I've got a few questions. #1-There is a 5/8" bolt next to the oil pump. When I first got the bike I was cranking on it thinking it was the oil plug. Now I can only tighten it to a certain point and if I go past it, it is loose again. It also wont back out, it just spins and spins. Oil drips from it now, any ideas? #2- I've got oil coming out of my air cleaner cover. Is this normal? #3- I've also got an oil drip from the primary chain case cover. Is there a gasket for the cover? I can see a blue sealant, so I was thinking thatit's probably gasket sealant or liquid gasket. Is the primary chain cover something that can be taken off easily or do you need special tools or skills? #4- When I start the bike, it pulls forward while it's cranking. Do I need to adjust the clutch cable?

 

Question #1:
Is the bolt you describe item #2 in the attached pic? If so, then it is part of the oil pump. Understand that what I have attached is for up to 1974. If your machine is a 1976 it may be different than this (re: oil pump)
Ques. #2:
Oil coming from the air cleaner is not normal. Possibly worn valve guides on the intakes letting oil back flow through the carb.
Ques. #3:
The cover takes a gasket. Someone may have put RTV Blue on instead of using a gasket. Remove the cover, clean all of the RTV off both the cover and crankcase face and reassemble using a gasket and Permatex #3 non-hardening sealer.
Ques. #4:
What are you doing while starting......having it in gear with the clutch lever pulled in? If so, stop that practice. Have the bike in neutral when you start it. Then put it in gear. Sportsters will always jump forward just a bit when they go into 1st gear. This is normal.
If you have clutch adjustment problems.....then there is a bit more to it than adjusting the cable slack. You first need to check the clutch release lever adjustment, and then the clutch cable slack is adjusted as a step along the way to doing this. I recently posted the procedure here on the forum for another member, so you should be able to find that post and review what you need to do......pg


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#1- Sorry about the lack of detail in my description. If you look at the oil pump diagram, the bolt goes in the hole right behind the crankcase breather valve screen (#20 on diagram).

#2- The worn valve guides that are possibly letting oil into the carb, could that also be the cause of my smokey exhaust?

#4- Yes, I do start it in 1st gear. I'll start it in neutral from now on.

Thanks for the help.

 

If you look at the oil pump diagram, the bolt goes in the hole right behind the crankcase breather valve screen (#20 on diagram).
That makes me think you are talking about the oil inlet nipple, located on the backside of the pump body. This will have the oil inlet line attached to the nipple. Is that what you are referring too?
If so, then the body has stripped out on the oil pump housing. The only good fix is to replace the body on the pump. This is a serious matter because to do that you must remove the entire engine from the frame to get the pump off. If you cannot remove the nipple, then that is a problem. This will continue to leak. So, if the item we are talking about here is indeed the oil inlet nipple......I seriously suggest you take care of it before riding the machine. If the nipple were to come out while you are riding the oil would not go to the pump and the engine will freeze up before you can even get the clutch lever pulled in by the time you realize this has happened.
#2- The worn valve guides that are possibly letting oil into the carb, could that also be the cause of my smokey exhaust?
Yessir.
#4- Yes, I do start it in 1st gear. I'll start it in neutral from now on.
Begin starting it in neutral. The Sportster has a draggy clutch and that is the reason it wants to roll forward when you hit the start button. This practice puts an extra load on the starter motor and starter gear as well and you want to avoid that. Some Sportsters came with a neutral lock out switch located in the top of the transmission to prevent starting in anything but neutral, but not all models had this switch. Yours is obviously one that did not........pg

edit note: I just had another look at your post and remembered that you have a 1976 model. I incorrectly thought you were talking about the oil inlet nipple, but recalling that yours is a 1976....you are referring to a drain plug that was put in the bottom of the crankcase. I have no idea why Harley ever did this! The only thing that ever happens to this plug is people wind up stripping it out.
So, if this is the item, then you are most likely facing the same problem except the oil pump is not stripped, but rather the crankcase is. This is as serious as the condition I described before on the pump....except you may be able to have it repaired without removing the engine and splitting the cases, You had better take it to someone who you are certain can do the job however!
The problem here is that this plug is right below the flywheels inside the cases, if I am correct. There is no room for a drill bit to go through the case and then be able to install a Heli-Coil. And a Heli-Coil is what you need.
We have discussed this problem here before, and one of my suggestions was to just take the bike to a good welding shop that does Heliarc (Tig) and have them weld the hole up with an aluminum plug. Others disagree with me on that.
Perhaps another member who has had this problem can chime in here with a suggestion, or better yet a solution of what they did to fix theirs. And please everyone......JB Weld or liquid steel is not a good answer for this man.
You may want to start another thread to draw attention to the stripped crankcase plug as the subject so the right people will see it.......pg

 

My 2cents. Sometimes a leak like that can be plugged up by using Teflon tape and crossing your fingers if cash is in short supply. Also in late '76 Harley redesigned the Sporty frame so that the oil pump could be removed without taking the engine out.

 

pg- I'm sure you're right about it being the crankcase plug, that's what I thought it was when I was cranking on it. Another question- When I put the put the primary chain case cover back on, should I use lock tight or teflon sealant on the bolts?

 

You will not need to use sealant on the screws because the gasket surrounds each screw and keeps things oil tight. Tighten all screws in sequence, using a cross pattern. The screws go into blind holes so there is no oil going to travel up the threads and leak out.
Yeah, putting that crankcase plug in was a bad idea from Harley in my opinion, and I have never understood why they did it. Any excess oil that leaks past the oil pump check ball valve because the machine has sat for a long time without being run is going to quickly dump this excess out of the breather tube once the bike is fired up. So why the plug?
I see where you did a new post regarding the stripped plug. I hope you get some good replys from some members who have had theirs fixed before.........pg

 

He should be able to install a heli-coil and be done with it.

 

I've been attempting to stop as many of the oil leaks as I can. There was one coming from somewhere beneath starter housing, so I took it off and replaced the gasket. Now it leaks worse. It looks like I have a good seal though. I didn't put any sealant on the solenoid or the starter when I put them back on. Could the oil be coming from either of those? Am I supposed to put any sealant on them? Any ideas on where the leak could be coming from?

 

To that crankcase drain plug, clean surrounding and hole= treath with solvent make sure that there isn't any oil in any surface. Glue drain plug with epoxy , let it dry. This is alike first-aid not final solution, you should weld it.
As a starter there is rubber seal OEM# 31441-65 between solenoid and starter gear shift lever, also there is rubber seal between solenoid frame and starter housing OEM# 60645-65 and paper seal between starter housing and engine case OEM# 31471-67A.
Leak can be also in oil return line hose..running under starter. Oilpump was changed in -77 when Harley indrodused new cases with build in left hand shifting and "case external" primary chain tensioner.