Oil consumption gone to hell
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Snow Hill, NC
Oil consumption gone to hell
Well i guess at 68000 miles it was to be expected at a certain point right? I am now using a quart of oil or a bit more within 5000 miles...New cams, power commander, etc... throttle happy in the hills, i have not babied the bike by no means i ride the shitout of it when i want...Putt putt down the Interstates at other times....Are all y'all seeing the same scenario after 50000 miles of use...? I plan on keeping the bike for agood while and then go in the engine for upgrade at around 120000 miles...For now i will keep topping off i guess... I have been using Full syn since 1000 miles... Some 20w50 v-twin rated and for most part 15w50 Auto oil and 20w50 auto oil but always full syn...
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jun 2006
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From: san antonio
Actually, a quart in 5000 miles with nearly 70K hard, according to you, miles isn't that bad.
Run a compression and leak down test just for ***** and giggles. I would be looking at a top end rebuild, it's time.
Run a compression and leak down test just for ***** and giggles. I would be looking at a top end rebuild, it's time.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Snow Hill, NC
**** DJL... did you have to say that? LOL...Actually i have to wait for a while until i pay off some crap... It runs ok for now... I wonder if they would fix that under my ESP????
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 497
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From: New Egypt, NJ
I would think you'd have a hard time getting it taken care of under an ESP. All vehicle manufacturers have a figure for "normal oil consumption" and it is usually something totally abnormal. I used to be a Benz mechanic and Benz stated 1 qt per 1,000 mi was normal oil consumption, no warranty repairs whatsoever for oil consumption complaints if oil consumption was less than that figure. My wife's '05 Superglide Custom had pretty serious oil consumption right out of the box, like 1 qt per 2,000 mi. I got the same song and dance from HD that Benz gave its customers, 1 qt per 1,000 mi. Then I found out that the valve guide seals had been updated specifically for oil consumption issues and I bitched LOUDLY to the MOCO, and it got taken care of, updated valve guide seals installed. No oil consumption after that.
I'd be willing to bet that you might find your valve guide seals leaking a little bit and that accounts for your oil consumption. But if you pull the heads to fix that, you might as well go ahead with pistons and rings, too... Meanwhile, top it off and keep riding!
I'd be willing to bet that you might find your valve guide seals leaking a little bit and that accounts for your oil consumption. But if you pull the heads to fix that, you might as well go ahead with pistons and rings, too... Meanwhile, top it off and keep riding!
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,169
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From: Southern Illinois
My 01 has been using 1 quart to 5000 mile change since i bought it with 4900 miles on it in 07. Nothing coming out exhaust ( indy and i have both checked this several times) but quite a bit going into the intake and giving me the dreaded drip off breather cover. I changed to synthetic at 5000 mile service and it hasn't gotten any worse so i keep an eye on it when i stop for fuel and ride. It did use a little over a quart on our trip to Sturgis in july, but i figured, 80 mph speeds and 2-up with 45 lbs of luggage was probably the cause.
Last edited by Bodean46; Dec 14, 2011 at 07:35 AM. Reason: spell check
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jun 2006
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From: san antonio
Leaks by the valve guide seals and is burned in combustion and/or via ring blow by and pushed out via the head breather vents into the intake. Some is diveted back into the chambers and burned in combustion and some collects in the air cleaner.
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Seasoned HDF Member
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From: Snow Hill, NC
I have plenty of oil so i ain't too worried...LOL...I ride her pretty hard... the bike too...LOL....When i get on it i see a bit of smoke out the exhaust...But if i got in the engine it will be for something more than a quart of oil every 5k....My service manager said... just ride the damn thing, if it breaks down we'll come and pick your sorry *** up and fix it probably under waranty....
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Joined: May 2007
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From:
my story systems to be somewhat normal, maybe!
i have a 2009 flhx with 61000 miles. uses about 2 oz around 500 miles or about 16 oz every 3k oil change interval ridden moderately hard, sometimes it doesn’t seem to use oil at all, but i have learned i can check it 3 times the same week after riding a few local miles and it goes up on the stick instead of down. i have the h-d esp and it is in effect until 2014. so figuring on being around 100k by that time.
i called the friendly advisors at esp and was told that i should have h-d service check compression and leak down to see it there are problems. any problem of pistons, rings, guides, seals or valves determined to be broken, would be covered by esp to repair. i was surprised to hear this, like others here, i just assumed those things would have normal wear at 60k miles and just use oil. the difference between normal wear and not normal is that there must be a broken part. seems like a fine line, but the gauges will tell the story.
so i am going to make an appointment with service to first determine if these conditions are NOT normal and thereby warrant the tests to be performed: slight knock from rear cylinder only when dead cold, slight brown toning to the rear cylinder exhaust pipe, slight plug discoloration and this low (imho) oil consumption.
P.S: if they say its normal and NOT broken, I walk away happy to do a top end refresh with stock h-d parts, local builder shop doing the in-line bore, matching replacement piston, ring set, refreshed heads, valves, seals, guides. i am doing the rebuild and betting that no one (h-d service) is the wiser!
so what do you think? Anyone have a motor that "broke" with these symptoms?
i have a 2009 flhx with 61000 miles. uses about 2 oz around 500 miles or about 16 oz every 3k oil change interval ridden moderately hard, sometimes it doesn’t seem to use oil at all, but i have learned i can check it 3 times the same week after riding a few local miles and it goes up on the stick instead of down. i have the h-d esp and it is in effect until 2014. so figuring on being around 100k by that time.
i called the friendly advisors at esp and was told that i should have h-d service check compression and leak down to see it there are problems. any problem of pistons, rings, guides, seals or valves determined to be broken, would be covered by esp to repair. i was surprised to hear this, like others here, i just assumed those things would have normal wear at 60k miles and just use oil. the difference between normal wear and not normal is that there must be a broken part. seems like a fine line, but the gauges will tell the story.
so i am going to make an appointment with service to first determine if these conditions are NOT normal and thereby warrant the tests to be performed: slight knock from rear cylinder only when dead cold, slight brown toning to the rear cylinder exhaust pipe, slight plug discoloration and this low (imho) oil consumption.
P.S: if they say its normal and NOT broken, I walk away happy to do a top end refresh with stock h-d parts, local builder shop doing the in-line bore, matching replacement piston, ring set, refreshed heads, valves, seals, guides. i am doing the rebuild and betting that no one (h-d service) is the wiser!
so what do you think? Anyone have a motor that "broke" with these symptoms?
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,776
Likes: 2,607
From: san antonio
The MoCo considers an oil consumption rate of a quart every 1000-1500 miles normal; I doubt that the MoCo will consider 16oz every 3000 miles a warranty issue.
If bshapiro freshens up the top end, he will likely need to bore cylinders to fit OS pistons so H-D service will know the top end has been refreshed and, therefore, void the warranty, at least on the top end components.
If bshapiro freshens up the top end, he will likely need to bore cylinders to fit OS pistons so H-D service will know the top end has been refreshed and, therefore, void the warranty, at least on the top end components.