Been searching for a week and can't find the answer.

1980 FXS that's been sitting for 15 years. Just got it back on the road over the weekend.

I get oil dripping from the primary oiler at idle like normal (pulled the cover and watched). It stops when revs go up. It has the clear oiler feed off the pump so I can see oil in it at idle but nothing above idle. It even appears to suck oil back into the pump at revs. Oil pressure at engine seems fine. 30 pounds cold start with straight 60 weight and around 5 pounds at 200 degree oil temp at idle. Is it normal to stop oiling the primary at speed?

Blew air through the oiler line and was clear. Oil is flowing through the engine and back to the tank just fine. Oil had tiny bubbles in it after Friday's ride in 90 degree sun. Oil temp was up to 250. Maybe unrelated??

 

Chiming In just cause I want to know too. I had an '81 and i remember that thing left oil everywhere because the chain oiler seemed to deliver too much to the chain. I remember cranking down the oiler screw on the oil pump to the point almost nothing was coming out. And I know I only checked it at idle then put the outside cover back on so cant say what it did when throttle was off idle. I'll pull out my HD manual tonite to see what it says. My current '81 is belt pri mary but most of the manual is for chain drives.

 

My manual says no adjustment on the primary oiler. It's already had the drive chain oiler plugged. This bike has a larger front sprocket and o-ring chain so the starter boss was trashed. No vacuum in the primary led this one to leak really bad before it parked.

 

The whole primary needs to be under vacuum to work properly.
One of the reasons to divorce(isolate) your primary.

 

I would and do remove the primary oiling system from all my Harleys,
with it in place,.all your doing is circulating dirty clutch oil filled with clutch disc residue of all sorts of nasty things you dont want anywhere near ya Engine !!
one of the most stupid things the MoCo did in my book !

 

WHILE I AGREE WITH REMOVING THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM

many original machines have the system in place its entire life with many at 100,000 miles - only when a question arises about it like suggested we remove it from the system

 

Have heard many arguments both ways on the factory system. That wasn't the reason for the thread. I don't want to put a band aid on something if I can fix the problem. Long story short, it's staying factory at least for this season. Might change that with a new clutch next year?

As asked about earlier, the primary system is under vacuum. Seals/holes have been replaced/plugged. Still curious if the primary oiler is intended to shut down off idle or is there another problem. Don't want to make an issue if there's not one.

 

Maybe my memory isn't so clear after 40 years. Seems there is no adjustment for primary and the secondary drive chain is the only adjustment possible. Anyway this is from my 35 year old H-D FL/FX Manual.

 

Looks like we have the same book! Thanks for digging!!

I can see not increasing oil to the dripper at revs as it would just squirt over the chain and hit the case. Does the rear chain oiler increase volume off idle? Does anyone still run the rear oiler?? Trying to put it together in my head...

 

Original chains back then were industrial quality very weak and prone to stretching enough that when they did fall off the rear sprocket you could put them back on like we did with bicycles - fit it on the top and push the bike forward ——- reason they used a chain oiler to keep it alive as long as possible

today chains are way better and do not need lube

all primary chains and rear chains adjust the same way find the spot the chain is the tightest in the 2 circles of the sprockets and adjust it in that spot

NOT in a loose spot