Got a 2002 Nightrain with 3150 mi. and the oil tank goes bone dry after sitting awhile (several days). The oil light goes out immediatly after starting and the oil does return back to the tank. I called my local dealer (they have a bad rep for ripping people off), they said it could be a ball valve or spring in the oil pump and would be $100-150 to fix it and that I should not ride it until fixed. I called the next two nearest dealers and they both said as long as the oil returns back to the tank it wasn't that big of a problem and that it is a common problem (all though not as common on the twin cams as it is on evos and shovels). The last dealer I talked to said this usually starts at around 3000-4000 mi. and even if I replaced the pump it might still do this.
As long as I know for sure it won't hurt the engine I can live with it.
I have searched the internet but have found very little on this problem and the twin cam88.

Has this been a problem for any one else?

Thanks

 

Haven't heard of this on the Twinkie motors. There is a check valve that is s'posed to prevent the oil in the tank from draining into the bottom of the engine. If it doesn't seat correctly, oil drains by. While it might not hurt anything, it's a problem I wouldn't want to put up with.

It's usually an easy fix on the older oil pumps, but I have no experience with Twinkies. If you aren't familiar with, or comfortable with, working on something like this, take it in and have it fixed, but do it at a shop you're comfortable with. And a dealer with a bad rep, or a dealer who says even if he replaced the pump it might not fix the problem, don't qualify.

If the tank is empty then for the amount of time it takes to refill it, your oil pump suction is going to be dry, or nearly so. That means the supply side discharge isn't putting any oil out to your engine. The top end of your engine is going to take that much longer to get a supply of oil to it, and more wear is occurring.

My thoughts on this are from my experience with Shovels and Evos. I'm not familiar with the exact routing of the oil in a Twinkie, or whether it is enough different that it'd make a difference.

 

That does sound strange, the tank is just a reservoir cavity for enough oil to be supplied and recirculated to the engine for proper lubrication.

I would drain the oil, change filter, put in the correct amount of oil. That way you know you have enough oil to feed the pump and engine. See if this leaves oil in the tank over time, and go from there.

The oil light lets you know you have pump pressure and it looks like the pump is working o-k and you could install a pressure gauge to be sure.

The check valve could be stuck and allowing oil to fill the crankcase up, but usually the engine will puke the heck out of oil when this happens.

Keep us posted

 

I heard something like this on softail models due to the tank being higher than the pump. This puts head pressure on the oil causing it to seep by the pump if the valve leaks a little. But I dont remember if it was on evos or tc88s. I also heard it happens to some and no others and that even a new pump could do it. I would not be happy with it due to what the other posts say about oil supply. Good luck keep us posted.

 

It sound like a check valve----I would not let it continue...It would also have me question the actual oil level from time to time. Are you using H-D Filters- or another brand? I question whether dirt is the problem, or a failed or weak valve!

BRUCE

 

Thanks to those who replied.

We had a lot of chaos around here last year- in February my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer that had spread to his bones and in April my wife and I had our first baby. So unfortunatly I didn't get to ride as much as I normaly would.

The problem with my bike started late last year (Oct.-Nov.). There were times when it would sit for 1-2 months without riding it. When I first noticed, it had sat for about three months.
I'm thinking maybe the constant gravity oil pressure on the 'check' valve or spring without any
relief has caused this. I know, it's designed to to be ridden not stored in a garage for month's at a time. I plan to make up for it this year.

It was due for an oil change last Fall, I would normally have waited until Spring to change it,
but I felt I could eliminate that as the problem (and also be sure I had the right amount in).
I always use H.D. filters (is that good or bad?)

I'm definitely leaning towards getting it looked at. The trouble for me is finding a dealership I can trust. I called a few others after my original post.
I talked to one about 70 mi. away (Central H.D. in Kansas City). That guy said he had never heard of this on a twin cam (haven't found any one yet that has) but that he would look into the valve and or spring in the pump. He sounded very helpful over the phone. He didn't tell me it was normal or 'don't worry about it' like some of the others did. He, and everyone else I've talked to on the phone (except my local dealer) has said that there shouldn't be a problem
with any part of the engine getting enough oil.

Can anyone in the K.C. or eastern Kansas area recommend a dealer with a good service depatment? I thought I might make a separate post in the general tech. forum.

Also I thought I might call the Harley customer service line. Never called them before, has anyone else had experience with them? I know when it comes to computer stuff c.s. lines are usually worthless. But I thought it would be worth a try.

thanks again for any replies

 

Just bought my 05 night train in jan, dealer told me never check the oil cold, because it will drain into the motor and make the tank look empty. He told me after I start it, it will pump back to the tank, so I would say this is normal for an 05. At lest he forwarned me or I would have freaked out!