Oiling issue?
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1st Gear
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 5
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From: Gloucester Va
Oiling issue?
Hi guys, hope everyone is doing well. I'll get right to my question. My 2000 Road King sounds terrible when I first start it after trailering. There is just under 17K on the odometer. I'm the second owner. Engine is bone stock. Oil filters from Harley. It will knock like there isn't a drop of oil in it when it first take it out the trailer. It will eventually stop. It's fine every time I ride it until we revisit the trailer again. Any suggestions (other than don't trailer it) would be much appreciated.
Thread Starter
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1st Gear
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Gloucester Va
I'm not a professional Harley technician but I have spent a few years dong general auto repair for a living. Turned wrenches as a hobby my whole life. I haven't had anyone provide an answer. It really has me stumped. Even if the bike sits for months w/o being started
it sounds fine. I've had it in a trailer on three different occasions with identical results....it knocks like crazy when its first fired. After the last trip I let it sit over night before firing it up with the same results.
it sounds fine. I've had it in a trailer on three different occasions with identical results....it knocks like crazy when its first fired. After the last trip I let it sit over night before firing it up with the same results.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,847
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From: Florida
I am guessing when you put it in the trailer, it sits there for awhile. If that's the case your lifters are bleeding down. The noise stops when you get them pumped back up. Don't let it sit so long
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Pennsylvania
My guess is the bouncing while the motorcycle is on the trailer settles the oil and bleeds down the lifters. I would experiment by removing the spark plugs after trailering and spinning the engine over to get the oil moving and up into the lifters.
Sitting static the oil will just stay where it was mostly when the engine was shut off. The bouncing of the trailer may allow the oil to settle somewhere else.
Sitting static the oil will just stay where it was mostly when the engine was shut off. The bouncing of the trailer may allow the oil to settle somewhere else.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 5,315
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From: Granville New York
You have a bad lifter or lifters...no magic bouncing disappearing oil or trailer voodo lol. Get some new aftermarket lifters.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
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hard to say without a sound clip.
i do not think it to be lifter since he says it can sit long term and not act up. usually a bled down lifter will make noise for a minute, two at the most but a non oiled lifter can take 5 miles to get back in shape. the whole reason i run spacers in mine.
there maybe a point in that while bouncing around on the trailer has voided the oil galleries so every thing has to fill up.
i do not think it to be lifter since he says it can sit long term and not act up. usually a bled down lifter will make noise for a minute, two at the most but a non oiled lifter can take 5 miles to get back in shape. the whole reason i run spacers in mine.
there maybe a point in that while bouncing around on the trailer has voided the oil galleries so every thing has to fill up.
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Trailiered lifters - you're trailering it in gear, it rocks and the rear wheel slightly moves the trans internals which slightly moves the crank - just enough to cause bleed down on a lifter(s) and collapses it. I answered this call about a million times on the tech line at every rally. Stop trailering it in gear.
Starting it a few times in a row always seemed to help pump up the lifter faster than just riding it.
Starting it a few times in a row always seemed to help pump up the lifter faster than just riding it.
Last edited by Ed Ramberger; Apr 18, 2020 at 08:21 AM. Reason: spelling
