Once or twice when riding hard then stopping the oil light has flickered at tickover, which I've been advised previously that is not too much of a worry.

However, todayi rodeten miles then stopped for half an hour and started riding again. after a few hundred yards the oil light flickered on for about half a mile....then went off. it didn't come on again even at tickover. (Although does if the engine isn't running)

Any suggestions or recommendations?

 

I don't think you have reason for concern. On a Sporty, either the oil pump works or it does not. Simple as that. The pump is a gear drive and as long as the gears are turning the oil will be pumped through it.
The Sportster has very low oil pump pressure, and that is the reason the light will flicker at idle sometimes. As you say, the oil light is on when the engine is not running and the switch is turned on. When the engine fires off the oil pressure (as slight as it is) will move the diaphram which lifts the contact to ground and breaks the signal being sent to the light. This is also why the light can flicker on and off at idle.......the ground contact is just bouncing open and closed because there is barely enough pressure to move the diaphram.
Sometimes the sender unit goes bad (the diaphram) but this will be a total failure with the results being that the oil light is on all the time, even though there is plenty of pressure present.
Main thing to do is to always be assurred that you have oil in the tank as you ride, don't depend on the light for this information........pg

 

My worry this time was that the oil light was flickering at about 2000-3000 revs and increasing the revs didn't cure it.

I had wondered if there was occassionally a partial blockage or the big ends were starting to go?

 

If you're running really thin oil and/or your pump's worn you won't develop very high oil pressure, which could cause the light to flicker. If you are running 20W50 or thinner, try some straight 50 or 60 weight and see if that causes the light to stay off. Of course, these weights aren't really suitable for cold weather, but it's worth a try before winter gets here.

The other thing is, make sure it's really the oil light (wires come from the oil pressure sender) and not the generator wires hooked up to the wrong indicator light......

 

If you are worried about not having oil pressure, the next time the light comes on at 2000 rpms just pull off the road and open the oil tank cap. look inside at the oil and see if the surface is moving. If there is a 'flow' on the surface that is the oil being dumped into the tank from the return line and means the pump is working fine.
If there is nothing but a stillness on the top of the oil level, then you need to look further into the oil pump business. The only thing that will stop the pump is to shear off the half-moon key on the pump drive. This stops the pump and the engine will freeze up within a very, very short time if the engine continues to run without oil.

I have done this one time only. Turning 6800 rpms down the back straight of Daytona (this was the top rpm with the gearing on the bike) the tach suddenly jumped to 7000. I knew what had happened (engines get loose just before they blow) and managed to pull in the clutch lever just as the rear wheel (and engine) locked up. This is very rare though.

If your bottom end was going out you would hear much noise from it before it went. The rods use roller bearings and those things just do not degrade the way babbit inserts do. If you are still uncertain, then buy yourself a replacement sending unit for the oil pump. This is the round piece that screws into the front of the pump. Quite often these units go bad and send an incorrect signal to the light.

I think you have no problems myself except for the fact that you have yourself worried over nothing.........pg

 

Thanx for the reassurance pg.

Just about got this XLCH working so it starts easily and goes well (apart from the all the noises I'm assured are normal), so I'd hate to blow the engine and have the bike in bits again!

 

My question seems to match well with this thread and may be related. Please redirect if not.

2007 883 with about 3K miles. I've noticed lately, approx 800 miles after an oil change, that when the bike is parked and off, I hear an intermittent periodic (every 10 seconds or so circulator sound and sometimes there is intermittent oil light flicker. It continues forever as far as I can tell (days and days). The oil light flicker is less frequent, but the periodic circulator or gear-movement sound is pretty regular. Any clue? I check the oil and it is halfway up the dip stick (between the min and max bars).

Tx.

 

You are in the IronHead section here. You will probably get better answers in an Evo section.

If the ignition key is shut off there is no way the oil light can flicker. Either there is an electrical problem or you are observing a reflection.

It will help to isolate the gear/circular sound. Best is to use a mechanics stethoscope. Try Princess Auto in Canada or Harbor Freight in USA. Less than $35.00 most likely, and very handy. Otherwise use a length of oil line hose, or a screwdriver.

Listen at various locations: the rocker covers, the pushrod tubes top and bottom, along the case covers, etc etc wherever you think the noise may be.

 

piniongear and ironmick are shooting straight on your problem. however, you mentioned that you just got the ch running so i would ask if the top end is fresh? reason i ask is that i ran across this problem when i used some chromium rings that failed to seat in. it took forever for them to seal. the extra blow by was probably heating the oil up more than normal and caused the oil light to flicker at idle where previously it did not. i would like to also give a tip on the oil pressure switch. i ran a relay to the switch so with engine off/key on the coil was grounded and held the contacts open but when oil pressure was there, the relay contacts would close and i used the contacts to turn on my lights. the lights could also be turned on as usual. this is a good safety feature as around here, they have a hard enough time seeing a bike with lights much less one without lights. also, do not use the death idle as it is hard on bearings.

 

Ironheads don't require much oil pressure because of the type bearings used internally. As long as they have some oil splashed on them, that's all they need. However, I am a worry wart when it comes to lubrication. I removed my oil sender, and screwed a short stainless steel hose in its place. I have a brass pipe plug in the other end. About every other, or maybe every third oil change, I remove that brass plug and install an oil pressure gauge and check the oil pressure.
My bike is a 1982 and the oil pump can be removed without messing with the engine mounting, so when it gets to where it has just two pounds pressure or less, I do something about it.
If the pressure checks ok, I remove the gauge and reinstall the plug. The hose is then tucked up under the generator and wire tied to the frame out of the way and out of sight.
This does leave you without a warning light, but warning lights are like cops, they are there after the act has been comitted.