New to HD and my 96 FLSTC and I searched for an answer and couldn't find one. So, my Clymer manual says to pull the oil tank and clean the sludge out of the tank every other oil change if the bike has been ridden frequently and for fairly long distances and at every oil change if all the rides are short and infrequently. Is that really necessary and is there anything I should look out for when I pull the oil tank?

 

No need to pull the tank, I put in about a quart of kerosene, slosh it around, let it sit for awhile, slosh again and drain. Good to go. JMHO, YMMV, etc.

Bob

 

Frankly, I just spray some WD40 in the tank and let it drain out. And not every other oil change either. No problems with that method at 150K.

 

I don't even bother with that. I figger that the oil should wash out the crud anyway, especially if it's hot. About 80K on my bike, 50K on the Sportster.

 

-- All the above --

Flushing oil tanks is for for old bikes and autos that didn't even have a filter system or ones with bypass filter tanks and cartridge filters. Engine oil has evolved tremendously over the past 20 years.

 

Also, a big twin Evo has a real oil filter in the return line to the tank. Crap will be trapped there. Shovelheads had a piece of crap for a filter that was more of a wishful strainer than anything else, so flushing the tank would make more sense for that, but shovelheads had so many other problems that flushing the tank is probably the least of your worries.

John, you need a real shop manual.

 

That is on my short list of things to buy next.

Thanks or tanks, for the info. I'll leave the tank where it is unless I really want to tear into something one of these days.

 

i have owned my 85 since it was new and i never cleaned the oil tank with anything. new oil when it needs a change is good enough.