Ok so I have 05 flhri w/45k, just R&R cam chain tensioners, right on time. Got it a part, cleaned out cam case of all debris, got it back together allright, ran it a little less than 300 miles, changed the oil and filter today(have done it quite a few times), letting it warm up to get that sweet spot of hot oil level so she won't puke oil out the those breather tubes, rocker box covers getting nice and warm, but oil light not going off, so check oil level and OIL COLD at dipstick??? Hmmm? let it sit, 15 minutes, fire her up again, same-o-same-o, remove fresh oil filter- no oil in filter! I was riding this AM, all good no oil light, ever, pull the plug, filter and let her drain, do the change and POW! Any ideas???

 

Almost sounds like your oil pump might be the problem

 

are there any cracks in the cam plate and did you zero the oil pump before you tq the oil pump bolts? I always make sure I have oil running out the weep holes befor I tighten the bolts.

 

You have a stuck relief valve in your camplate

 

Bingo!!!!!!! If you didn't pull and flush the cam plate, there is still some tensioner debris floating around; doesn't take much to stick the relief valve. Clean it out and take a look at the Axtell replacement.



Was there any metal in the debris? Check the oil pump gerotors and cam plate surface while you have the cam plate off. Some metal could have found a path to the oil pump; doesn't take much.

 

The other thing you might check is to see if your oil is sumping.

 

Thanks guys for the feed back, I to concur. I will follow this through and report back!


Longing for SW states winters here in the "Wet Apple"
HappyChappy

 

Let's think about it. Oil pressure was fine before the shoe replacment ? Yes, then something has occured during the replacment. Did you replace the O ring on the intake of the oil pump ? Did you pinch it or nick it ? How about the two oil rings for the cam plate? Did you replace the large oil ring for the oil pump itself ? As someone else mentioned did you bolt the cam plate down to spec's and then tighten the oil pump bolts as you turned the engine over via the rear wheel , bike in fifth gear to align the pump ?
Did you buy the kit from Harley ? If so you have to plug one of the oil ports in the cam plate for your model. Review the directions that came from the kit, if that is what you used.

Stroker

 

The OP says he R/R'd the tensioners; oil pressure was normal before the tensioners failed and spread debris throughout the lubrication system. The OP said he cleaned the debris from the cases but there is no mention that he flushed the OEM cam plate or replaced it with a new cam plate. It's an '05 model; no need to block an oil port and the cam plate is the OEM cam plate; he did not mention replacement and even so, still no need to block an oil port.

The o-rings and pump alingnment are important and certainly the engine could be sumping but that would also mean the oil was circulating and he would show some oil pressure.

Oil is not gettng to the filter and that's the first place it goes from the oil pump; if the relief valve is stuck, no oil will flow to the oil filter. The oil will bypass and return to the feed side of the pump.

If the pump as failed, it is not picking up oil and pushing it to the relief valve. The problem is the relief valve or the pump. Let's not side track the OP.

 

very good points