Hey guys,

So I just purchased my first shovelhead two days ago now and regardless of what I am about to type I am happy to at least have my hands on one finally.

So I am no stranger to vintage bikes and have sold and purchased around 10-15 bikes already (only 23 years old). I already have a 1973 Ironhead and have always wanted a shovel since I can remember.

I went to the seller's house and looked over the bike with a fine tooth comb with my buddy/shop partner. We checked everything we have always checked on motorcycles we are looking to purchase and until now have never had any problems. The most important (to me) is making sure the engine is free and able to turn over. At the seller's house my buddy kicked the bike through and it freely kicked over, so everything checked out just as I expected.

On our return home, I attempted to kick the bike over...nothing, and literally the kicker pedal wouldn't budge. I, of course being a new owner dropping some money kind of panicked. So, we separated the tranny from the crank by taking off the primary belt so we could diagnose if it was the transmission or the engine not turning over. Transmission ended up kicking freely though once separated, however when attempting to hand crank the engine it would not budge. Now I am definitely panicked and confused as to how the engine could have turned over at his house but suddenly seize up when I got it home. I removed the spark plugs during this process, and have now emptied a full bottle of pb blaster into both spark plug holes and have been letting it soak since yesterday. Hopefully it ends up moving again.

So, long story short I have some questions as follows:

1)The engine and oil tank were completely drained it appears and the bike was in the guys house. Could simply kicking it through once with no oil seize the engine up? Could the pistons be so dry that they have stuck to the cylinder walls?

2) 93 cubic inch sidewinder big bore kit was installed by seller. My worst fear is the guy incorrectly installed the kit or did it half-assed and the engine seized. Anything specific i should check for that? What possible damage could there be?

3)What are some suggestions for me moving forward?

Some facts for you guys too if this could help:

-engine is a 1980 fxef
-Kick and electric
-has 93 cubic inch sidewinder kit installed by the previous owner (gasp)
-what i can see are S&S jugs and internals (he says internals at least)
-Has S&S super G carb I believe
-Oil tank is dry and seller says engine is dry as well


SORRY FOR THE LONG POST, but I am pretty upset and looking for answers. Any help is appreciated. I am not new to motorcycles, but I definitely am still learning, especially Harley's (only my 2nd). Thanks!

 

One thing I can tell you is that there is a check valve for the oil from the oil bag to the crank case. At times when the bike sits for a long time the check valve releases and drains the oil out of the oil bag to the crank case IE no oil in the oil bag. once the bike starts up ( after you move the oil from the crank case back to the oil bag or drain and add new oil) Check will work again.

 

Pull the pushrods and see if it will turn freely.

 

what happens if you remove the spark plug and fill the engine with marvel mystery oil let it soak for a few days ?
That works on lots of other ceased up motors

 

If it turns freely after doing that what would that tell me?

If it does not turn freely what does that tell me?

 

Poured that in today coincidentally! PB Blaster didn't work over the first 48 hours after checking today. I'll update you guys if anything new happens.

 

also, all of the pb blaster and marvels mystery oil has been leaking out of the rear exhaust. Could that mean anything?

 

Went through a similar situation when I got my 75 FLH with 88" S&S Sidewinder Kit in it. The previous owner let it sit for several years before I got it.

I put some marvel mystery oil in the cylinders and let them soak for a few days. I put the bike in gear and rocked it back and forth gently for a few days in a row. Eventually things worked loose enough for me to crank it over slowly with the kick starter.

At this point I got a Harley Service Manual and removed the heads and cylinders. The cylinder walls indicated where the rings stuck to the cylinder wall. I honed them, got some new rings, a gasket set, a set of adjustable pushrods and four new solid lifters( two of the four were bad).

I took the lower end out of the frame, and soaked it in kerosene for a few days after removing all of the oil from the oil bag that had drained down there. The crank spun freely after this so I let the bottom end alone.

The transmission was leaking, (output shaft endplay was way out of spec) so I installed a new output shaft seal. I put a rebuild kit in the S&S Super G, and the bike runs great.

Prior to doing all this, I bought a real Harley Shop manual for my bike and a nice motorcycle lift stand. It will make your life a lot easier.

Most important thing is get a Harley Shop Manual and find out what is preventing it from turning over. The shovel is a lot more fun to ride and easier to work on than my '10 Ultra Classic. Keep the old ones on the road where they belong.

Good Luck!

 

Loved my 81, and 83 shovel head... Why I sold my 83 flh is beyond me...
The best bike I ever had once I put wet and dry clutch plates on it.

 

It means the rear exhaust valve is open. Not a problem if the motor is stopped at that point in the cycle. Problem if it is stuck...


Does the motor not move in either direction? That would eliminate the piston hitting the exhaust valve and put you back to the rings.


ps Oil of Mint is another way to free rings.


pps I wonder where the oil went if the tank is empty? if it's in the motor, it should come out the vent - make sure that isn't blocked ?