complete oil loss
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Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 41
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From: Rhodes, Michigan
complete oil loss
I posted awhile ago about oil dripping out of my vent tube and I went away for 2 weeks and when I returned home all of the oil in my tank had dripped out through the vent hose. The last time I was looking at it it seemed to be dripping oil out very slowly and now all of my oil is gone from the tank. The bike is a 87 flhtc and the only post last time was a suggestion that I overfilled the bike with oil, well I purchased this bike new and have always done my own maintenance and never had a problem and over the years the overfill problems I've heard of were from twin cam Harley's, I'm at a loss as to why I've lost all of the oil from my iol tank thru the vent tube.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,468
Likes: 12
From: Bluffton, South Carolina
Your engine has probably "sumped". With the tank on your '87 being higher than the engine, the only thing keeping the oil in the tank is the check ball in the pump. Your's as with a lot of HD's is probably leaking a bit. This allows the oil to drain down into the engine. When you start it, it will pump most of it back into the tank. Some of it may come out the breather, so put a pan under it to catch it.
This can sometimes be cured by tapping the ball slightly and then replacing it with a new one and spring. This is done after cleaning out the seat area both before and after tapping. If that doesn't work then you may have to take an old pushrod and cut it down so that you can put a cordless drill on it. Then take a little vavle lapping compound and use it to lap the seat in the pump. You need to flush it well to get the compound out afterwards, Q-tips will work well here. Note when you take the cap off of the pump the oil will want to run out, so you will need to either crimp off the supply line or drain the tank.
Oh the above is true as long as you don't have a three quart puddle under your bike!!!
Hope this helps.
John
This can sometimes be cured by tapping the ball slightly and then replacing it with a new one and spring. This is done after cleaning out the seat area both before and after tapping. If that doesn't work then you may have to take an old pushrod and cut it down so that you can put a cordless drill on it. Then take a little vavle lapping compound and use it to lap the seat in the pump. You need to flush it well to get the compound out afterwards, Q-tips will work well here. Note when you take the cap off of the pump the oil will want to run out, so you will need to either crimp off the supply line or drain the tank.
Oh the above is true as long as you don't have a three quart puddle under your bike!!!
Hope this helps.
John
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,195
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From: NW AR
There is a check valve ball under a spring that keeps the oil in the tank instead of letting gravity drain it into the case. Either you have a piece of dirt between the ball and the seat, or there's wear, etc., letting the oil seep past. I would try cleaning it first, then if that doesn't fix it, people report success with reseating the ball with a punch, using a new ball, gluing a ball on a stick and using lapping compound to make a new seat, using a new push rod end and lapping compound, etc. The ball is under the giant screw cap thing on the oil pump.
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2012
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just tryin to remember, but how could u lose all 3qts???? bottom breather, yes, but not all 3qts.....all case gaskets good??? cone gasket??? oil hoses???
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From: Bluffton, South Carolina
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Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 41
Likes: 1
From: Rhodes, Michigan
I'm not sure how much is on the floor but I just did an oil change right before this came up and the oil tank is now empty, as miacycles stated when I start the bike whats in the motor the oil pump should return most of it to the tank but it makes sense now as the motor filled up with as much oil as it would hold the the rest leaked out onto the floor through the vent hose which runs out under the bike and not into the breather as the way it came stock.
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2012
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From: none
I'm not sure how much is on the floor but I just did an oil change right before this came up and the oil tank is now empty, as miacycles stated when I start the bike whats in the motor the oil pump should return most of it to the tank but it makes sense now as the motor filled up with as much oil as it would hold the the rest leaked out onto the floor through the vent hose which runs out under the bike and not into the breather as the way it came stock.