to the frame by another clamp. Do you push the plug out of the frame clamp to free the hose for draining?

Where is the trans drain plug? It must be hidden away somewhere!

Is the primary drain plug the "obvious" one? And recommended capacity? I've read on the web forums anything from 24 ounces to a full quart.

Any info greatly appreciated!

Andy
 
On my 92 softail i bend the tab on the frame just enough to pull the drain plug free from the frame then it is a lot easier to get the plug out of the end of the drain hose
Gearbox drain may be on the centre bottom of the gearbox in between the 2 shock absorbers if you do not find it there look below the cover on the right side of the gearbox there may be a drain plug there if there is it will be out of line with the other screw heads in that area
primary drain is the obvious one to the rear bottom of the primary
primary takes 1 quart of suitable oil i think it is about 22oz in the gearbox but till full on the dipstick with the bike upright and the dipstick not screwed in i have never measured engine oil i buy oil in 1 gallon packs and use a jug to fill it till it is around the low mark on the dipstick get it hot then check the level hot i like it half way between full and low on the dipstick
for easy acess to the engine oil and gearbox oil drain plugs i remove the front muffler however you may need to remove the front pipe on your bike

Brian
 
Great info, Brian. Really appreciate it. First glance I thought the the gearbox drain was below the gearbox decorative cover but thankfully not, appears to be between the shocks. Trans fluid "looks OK" but the bike being "new to me" got to drop it out and then ride with more confidence. With some moderate contortion I think I can get to the plugs without removing the pipe.

Thanks again.
 
Thanks Glider, so far my searches didn't yield the specific info I was seeking but Brian fixed me up. Hey, that bike looks familiar!

See you in Helen, GA this weekend? Or maybe at the Woodstock, GA RockFest?
 
As my softail has the shorty duals exhaust fitted i only have to remove the front muffler to gain access to drain plugs only takes a few mins as it is off a couple of times a year
Come time and a wee bit of experience you will find the best way to do things on your bike
Just remember bike upright to drain oils and check levels when hot

Brian
 
I hear ya, man. This is very different from the Road King I'm used to, looks like its gonna be a bit more of a pain to service but not a dealer job! Thanks again.
 
Thanks Smitty, for the tappet screen tip, service manual is at the post office for pickup tomorrow. Fresh Castrol V-Twin synthetic in all 3 holes.

2.5 quarts in the crankcase
1.0 quart in the primary
28 ounces in the trans, with the drain plug on this 97 model in the right gearbox cover, obscured by the Vance Hines Straightshot pipes.
 
I agree. I'm amazed at how much stronger the 80 inch Fatboy feels compared to the 88 inch Roadking, it is cold-natured (carb vs EFI). I'm wondering if there has been some performance work done that I don't know about.

Do you know if a 92 Springer Softail seat will fit the 97 Fatboy? Best I can tell 84 to 97 Softails all take the same seat fitment. Previous tried to make this bike into a bagger. Got it stripped down to the bike and looking at sleeker seats on EBay.

Forgot to mention, got the Clymer manual, excellent as always. The tappet screen was spotless, as it should have been considering 6700 miles on the bike when I bought it a couple of weeks ago.
 
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