Went for a short (10 miles) ride the other morning, when I pulled back into the garage, I smelled oil burning. Put it on the lift, and oil was leaking off the bike on the right side under the oil fill area. It was not leaking from the the oil fill. Checked the oil drain plug, it was tight and dry. Oil filter was tight and no leaks. No oil seen on the right side of the engine cylinders, so umbrella valve must be OK as its not puking oil from the air cleaner. Its not coming from the trans vent. Not coming from the sensor behind the rear cylinder (speed sensor?) Oil was changed 1000 miles ago, Mobile 1 synthetic. Oil is seen on the right bottom of the engine from almost the front, back to the trans. Cleaned it all up, put a wrench on what I could get to. Rode it another 50 miles yesterday, no leaks seen and no oil burning smell after the original leak burned off. Bike is stock except for a pair of Screamin Eagle slip-ons, 8700 miles.

Any ideas where the oil may be coming from? Odd that it happened that one time, and not again (so far....). Dealer has a 10 day wait for any service, so that's a week away.

 

Two Lower bracket bolts lower trans to exhaust mount are notorious to come loose.

 

Doesn't make any sense...

Oil leftover from the oil change, what spilled from the filter? Usually will see that on the floor, if any is missed during clean up.

Sometimes some will spill in to the frame at the transmission drain, but I don't see how that could get to the bottom of the engine.

Clever friends? Not that I have ever done anything like that to anyone.....

 

+1

lp

 

I didn't think of that.

Makes perfect sense.

 

+2...

 

Make that +3 on the exhaust bracket/trans brg hsg bolts.

Apparently, it's an inherent problem with the six-speed transmissions from 2007-2012.

The next time I have my exhaust off, those (8) bolts are getting the Loc-Tite treatment.

H-D upped the torque value on those bolts to 25 ft-lbs in September 2011. They also upped the oil pan bolts to 156 in-lbs at the same time.

For now, I just use a Snap-On long ball end hex socket wrench to tighten them. Works ok.

 

These bolts have nothing to do with 5 or 6 speed. It is the fact that they exhaust bracket is connected to them and there is a lot stress put on them from the motor shaking back and forth.

Loc tite and torque to spec.

 

True, and it's not an inherent internal transmission aliment, but Service Bulletin No. M-1305 pertains to only the 6-speed transmissions from 2006-2012 Dyna (2006 1st model w/ 6-speed), 2007-2012 Softail & 2007-2012 Touring, 2009-2012 TriGlide & 2006-2012 CVO.

My guess is that the lower exhaust support brackets on earlier 5-speed transmissions were different altogether.

 

Not really. The two trap door bottom bolts held on the exhaust bracket as well.