Oil blew out dipstick!
Thread Starter
|
Stage II
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Oil blew out dipstick!
Hi all, I haven't been on here in quite some time, life gets in the way sometimes I guess..
Anyway a little history building up to this issue.
I have kinda neglected my 2006 Night Train over the last year I guess, just haven't had the time to ride or do anything to it. So she's been sitting for about 6 months I guess.
Anyway, when I last rode her, after the ride I checked the oil and saw I was in pretty good need of an oil change. My battery also is over 5 years old also and i figured one was due soon but the one i have has still showed no signs of giving up the ghost yet. I keep it on a battery tender also.
Well finally got some time to change the oils on it, but when I drained the crank case oil I noticed not too much oil came out. the tank was empty though....so I started thinking maybe something was wrong where oil was trapped somewhere....so I changed the filter, and added 2 quarts of oil to the tank. Started it up and with in seconds oil blew out my dipstick and blew oil everywhere! I immediately shut it off of course, and found the rest of the dirty oil, because when I drained it again the old oil seemed to have found its way back into the tank.
So I put 2 more quarts into it, and it cranked slowly and wouldn't fire up again.
So now I am paranoid, thinking that the engine is being hydrolocked by too much oil, or maybe some damage was done and the engine locked up....or it could be just the old battery finally went on me.
It shouldn't have much oil in it because it seemed when I drained it that a good bit drained out of it.
I am not sure if there is some passage clogged or what causing the back pressure. But I am severely bummed either way. kinda afraid to try and jump it for fear of something going on inside the motor.
I did notice that when I cranked it the second time after the geyser, that the oil pressure on the gauge was going up to about 10 PSI.
Anyway a little history building up to this issue.
I have kinda neglected my 2006 Night Train over the last year I guess, just haven't had the time to ride or do anything to it. So she's been sitting for about 6 months I guess.
Anyway, when I last rode her, after the ride I checked the oil and saw I was in pretty good need of an oil change. My battery also is over 5 years old also and i figured one was due soon but the one i have has still showed no signs of giving up the ghost yet. I keep it on a battery tender also.
Well finally got some time to change the oils on it, but when I drained the crank case oil I noticed not too much oil came out. the tank was empty though....so I started thinking maybe something was wrong where oil was trapped somewhere....so I changed the filter, and added 2 quarts of oil to the tank. Started it up and with in seconds oil blew out my dipstick and blew oil everywhere! I immediately shut it off of course, and found the rest of the dirty oil, because when I drained it again the old oil seemed to have found its way back into the tank.
So I put 2 more quarts into it, and it cranked slowly and wouldn't fire up again.
So now I am paranoid, thinking that the engine is being hydrolocked by too much oil, or maybe some damage was done and the engine locked up....or it could be just the old battery finally went on me.
It shouldn't have much oil in it because it seemed when I drained it that a good bit drained out of it.
I am not sure if there is some passage clogged or what causing the back pressure. But I am severely bummed either way. kinda afraid to try and jump it for fear of something going on inside the motor.
I did notice that when I cranked it the second time after the geyser, that the oil pressure on the gauge was going up to about 10 PSI.
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 863
Likes: 2
From: spain and uk
well if it had sumped, then all the oil should now be in the tank. So I would drain it again into something clean so the oil can be re-used. Refill with the correct amount. Put the battery on charge for a few hours and try again.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,780
Likes: 2,609
From: san antonio
Assuming that the oil level was full, or close to full, when you first fired up the motor, all the oil had drained into the crank case. The oil tank is above the crank case and that pesky phenomenon know as gravity has pulled the oil in the tank down into the crank case. That is why not much oil drained from the tank; most of it was in the crank case. So, lets say, you have 3 quarts now in the crank case and you add 2 quarts; you now have 5 quarts in the motor; half in the tank and half in the crank case. Then you start the motor; the oil in the crank case starts getting pushed into the system and the extra crank case pressure blows out the dipstick and some of the oil in the tank; not sure how much. So you drained the tank again (still some oil in the crank case if you shut down the motor immediately) and added another 2 quarts and are back where you started with too much oil in the system.
I suspect the slow cranking is the battery giving up the ghost. Drain the oil from the tank before it leaks back down into the crank case and note how much but do not add any oil. If the battery is up to the task, start the motor but remove the dip stick first. If the battery won't do its job, replace it; probably time anyway. Once the motor starts, put the dipstick back in, let the motor idle for a few minutes to allow the oil to be scavenged from the crank case and the oil tank filled back up. Check the oil and if above full, suck some out with a turkey baster until the oil level is just below full. Rinse and repeat until you are confident that the oil level is normal.
In the future, remember that after a softail sits for a few days, the oil in the tank drains into the sump. So, you should always warm the motor up and check the oil when the motor is warm and all the oil is in the tank.
I suspect the slow cranking is the battery giving up the ghost. Drain the oil from the tank before it leaks back down into the crank case and note how much but do not add any oil. If the battery is up to the task, start the motor but remove the dip stick first. If the battery won't do its job, replace it; probably time anyway. Once the motor starts, put the dipstick back in, let the motor idle for a few minutes to allow the oil to be scavenged from the crank case and the oil tank filled back up. Check the oil and if above full, suck some out with a turkey baster until the oil level is just below full. Rinse and repeat until you are confident that the oil level is normal.
In the future, remember that after a softail sits for a few days, the oil in the tank drains into the sump. So, you should always warm the motor up and check the oil when the motor is warm and all the oil is in the tank.
Last edited by djl; Feb 15, 2016 at 09:32 AM.
Sponsor
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 12,084
Likes: 829
Trending Topics
You are always supposed to run Softails prior to checking or changing oil. Thats why not too much came out but it wasn't on the floor. It slowly creeped through the oil pump to the bottom end.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
6 Weirdest Harley-Davidsons Ever Sold to the Public
Verdad Gallardo
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window
Verdad Gallardo
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Gunn
Oil Archive (no new posts)
2
Nov 5, 2007 04:03 PM