New to the group...
#1
08-19-2012 | 12:02 PM
Thread Starter
|
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Worcester, Massachusetts
New to the group...
A friend of mine has decided that he wants to sell his '79 Lowrider and gave me first right of refusal. He's the original owner but hasn't ridden it much in the past 15 years and it's been sitting for the past 5. I told him that before I buy it, I'd like to take a look at it and see what it will need. We got it into my shop and pulled the dead battery, squirted some oil in the cylinders, turned it over without starting it, flushed the brake fluids, checked oil, etc.
I wanted to hear it run, so I hooked up an aux. fuel tank today and hooked up a spare battery. Looks like the needle valve is stuck open, but it fired right up anyway. Then the scary part occurred - oil started coming out of the blow-by tube down under the engine. I shut the bike down after about 20 seconds and I'd estimate that at least a half cup of oil came out that tube. This can't be a good thing - what do you think?
I've been working on old Hondas for years, so this is my first Harley experience. Very different bikes!
Thanks,
Tom
I wanted to hear it run, so I hooked up an aux. fuel tank today and hooked up a spare battery. Looks like the needle valve is stuck open, but it fired right up anyway. Then the scary part occurred - oil started coming out of the blow-by tube down under the engine. I shut the bike down after about 20 seconds and I'd estimate that at least a half cup of oil came out that tube. This can't be a good thing - what do you think?
I've been working on old Hondas for years, so this is my first Harley experience. Very different bikes!
Thanks,
Tom
#3
08-19-2012 | 12:59 PM
6th Gear
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
Seems to be a long-time problem with Harley's that oil in the tank will drain through the oil pump and fill the crankcase. When the tank is checked it appears low and more oil is mistakenly added. Or the bike is started and the oil in the crankcase is blown out the vent all over the ground on older models, or into the air cleaner and then onto the bike and ground if it's a newer model.
One culprit is a check valve that is supposed to prevent the drain-back into the sump. If a piece of trash gets lodged between the seat and ball, or the ball gets a groove worn in it over time, or the seat gets a slight nick in it, oil will leak past and the mess described in the paragraph above happens. A couple other problems may cause wet-sumping, too. These are a loose idler gear shaft in the pump body, or a leaking oil seal at the pump drive shaft. These last two are beyond the scope of this article.
Generally the check valve is easily inspected and repaired. It is possible that the oil pump will have to be removed for repair, and even that the oil pump body might have to be replaced. These last two are seldom necessary though. The following procedures will usually fix the problem, and further disassemble won't be required.There is a lot of threads on here about Oil Sumping
One culprit is a check valve that is supposed to prevent the drain-back into the sump. If a piece of trash gets lodged between the seat and ball, or the ball gets a groove worn in it over time, or the seat gets a slight nick in it, oil will leak past and the mess described in the paragraph above happens. A couple other problems may cause wet-sumping, too. These are a loose idler gear shaft in the pump body, or a leaking oil seal at the pump drive shaft. These last two are beyond the scope of this article.
Generally the check valve is easily inspected and repaired. It is possible that the oil pump will have to be removed for repair, and even that the oil pump body might have to be replaced. These last two are seldom necessary though. The following procedures will usually fix the problem, and further disassemble won't be required.There is a lot of threads on here about Oil Sumping
#7
08-19-2012 | 09:45 PM
Thread Starter
|
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Worcester, Massachusetts
Seems to be a long-time problem with Harley's that oil in the tank will drain through the oil pump and fill the crankcase. When the tank is checked it appears low and more oil is mistakenly added. Or the bike is started and the oil in the crankcase is blown out the vent all over the ground on older models, or into the air cleaner and then onto the bike and ground if it's a newer model.
One culprit is a check valve that is supposed to prevent the drain-back into the sump. If a piece of trash gets lodged between the seat and ball, or the ball gets a groove worn in it over time, or the seat gets a slight nick in it, oil will leak past and the mess described in the paragraph above happens. A couple other problems may cause wet-sumping, too. These are a loose idler gear shaft in the pump body, or a leaking oil seal at the pump drive shaft. These last two are beyond the scope of this article.
Generally the check valve is easily inspected and repaired. It is possible that the oil pump will have to be removed for repair, and even that the oil pump body might have to be replaced. These last two are seldom necessary though. The following procedures will usually fix the problem, and further disassemble won't be required.There is a lot of threads on here about Oil Sumping
One culprit is a check valve that is supposed to prevent the drain-back into the sump. If a piece of trash gets lodged between the seat and ball, or the ball gets a groove worn in it over time, or the seat gets a slight nick in it, oil will leak past and the mess described in the paragraph above happens. A couple other problems may cause wet-sumping, too. These are a loose idler gear shaft in the pump body, or a leaking oil seal at the pump drive shaft. These last two are beyond the scope of this article.
Generally the check valve is easily inspected and repaired. It is possible that the oil pump will have to be removed for repair, and even that the oil pump body might have to be replaced. These last two are seldom necessary though. The following procedures will usually fix the problem, and further disassemble won't be required.There is a lot of threads on here about Oil Sumping
Here's a pic of the bike:
Tom
