Pushrod Tubes - early or late?

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Jul 19, 2023 | 08:09 AM

#21

Joe12RK

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From: CT/FL

Quote:

Originally Posted by fergerburger

so you all are sure it is just the thickness of the rods that is causing the leak?

Quote:

Originally Posted by fergerburger

yeah - I'm sure his motor is tight with great oil scavenging.

As Twizted said, pushrods rubbing and moving the tubes around can't be good for sealing, not to mention putting aluminum particles into the oil. I got new corks and o-rings but stopped installing them when I saw how bad this one rubs. I am going to inspect all the inner tubes and fix any tight spots too. Thanks to @johnjzjz for finding these impossible (for me) to find pushrods.

I've been thru this motor and it is pretty tight with a good breather opening. I also installed the PCV valve in the breather hose that John recommends.

Last edited by Joe12RK; Jul 19, 2023 at 08:14 AM.

Jul 19, 2023 | 12:04 PM

#22

TwiZted Biker

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From: Niles Canyon Ca.

Joe you'll find they were rubbing at the joint area where the top tube seats inside the lower, I have taken a dremel with drum wheel and cleaned up the insides of the the upper tubes to help this on machines with mixed together year parts, doesn't take much. I've also resorted to a little smear of hylomar on the rings and bottom corks to cure a few real problem children when it came to push rod tubes seeping. Some just don't want to play right no matter what you do.

Breather port does look good.

Jul 19, 2023 | 12:21 PM

#23

fergerburger

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From: Minneapolis

curious if those are sporty pushrods? some look like ironhead - maybe its the pic but some look like they are for a shovel style cup - I would still check to see if oil is pooling at the bottom of the pushrod tube - I'm guessing you can see the tubes wiggle then when it runs? good luck - my luck has always been crap and it almost always wound up being blow by or just a tired motor and poor oil scavaging/vacuum from the cam chest - I've had a few of the 80's motors with the stupid oil return suckers in the tappet block - did they work?

edit - you can order pushrods to length

Jul 19, 2023 | 12:38 PM

#24

TwiZted Biker

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From: Niles Canyon Ca.

Fergburger brings up another point, was a mod back with some lifter blocks we used to drill the drain holes out larger for the solids to prevent the pooling thing. I stopped doing that when I took up reworking the port size on the upper end oil tube fitting on the case to stop upper end flooding with too much oil. Most of those pretty aftermarket chromed tube kits the port is way too big.

Last edited by TwiZted Biker; Jul 19, 2023 at 01:27 PM.

Jul 19, 2023 | 02:49 PM

#25

johnjzjz

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From: la la land jerzey

Hey Ferg

back up and look at the alloy push rods that have a wear spot on them - what happening the angle with thick push rods rubs bottom of the the top inner tube when the engine revs up most times but have also felt them rubbing at idle on some

you can just cut the bottom off the upper alloy tube to solve or use thinner push rods

Aug 22, 2023 | 09:19 PM

#26

Joe12RK

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From: CT/FL

I just realized I didn't close out this thread. I got new o-rings for the top and middle and corks for the bottom from the Harley dealer. That is what they had in stock. Assembled with new pushrods and it ran great, seems quieter too. Problem remained that the pushrod tubes still leaked at the rocker boxes. I replaced the stock o-rings with 11/16x1/8 thick ones and that worked much better. Still a little leakage after a few hundred miles but not Niagara Falls like before.

Aug 22, 2023 | 10:02 PM

#27

Uncle Larry

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From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell

Nice job on opening and cleaning up the breather gear window

Aug 23, 2023 | 09:04 AM

#28

Racepres

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From: Cental, MI

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe12RK

On One bike...that I cannot remember just now, My Partner cut out some home brewed "Live Rubber" quad rings..(square) for the bottom...and no more leaks at all...but...didn't work on the dragbike, which had lifters pushing up on Tubes!!!! A proper sized Socket driven in tube to expand...then grind to fit inside lifter stool...cured dragbike also...
Just some thoughts!!