Removing Water from The System
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From: LOUISIANA
Removing Water from The System
Hi,
looking for any suggestions or comments on the topic described below.
I picked up an '06 softail for cheap, really cheap, a couple weeks ago that a guy had dumped.
All of the repairs I consider minor. But one of the issues, which may still be minor, is that the seller left the bike outside uncovered for a month with the oil cap missing on the oil tank. The tank filler neck is pretty small and honestly i don't think all that much water has gotten in.
I drained the oil tank and it had zero oil in it which I'm assuming was lost while the bike layed on its side with the cap off at the time of the accident. Only about 1/4" cup of water came out and a bit of sludge.
I have no way of knowing how much water is in the crankcase really unless i open it up. I think even removing the cam cover wont tell me much but i guess I should to possibly drain any from there. As I look at things all I can do is flush the oil bag and external lines clean, add new oil and start (if it will) and capture the oil from the return line until I see fresh oil.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
looking for any suggestions or comments on the topic described below.
I picked up an '06 softail for cheap, really cheap, a couple weeks ago that a guy had dumped.
All of the repairs I consider minor. But one of the issues, which may still be minor, is that the seller left the bike outside uncovered for a month with the oil cap missing on the oil tank. The tank filler neck is pretty small and honestly i don't think all that much water has gotten in.
I drained the oil tank and it had zero oil in it which I'm assuming was lost while the bike layed on its side with the cap off at the time of the accident. Only about 1/4" cup of water came out and a bit of sludge.
I have no way of knowing how much water is in the crankcase really unless i open it up. I think even removing the cam cover wont tell me much but i guess I should to possibly drain any from there. As I look at things all I can do is flush the oil bag and external lines clean, add new oil and start (if it will) and capture the oil from the return line until I see fresh oil.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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From: St.Louis Mo.
get a hand pump bug type sprayer and fill with kerosene. with the drain plug out spray the oil tank out real good. if you can remove the oil supply line too. flush it good. fresh oil and filter, start and run, drain, fresh oil and filter, drain, start and run alittle longer. short oil run oil changes for awhile until there is no sign of water contamation.
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From: LOUISIANA
get a hand pump bug type sprayer and fill with kerosene. with the drain plug out spray the oil tank out real good. if you can remove the oil supply line too. flush it good. fresh oil and filter, start and run, drain, fresh oil and filter, drain, start and run alittle longer. short oil run oil changes for awhile until there is no sign of water contamation.
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From: Honah Lee
You are. I doubt hardly any water got into engine. Just take plug from cross bar out and dran. Screw it losely back in and fill will couple qt and drain that. Put about 2 1/2 more in and warm up motor with a fan blowing hard on it and drain that replacing that with new oil and a filter. It will be fine
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From: LOUISIANA
You are. I doubt hardly any water got into engine. Just take plug from cross bar out and dran. Screw it losely back in and fill will couple qt and drain that. Put about 2 1/2 more in and warm up motor with a fan blowing hard on it and drain that replacing that with new oil and a filter. It will be fine
But I feel pretty confident its gonna crank with no issues.
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From: Honah Lee
Even if it got a little water in the cam galley, the return side of the pump and the wash oil would soon boil it off since the oil can easly run 212 degrees. It would just exit the vent system. The oil wash keeps rust down. Even though they are considered dry sump, they run with apx 24 oz of oil in the base that is use as a splash lube for the inner cam bearings. It always being changed out of course as the motor runs by the larger return side of the pump but the lip in the base keeps all from going. The gam galley is actually seperat up to the crank bearing where vent gas come thru and up pushrod covers up into valve cover area and out thru a baffle box under each cover. There is a tapered plug on the right side of the base that does come out to check if the oil pump is leaving too much oil in base. It NPT tapered pipe and you need to be real careful about replacing it if you removed it. It has sealer on it and it's very easy to crack the thin aluminum base if overtightened.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Sep 14, 2018 at 07:48 AM.
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From: LOUISIANA
Even if it got a little water in the cam galley, the return side of the pump and the wash oil would soon boil it off since the oil can easly run 212 degrees. It would just exit the vent system. The oil wash keeps rust down. Even though they are considered dry sump, they run with apx 24 oz of oil in the base that is use as a splash lube for the inner cam bearings. It always being changed out of course as the motor runs by the larger return side of the pump but the lip in the base keeps all from going. The gam galley is actually seperat up to the crank bearing where vent gas come thru and up pushrod covers up into valve cover area and out thru a baffle box under each cover. There is a tapered plug on the right side of the base that does come out to check if the oil pump is leaving too much oil in base. It NPT tapered pipe and you need to be real careful about replacing it if you removed it. It has sealer on it and it's very easy to crack the thin aluminum base if overtightened.
Personally I don't understand why the heck H-D didn't put a real drain plug at the bottom of the case somewhere but I'm sure it has to do with keeping oil in the sump instead of draining dry.
I may try and give this thing a crank tonight if I can get all this done.
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From: Honah Lee
That plug is set with a sealer. And I have see two crank cases on here broken. Think it's only a few fl lb torque going back and that 1/8" taper per foot on that thread will split that area. People even split the o-ring one on the Dyna and Cruisers in the oil bag on the bottom of the transmission. I would leave it alone. if I had to remove it, I would hit it with a little heat and then my impact.
That sump goes back a long way and guess there never was a drain plug.
That sump goes back a long way and guess there never was a drain plug.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Sep 14, 2018 at 07:48 AM.
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From: LOUISIANA
That plug is set with a sealer. And I have see two crank cases on here broken. Think it's only a few fl lb torque going back and that 1/8" taper per foot on that thread will split that area. People even split the o-ring one on the Dyna and Cruisers in the oil bag on the bottom of the transmission. I would leave it alone. if I had to remove it, I would hit it with a little heat and then my impact.
That sump goes back a long way and guess there never was a drain plug.
That sump goes back a long way and guess there never was a drain plug.
I killed the bike drained off the extra oil and she cranked right up again. Sounded pretty normal. The rear cylinder had a bit of a huff sound after it warmed up a little and I'm thinking one of the pushrods may be a little bent as the cover has an impact mark on it. All in all I'm pleased though as at this point I'm only $1,180 into the bike and that includes the bike.
Thanks for the push!
Yeah thinking back to my fxr it always aggravated me that I had to drain the oil from the oil bag so your right about the oil sump.