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According to the HD shop manual I may have a restricted / clogged oil return line on my 92 Tour Glide. The red oil pressure light stayed lit after running the bike for about 30 seconds or so. The cylinders were getting warm but the return oil line was ambient temperature. This past weekend I removed the oil tank to clean it with kerosene. I double checked the oil line routing and connections at the oil tank. The three lines are hooked up correctly.
I'm thinking of disconnecting the return line at the tube near the oil filter to see if oil will come out which running the bike.
Change the filter and make sure you get the right one with the bypass valve. Then I'd crack the filter screen port for the lifters above the oil pump to make sure you have pressure at an idle, looking in the tank you should be able to see the oil bubbling when it's cold and thick. Cracking the return somewhere is the other option too.
The return oil line will not get warm until the engine has been run for quite a few minutes but the oil light should go out within 1-2 seconds after start up. The simple test is to look into the oil tank fill for movement of oil indicating return flow.
Did the oil pressure gauge read any pressure?
Have you checked the sending unit by grounding the yellow (or white) wire at the sender?
Checked the tappet screen on the engine case?
Had you done anything else to the bike when the oil light issue started, including an oil change?
I pulled the oil tank over the weekend and cleaned it. Then installed 4 qts. of 20W-50 oil per the shop manual and a new HD oil filter (part #63796- 77A). There was no issue with the oil pressure light when I rode the bike to warm it up prior to the oil change. What if there's too much oil in the tank?
Sometimes 4 qts. will fill them to the brim before starting and filling the filter. If the engine was run for a few minutes prior to oil change, no worries. That style is not affected by high oil level like the horseshoe style that is, it'll still breathe correctly. It'd have to be literally running out the spout for an overfill to be of issue.
Had the same thing happen years ago on a simple oil change with nothing disassembled and never figured out why.
If you're in a hurry, do this - drain the oil out of the tank but save it, it's clean. Remove the check ball cap and pull the spring up. Add a pint or so of the oil back into the tank then sit there and wait for oil to run out the hole. Replace the spring and cap (plug). It's difficult to get to that plug with the oil tank vent hose in the way at the engine so easiest to remove that end of the hose.
Or, you can let it sit overnight. Try it again. If still no pressure, try removing the tappet screen plug and turn the engine over just a few rounds at a time. When oil gets there, it'll come fast, make a mess. Assuming an unrealistic timing of an oil pump failure didn't happen, it's simply air locked. That's rare with the "above ground" tank but I know that it can happen.
Change the filter and make sure you get the right one with the bypass valve. Then I'd crack the filter screen port for the lifters above the oil pump to make sure you have pressure at an idle, looking in the tank you should be able to see the oil bubbling when it's cold and thick. Cracking the return somewhere is the other option too.
Somehow I did not see this post until after my second reply???
The screen was pretty dirty.. I cleaned it with brake cleaner.. I restarted the bike and the red light stayed off for about 2 seconds.. I pulled the dip stick and then the red light came on.. I didn't see any bubbles in the oil inside the tank..
The screen was pretty dirty.. I cleaned it with brake cleaner.. I restarted the bike and the red light stayed off for about 2 seconds.. I pulled the dip stick and then the red light came on.. I didn't see any bubbles in the oil inside the tank..
While it's idling back out the oil light sending unit, see if it has pressure there, they do go bad.
I pulled the oil sending unit to test it.. It has continunity and about 10.2 ohms of resistance. I ran the bike without it inserted for a few seconds and the oil dribbled out.. I thought it would have more pressure.. Maybe the oil pump is not working correctly?
Last edited by jigoe007; Nov 21, 2023 at 05:37 PM.
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Oil Return Line
