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Came across a 1988 FLSTC, hasn't ran in years.
Got it started this week end and wow, a huge amount of oil shot out the breather line. I heard thats going to happen when a bike sits for a while, but damn, when is it going to stop.
I'm going to disconnect the return line and let the engine pump out the old oil. will the new oil still come out the breather line?
Any advice would be great
First Harley i've worked on,
Thanks, Bob
Check ball is sticking. Not uncommon under the circumstances.
Unscrew the big cap at the top, fish out the spring and ball under it with a magnet, clean everything and re-assemble.
If it doesn't stop, lap the seat where the ball goes with an old pushrod. Works for me.
If it's a 1988 FLSTC, it's a 1340 Evo.
From the pic above, you see this screw? Under it is a spring, and the ball under that.
Lapping means getting that ball to seat cleanly in the pump bore without sticking. It's a simple fix...about 5 minutes.
If it's a 1988 FLSTC, it's a 1340 Evo.
From the pic above, you see this screw? Under it is a spring, and the ball under that.
Lapping means getting that ball to seat cleanly in the pump bore without sticking. It's a simple fix...about 5 minutes.
This is what I got. And I'm assuming all the oil coming out is normal.
Thank you Sir, Bob
Ok, then now they'll both be clean. Can't hurt.
So if the ball is stuck open it will allow oil to come out the breather. The ball only pop up to let oil out when the pressure is to high, right?
If the bike has not run for years, it will go past the check ball and drain into the crankcases.
No reason to start disassembling anything yet (there isn`t an Evo oil pump on the planet that can hold the oil up in the tank for several years).
Put a pan underneath the bike, point the breather hose into the pan and start the engine, let it run long enough to scavenge the oil out of the crankcases back to the tank (and also puke the excess it can`t scavenge into the pan).
After it has scavenged the crankcases, you can drain the tank, put a new oil filter on it, add 2-1/2 quarts of your favorite 20w50, and you should be good.
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; Feb 28, 2023 at 11:29 AM.
Ok, then now they'll both be clean. Can't hurt.
So if the ball is stuck open it will allow oil to come out the breather. The ball only pop up to let oil out when the pressure is to high, right?
The check ball is seated when the engine shuts down, it prevents oil from running from the tank down past the pump and into the crankcase.
When the engine is running, the oil pressure will hold the check ball open, allowing normal flow from the tank past the pump to the engine.
The check ball does not regulate oil pressure, that is done by a different component of the pump.
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Puking
