Well I did.


I have a 2004 FLHTCI - bought it new and have logged just over 80K - has been a great bike. I changed it into a Road Glide in 06 and back into a Batwing in 08 - all that has been documented here on the forum.

No real issues with the engine. A few months ago I saw that I had an oil leak, minor but still there on the garage floor. As we all know, Oil can travel and drop from a spot NOT close to the leak. I had changed the oil so I thought I had just made a mess. Well, the leak did not stop so out with the flash light and I started looking. Well, I RIDE my bike so the bottom was not all that clean - So, first to clean it all up... Got that done and started chasing that leak - What a PIA - I chased and chased, used solvent and REALLY cleaned the bottom.. I was 99.99% sure it was NOT coming from the engine... area of brake line and the clutch cable - traveled back along the frame and onto the floor. Again,, clean, chase, clean chase - I am starting to loose it, lol.. Pretty much figured out it had to be a minor pin hole in the brake line.. But I still had a rear break - so how could that be??? Where is this oil coming from... Then the light bulb came on and I again cleaned the area and started looking from a different view point and I final found it - or at least 99.99999% sure, lol...

Clutch cable. Would not know for sure until I took it off and if you have ever changed a clutch cable - fairly easy but a PIA - esp if NOT the problem.

Back when I change from a batwing TO a Road Glide, I got a +6 clutch cable because of the pull back bars... When I went back to the EG - I got +4 clutch cable because of the pull back bars...

Well, the +4 was a little snug along the bottom of the engine AND I did NOT use a sliced fuel line to cover the clutch cable - why, its thick and steel braided inside the cover.. what's the problem

Well, here it is... 11" from the entrance to the Trans side cover.



The way the clutch cable is made - the center cable goes into the side cover and the oil splashes around and will go back into that area where the cable is coming in - the oil will travel down the clutch cable housing and just sit there UNLESS a hole has rubbed into it - then it will seep out and onto the ground.. BINGO.

My fix was to remove the 4+ cable and put the 6+ back in - allowed room for the cable to come along the bottom of the engine and NOT rub. Still I put the sliced fuel line around the cable to protect it..

So if any of you have that annoying leak and can't find it... take a look at your clutch cable, is it tight against anything that MAY rub a hole in it...

back on the road again..

Michael

 

Do You have an Annoying Oil leak?

Yes, I have a Panhead.




Nice detective work.

A great way to find a seep is spray the area with foot powder from the 99¢ store, the powder will wash away at the source



Mike

 

I've had one for about the past 6 months or so. Nothing major but a few drops on the ground overnight and stuff. I think I found it the other night, the front 4 oil pan bolts were not tightened to torque spec. Tightened 'em up and haven't seen a leak since, so hopefully that was it.

 

The hard part on this one - once I was able to separate the leak from the engine... the clutch cable and brake line were right next to each other, My brain kept telling me it was the brake line because the clutch line did not have fluid in it... LOL... finally the light bulb went on, lol.. and it was minor but it bugged me...