I just bought another shovelhead after 20 years. Here's the thing; I'm not real mechanically inclined. However, I did rebuild a top end a number of years back; learned as I went. I never really had any trouble with the '81 shovelheads I had, I just moved up. Like I said, I'm not mechanically inclined enough to be inclined to be a mechanic. Anyway, I have this '78-1/2 FXE that has been modified. Engine wise I'm not sure. It runs fine but that's not enough for me. It has a crankcase breather on it and I've never dealt with one of those. Does the installation of the crankcase breather require some changes to the primary, i.e. dry sump or what?

 

2 ports are along side of the oil pump one is the return from the primary the other on your 81 it went to the aircleaner - on the 78 you can turn the fitting ( the inside one ) and send it north than reconnect the hose and send it over the oil tank over to the chain, and any oil air vapor will lube the chain and exhaust the crankcase its a 2 bird thing --

that is what we do in my shop with them -- johnjzjz

 

Hey acorn, the crank breather is very simple...Like jz wrote, you just run a tube to vent the crank...the breather vent is a 1/4NPT, the primary return is a 1/8NPT fitting. Some guys run those little beather filters on the end and some guys route it to blow on the drive chain....I've seen just a pices of looped 3/8 hose as well