I've posted a couple of posts here about my problems, which I thought where fixed, but after a while looks like they are bigger than I though. I just need to do a rundown here.

Bike is FXSTC from 1989. Bought used 3 months ago. Imported to my country from the USA.

I've had problems with bottom breather spitting too much oil oil. Not during startup (so probably not the ball/spring problem). But when hot and running. If my bike stands and idles for 10 seconds, a visual oil stain starts to form where my hose is routed beneath the bike.

I though this problem was due to a very badly places oil-pump seal. I got that fixed and but in new seals. I though this fixed my problem, but it didn't after a while. Still spitting lots of oil.

I was loosing considerable amounts of oil. Guessing around 1 quart for every 100 miles.

Started getting problems getting into neutral gear, and today my starter had a very hard time turning the bike. So I went into the primary, and there was, as I expected, too much oil. Crankcase leakage, as I have checked the primary oil level about 300 miles ago. There as ALOT of oil. I emptied about 2 quarts of oil.

So I probably have a crankcase leakage, right?

After I emptied the primary, I tried starting the bike again. Started nicely and Neutral was fixed. But still blew out oil when running.

Now, I don't know if these problems are related in any way? What do you think, where should I go from here?

This is, what I've checked so far (all before I found out about the leak into the primary):

- Compression checked

- Oil routing checked (Not too sure about vent and return line to oil tank, as it seems that I do not have a stock oil tank. My hoses are setup like this: Feed line goes benath the oil tank to some fitting back there. There are two fittings in the front. My return from oil filter hose goes to the outboard one, and engine case vent goes to the inboard. This looks wrong according to pictures, that i've seen. But the picture I've seen online, have 3 fittings beside each other on the front. This one only has those two forward on the oil tank, so I´ve chosen to trust whoever had this bike before me.

- Tappet cleaned

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So.... where do I go from here? Is that leak into the primary related? Or what?

I've got a factory service manual in the mail. Just wondering where I should go from here. Is that primary seal hard to fix by myself? Will it leak again, because of oil problems etc. etc.

...a messy post, I know. Just a bit frustrated. Bear with me.

 

More info:

Here's a picture of my oil tank. Those two lines going up into the oil tank are "return from oil filter" and "engine vent". The "return from oil filter" is the outboard (left) one.

My feed line is coming out from beneath the oil tank somewhere.

Don't know if this is stock oil tank.



I think this is the same tank.

 

what i think your problem is is that you have an issue with the breather valve and its seal to the case hole it turns in

fix one Cheap - turn the vent fitting 180 and have to point straight up 12 oclock - then attach a long 3/8 inch hose and send the hose up and over the oil tank and back down again to the bottom like before - this cheap fix has helped many times - it does not cure the problem it keeps oil off the rear tire

second fix - S&S makes a reed breather valve and They do work on a breather hole that has damage -- look it up

harley in 1991 had issues and they sell a oil / air seperator that installs into the block to help with the oil venting as well i will get the number for it and post it up its a 2 dollar part

 

Unfortunately, you seem to have two issues here, and the oil leakage into the primary is the most serious and the most expensive. That's where most of your oil is going.

I do remember that crankcase leaks into the primary were a known issue in Harleys of your vintage. Happened to a buddy of mine. H-D ended up replacing his left side crankcase. I'm not sure what the fix is going to be for you, but I'm pretty sure someone will be along here who can help.

 

Part number for air/oil seperator is 25329-91.

 

Have already ordered the oil-separator las week. Will install when it arrives.

 

When it arrives, it goes into the tube below the breather gear. Shows in parts manual but not in my service manual. Might check breather gear and timing while in camchest.

 

Replace the seal on the left hand main bearing, where the crank comes into the primary.

 

^^this

but the question is WHY did it fail? (they can randomly fail....but they can also be pushed out by excessive crankcase pressure....this is what happened to me)

im not saying you SHOULD open the cam chest, but personally, I would, and inspect the breather gear itself. if it isn't venting properly its gonna continue to give you headaches

 

These horror stories of left crankcase cracking on 89 models causing the leak. Is this something that will be visibile? Or is is wear, that can only diagnosed after seal change, and riding?