Hello all! This is my 2nd post (after the introduction). I thought I made this post last night, but will have to write it over again. I must have lost all my work....I'll make it shorter this time...

Here's a little background on the bike:

I purchased the Ultra about 3 years ago with 57K miles. It was unplanned but a great buy. The bike was kept in great shape, aesthetically. I didn't know much about the TC's so I had a lot to learn on the motor. Got an HD Shop manual, and even picked up a copy of Donny's Unauth Tech Guide (much later). First thing I did was open the cam chest before riding it much. Luckily I did, the chain tensioners were original (I think). They were shot, almost worn through. One was starting to chunk, so I had some cleanup to do inside the chest. While in there replaced cam bearings (upgrading the rears), and decided to just change the pads with CYCO pads. Now I did not take off the rocker boxes, so i purchased a set of the SE Quick Pushrods and went that route. Oil pump scoring on the cam plate was present, but in my opinion wasn't gouged to the point of replacement. Oil pressure is in normal operating range, yet does drop in the single digits when idling at 850-900 RPM. Rode the rest of that season without issue until fall-time, when the MM EFI started giving me problems with idling, cold starts, throttle response. So I went through and did the hot/cold idle adjustments. It helped, but not great. Checked all basic things (intake leaks, exhaust leaks, TPS sensor measurements).

Enter next season, I chose to do a low budget carb conversion. Found a low miles stock CV carb, along with other parts that were in good shape. Other than the card, I think the custom wire harness and the Pingel petcock/plug kit were the priciest parts!! Conversion went great and improved all aspects of the operation, including MPG. Rode a few all day trips to southern WI and the UP Michigan. Enter this season, I always had a small ticking from 2300-2600 RPM, ever since I got the bike. I decided to try the Rocker Lockers. Purchased a gasket kit with new filter element and umbrella valves for the breathers. Wasn’t too bad of a job (forums like this help a LOT). The Lockers helped a little bit, but not entirely. I’m guessing there’s some other component wear causing this. Not a waste of money, as it got the rocker boxes opened up, and replaced those other items anyway (now I wonder why I spent the money on those quick-adjust pushrods that first year. Removing the tank and rocker boxes were easy)

This brings us to why I posted in the first place. I recently had oil all along the side of my bike after 2 different commutes home from work (I have 68 miles round trip, so I like to use the bike when weather permits). The oil was coming from the air cleaner. Now I’ve had air filters get soaked with oil before from the breather mist on my Sporty, but never run out and drip. And I did take a couple rides earlier this season, AFTER I did the Rocker Locker install, and did not see this. But, my work commute is higher speed, and it been some hot days in the last couple weeks. Another point to make, this season I may have put a little more oil than usual when I changed it. More to the full mark, whereas before I probably ran it ½ qt low.

I am planning to keep an eye on the oil level to see if it quits dripping at a certain point. I could open the rocker boxes back up to see if I missed something in the breather assemblies. But am also wondering if it’s just time to upgrade the oil system on the bike. All the posts/bulletins/articles I read point to the stock oil system .being much improved over the years, especially with the "sumping" problem

As you’ve read, I’ll use stock or used parts when I can. So my other question on the oil system as far as upgrading goes, would looking for the stock cam plate and oil pump from a 07 & up bike, be worth the savings? I see a lot of them out there pulled from bikes with much less mileage than I have. Some come with the stock cams even. This would also have the new style tensioners. Or is that all very risky, and I should just bite the bullet on a new Fueling/S&S/SE kit for this.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!!

Joe

 

I put a Fueling cam plate and oil pump in my 03 at 14K miles, it failed within 5K miles, the plate was scored among other things.

the oil pressure was all over the place and would drop to near zero at cruising speeds

I put a generic Drag Specialties plate and high volume pump in and I have great oil pressure now.

After dropping a ton of $$ on the Fueling parts I was not a happy camper

 

Nothing wrong with the stock pump. If the cam bearings were loose in the cam plate I would have replaced the plate.

Did you drill the rocker towers?

Did you replace the breather valves in the heads when doing the rocker lockers?

Did you replace the inner pump O ring when installing the pump?

Did you perform the proper pump alignment?

You may want to check cylinder leakdown. If too high, you'll get oil out the breathers.

 

If you go the newer cam plate you have to get conversion cams, belea e Andrew's is the only one that makes them. There 21n being a great bolt in cam. I'm going to the conversion on my big bore build but with 48n. I'll be taking out a fueling pump on SE plate and tw21

 

I don't recall them being loose. I did have to use the oven/freezer method to get them in, worked very well.

I have not done that, but have read about it. It sounds like a pretty no-brainer thing to do when you're in there. I'll add that to the list.

Yes, that was done when I installed the Rocker Lockers

Yes, also replaced that the first season when I did the CYCO tensioners.

Now that is something I don't recall doing. If it's in the service manual, I'll feel really stupid. I was trying to follow that as best I could.

Thanks for that info.

 

I knew there was something else!!! I thought I researched the cam plate/oil pump upgrade when I first got the bike, and now was wondering why I didn't do it at that time.

I think getting new cams was not something I wanted to do right off the bat until I drove the bike for a season to get a feel for performance. Totally forgot about the conversion cams...

Thanks.

 

If the bearings pressed out or required heat to loosen, the plate is a later 2000 and you are likely good.

If you used the stamped steel ones breathers, you need to make sure they are assembled correctly. There were some errors in the docs.



Not sure its in the SM but after the cam plate is TQ down you need to turn the motor over while snugging down the pump screws.

Another thing to look at is the spigot that goes into the engine case. On some of the original pumps, the spigot was cast and may have a bit of mismatch in the spigot. Make sure it is smooth and round.

 

So I only did a filter element and umbrella change (and gaskets). I have the aluminum breathers yet. I haven't researched a lot on the breather, but are the stamped ones an improvement over the aluminum ones?

 

Some think so. I don't. I only brought it up as it is possible to assemble them wrong. The aluminum ones are harder to screw up.

 

Well this is embarrassing....

I took apart the rocker boxes to inspect the breather assemblies, and drill out the drain holes while I was in there. Found the front cylinder breather to be loose!!!! What's funnier is WHY it was loose....

If you look closely at the gaskets....I did even torque the motherF*****r down from when I installed the Rocker Lockers!! Front cylinder is on the left.

I guess this is why you should NOT listen to Willie Nelson while working on the bike..........