I have a 1978 shovel on a rigid frame. I have a problem with oil spraying out the vent line while engine is running. I've changed the ball and spring in the oil pump to no avail. I've tried rerouting oil lines, no help. I changed the primary chain drive to a belt drive, still no help. I tried venting line into oil tank, no help. I've been riding this bike for years, and all of a sudden this started. Bike does not smoke and has a lot of compression. For a while it would leak out the vent pipe while just sitting over night. I used a lapping compound in the pump where the ball and spring is, and it seems to have stopped, but still sprays out oil while engine is running. I'm open to any suggestions.

 

I'm thinkin you've either still got oil gettin into the crankcase somehow or the oil breather gear has somehow slipped time or broken. A friend of mine had the same issue. You could actually see everywhere he had been by the trail of oil he left! We pulled the gear cover and found the steel breather gear had broken right behind the gear end of it. I couldn't say if it was still turning or not but it came out in 2 pieces. I had an old plastic one and put that in. He still had problems but nowhere near as bad.
Probably not much help, but that's all I have!
jim

 

2 things i found in a situation like this... the first one was the guys bike was puking oil out the breather-- found that he had an evo cam cover on a 77 shovel (it looked nice he said) the 2nd was a 81 shovel and same deal puking oil out the breather turns out he had an evo cam cover gasket...

 

The seat area where the check ball seats is thin and I've replaced a couple pumps where they have cracked around that seat . Same issue as your bike was doing fine and the next day oil woes that would slow down a little after repairs but never stopped .

Do a cylinder leak down just to check you don't have blow by happening just to be on the safe side .

 

I have these same questions.

 

He never came back 10 years ago - you could have a damaged breather valve hole in the. Cam cover - you could have a scuffed cylinder wall - yea compression seems fine because its oil in the combustion chamber not air - you need to pull the nose cone and picture up the breather hole and valve

before that a leak down test is helpful it will tell you percentage of loss between the cylinders and that will tell engine condition

 

if the check ball seat is buggered it will usually sump but the oil coming out should stop after a minute or two,
if its doing it all the time it's running I'd rip it apart & check the lot,
if all else is good for the money & seeing its the heart of the motor, I'd fit a new S&S oil pump,
yea about $425 but worth it to save expensive damage,..
I put one on mine 2 years ago & no sumping & great pressure, Hate their Carbs, old boat anchors well past their sell by date, but their pumps ar feckin great !!
at the same time i fitted a JBROSG oil filter pump cover for direct oil filtering at the pump,.. well worth looking at if ya gonna do the lot 1968-1984 Shovelhead Oil Filter Adapter by JBROSG – Rawhide Cycles

 

Quit Putting Oil Into It!!!!
If it never clears it's throat... it will never quit trying to get Rid of the Excess!!!
Look up and understand Dry Sump!!!

 

Hi

Did you find a solution to this problem?