I have a small leak behind my oil tank. Looks to be the cheap looking rubber hose 90 degree bend that goes into the tank, perhaps an oil return line. any easy way to fix this or do I have to take the whole tank out?

 

Are you riding a softail? What year? Need pics and more details...and the latest mods and/or maintenance that you did.

 

2003 night train. no recent mods or maintenance. Has just the stock oil tank on it. There is a hose that has those stupid pinch clamps on it. Pretty sure its leaking from there, I just cant find an easy way to get to it and fix it. I can see it from the side, just cant get in there. Damn tight spaces.

 

Those oetiker clamps may seem stupid but try putting regular worm gear hose clamps up in there and then see how tight things get. I use the worm clamps for things I take apart a lot like the fuel line between the two tanks and the fuel line end at the petcock but I broke down and bought a set of clamps and the crimp tool when I pulled the oil lines from my first Softail. Those clamps cost less than SS clamps worm clamps too. I just replenished my stock by buying a 50 pack of 13mm and 15mm for $12 for each pack from Amazon.

As far as getting in there, it might be easier to loosen the tank up and partially remove it. There's only a few bolts although a couple are a pain to get at.

 

The only reason I think they are stupid is because they are a bitch when you cant get at them, but then again so are the worm gear clamps. Id much rather use the pinch clamps because they look so much cleaner.

I will probably just have the dealership take care of it while its in there for a 5k service next week.

 

The stainless crimp clamps are stupid because they are being used on a line that has no pressure...pointless overkill. I use quality UV stable wire ties on all hose connections that carry less than 3 psi. Double ties are good for at least 10 psi. A bag of 50 is about $6

The 90 elbow you have the leak in is the connection to the oil drain. Mine sprang a leak a couple weeks ago because of a overzealous screwdriver wielding ham fisted mechanic (me). The dealer said it was a back ordered item, two weeks out so I fixed mine by trimming the elbow to eliminate the pinhole and then pushing it on a little farther. I secured it with color matching wire ties. Done deal.

Unfortunately you will need to mostly remove the oil tank to get to it. Try as you might it will be a bit messy. The plus side is it's a great time to change oil and clean a LOT of hidden nooks and crannies.

Drain the oil and disconnect 2 metal return lines and 1 hose connection on bottom
Remove seat, battery and lower inner fender.
Remove plastic cover on fender just aft of battery
Remove bolts from electronics plate located inside fenderwell. Remove 2 bolts from back of tank and 2 from front.
Slide tank 1/2 way out and disconnect drain elbow.
Remove tank, repair/replace hose, clean and reassemble.

Once you set your mind to do this, you should only be into it for about 2 -3 hours

 

I had a bad o-ring on my speed sensor once. Took a while to find. As far as clamps I prefer the constant pressure squeeze clamps because through the heat cycles the clamp is always tightening. Good luck.

 

Ah crap. I was trying to avoid removing the tank and draining all the oil and such. Looks like I will have something to do while its raining out this sunday.

 

It's not that bad just more work than it should be for such a small thing.
Make sure you positively ID the leak before you drain the oil.

Soft 02 - How does this constant pressure squeeze clamp tighten itself?

 

Its a spring steel clamp that you use a pair of pliers to expand then slide over the hose. They generaly come with a universal automotive fuel filter. Very inexpensive. You dont have to worry about the hose softening and loosing seal.