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ok, i have a 84 FLHTC i know they leak oil but the last time i ran the motor was back in nov... and i keep getting oil out of the breather, at least i think it is...what should i check?
The bike has been sitting, some of the oil has found its way down past the check ball and is now in the crankcase, when you start it the oil blows out the breather because there is too much oil down there for the scavenge system to handle.
Put a drain pan under the breather hose and crank it up, it may take a few minutes to clear out the oil.
It happens sometimes on bikes that have the oil tank higher than the crankcase. No biggie...
If the oil constantly blows out the breather while the bike is running down the road, that is another issue.
That's not uncommon for one being parked for long periods, even if the check ball is seating properly. What also happens is that the water condensation will carry oil vapor with it and out the breather tube when the engine gets up to temperature and continue to leave a spot for some time. This time of year is hard to avoid that too.
But really, simply riding it more than a few minutes as often as possible is the best cure. Starting one and letting it run without riding it for a good number of miles is a major contributor to the oil drip. If the engine has a lot of wear it may never go away, but with regular riding it should not leave any more oil than maybe a dime size spot after being parked.
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