Hi all,
I recently found a 76 sportster for sale for $1700 and I was hoping to get alil info on this model and opinions if this would be a good buy. In the add it says the bike needs carb rebuild and then cranking the motor it spits oil. Now I know these older Harley's need a lot of wrenching. I have a Suzuki 650 that I work on my self( I've changed oil, plug, cleaned carbs) and I have a honda nighthawk 650 that I'm rebuilding( currently rebuilt the carbs and changing gaskets on engine) thanks for any insight.

 

Cranking motor spits oil is common with old Sportsters and is referred to as wet sumping. When the bike sits unused for an extended time [for some it may be a short time] oil seeps past the check ball in the oil pump. There is a crankcase vent on the bottom of the right side gearcase cover at the front [opposite the generator] - the oil spits out there. These bikes did that [and other oil leaks] on the showroom floor "back in the day".

The solution is top ride the bike more often. Or in extreme cases to either re-seat or replace the check ball. This is not a serious issue.

Carb rebuild is not a difficult process. Lots of help available here when the time comes. You do have to be careful using new, "made off-shore" internal carb parts. When you dismantle the carb keep all the original parts as they may very well be better than any new parts.

Here is my regular maintenance check list, which i review often ...

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...nt=file%2c.doc

Here is my Winter project list, done every winter ...

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...nt=file%2c.doc

You are used to wrenching so this will not be a problem for you. You may need to buy some new tools