Shovelhead oil return question
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Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2025
Posts: 196
Likes: 82
From: Long Island, New York
Lol my signature shovel and I are 43 years and well over 300K miles in various builds and configurations together and every one of those miles was with the simplified primary isolated oiling setup due to belt primaries. Stock chain primary didn't make it 6 months as I kept knocking holes in the primary cover riding it like I was mad at it.
It works, it works as well as the stock oiling system without the drawbacks the factory system had. 3 plus generations of shovels riders were doing it long before the internet came along to confuse everybody over simple things like this. These engines are very much uncomplicated and extremely forgiving to a lot the recent generation motors would chew themselves to junk over.
The bikes puking it's the check ball seat in the pump body, they can and do get a hairline crack at times, something's not timed right in the cam case, or you got massive blowby going on and then it'd be blowing oil out seals and the pushrod tubes what little it will run. Really isn't much else to it.
It works, it works as well as the stock oiling system without the drawbacks the factory system had. 3 plus generations of shovels riders were doing it long before the internet came along to confuse everybody over simple things like this. These engines are very much uncomplicated and extremely forgiving to a lot the recent generation motors would chew themselves to junk over.
The bikes puking it's the check ball seat in the pump body, they can and do get a hairline crack at times, something's not timed right in the cam case, or you got massive blowby going on and then it'd be blowing oil out seals and the pushrod tubes what little it will run. Really isn't much else to it.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,499
Likes: 3,717
From: Santa Klaus County, Cali
Chizzler, as Twisted has stated, I am a proponent of stock oiling systems (obvious exception are belt primary), but lots of folks have run the enclosed primary without issue. ********* was a very well respected member of the Shovelhead Forum (Shovelhead.us). He'z been around bikes since like forever and never posted anything there that wasn't absolutely 'rock solid'. Don't know how long you have been riding the HD brand, or messing with Shovelheads. I have been riding HD's since '63 and primarily Panheads since October of '70. Others on this forum have been around the brand equally or longer. What you will find is that most of the information posted is pretty much spot on and will only help you not hinder you in your rebuild/repair on older iron
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2025
Posts: 196
Likes: 82
From: Long Island, New York
Chizzler, as Twisted has stated, I am a proponent of stock oiling systems (obvious exception are belt primary), but lots of folks have run the enclosed primary without issue. ********* was a very well respected member of the Shovelhead Forum (Shovelhead.us). He'z been around bikes since like forever and never posted anything there that wasn't absolutely 'rock solid'. Don't know how long you have been riding the HD brand, or messing with Shovelheads. I have been riding HD's since '63 and primarily Panheads since October of '70. Others on this forum have been around the brand equally or longer. What you will find is that most of the information posted is pretty much spot on and will only help you not hinder you in your rebuild/repair on older iron
I'm am new to big twins. I got my motorcycle license in '94 and have had dozens of motorcycles new and old. I've been a sport bike fan for the most part. The closest I've gotten to owning a Harley was a '96 Buell S1 and an '03 Buell XB9s. I've also had a few old Brit bikes and other oddballs. This summer I picked up a '99 Superglide Sport and I liked it so much I bought the FLT. I've been an auto tech since '91. I did 20 years in Ford dealers and the rest in independent shops. The last bunch of years I do it part time because I left to do HV and LV electrical contracting which pays considerably better and is less stressful.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 7,736
Likes: 1,524
From: Coromandel Peninsula New Zealand
Thanks Panz, I've seen that before but I still feel like that's a valid question. Does anyone think it's a bad idea to plug that port? Should the "tee" from the tank vent that went to the primary be plugged into that port instead maybe? Has anyone here put substantial mileage on their shovel motor with that plugged without issue?
My clutch doesn't slip, and I can find neutral easily.
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