Hey guys I just rebuilt the engine on my 2000 softail standard. The counterbalance sprocket slipped. Had it pulled and pressed back on at 6 o'clock. The bike only has 23,000 miles on it. I followed everything by the book during the rebuild. I am not getting any oil to the top. The oil light goes out when I start it, but the top isn't getting any oil. The pressure release valve isn't leaking. When I removed the push rods oil was going threw the lifters. I put the push rods back in. If I pull the plugs and turn the engine I get a little bit of oil coming out of the rockers. If I start the bike nothing. I took off the cleaning plug on the cam plate and forced air in there and oil flows out of the rockers. I'm stumped and hoping anyone has any ideas that could help.

 

That's an interesting issue.....

Have you checked oil pressure? How long has it run with no oil to the top? You know that on a dry engine (non-primed or recently run), it could take 40 seconds for warm oil, at idle (13psi), to reach the rocker arms....?

When the balancer slipped was there any damage, ie metal debris in the cam chest...? If there was any debris from the failure, did you completely clean the Engine/sump/tank/hoses?

If none of the above apply, for a quick check:
You mentioned oil was going through the lifters, but was it enough oil? I would inspect the lifters... They aren't called a secondary oil filter for nothing. You have a 2000, so OEM you should have the 18538-99 lifters, which were made by Johnson Hylift... a very good lifter. I assume because oil was going through them you have them installed correctly, so it's possible they are partially plugged and not letting enough oil get through due to debris or failure.

If lifters are good, still no oil to the top end, I'd be pulling it apart and going through the entire system... from tank, through engine, and back to tank... Follow the oil path as something is restricted or not flowing properly..

Good luck...

 

I've pulled the cam plate and oil pump off twice and checked all the passageways. The case was cleaned before put back together. I ran the bike for 3minutes but the moving parts had assembly lube on them so it wasn't too loud when running. No metal shavings found when taken apart. Bike still ran good before disassembly. Just vibration was horrible. I held my finger over the lifters when turning with no spark plugs and oil was flowing good. Only time it doesn't flow is while running. How do I tell if the lifters went bad during the disassemble. The are not making any noise they are filling up. All lines are clean and clear I cleaned the oil tank and checked all 3 lines. I haven't checked the oil pressure but when running with the side cover off oil seems to be flowing everywhere else really good. I'm assuming it could be the lifters. After I did the build I put in the screaming eagle push rods due to the tick thinking I got them switch from back cylinder to front i knew the exhaust is longer and the intake is shorter. I'm stumped and don't wanna keep replacing parts and finding out that wasn't it.

 

Just thinking I'm sure it can't be my lifters. Not sure how all 4 can go out at once or all 4 get clogged due to me being so **** during the rebuild. When I rotate without plugs they all flow very slowly and I forgot to say that I hear am air weaping sound after I stop turning the engine. Not sure what would cause that.

 

I was thinking that maybe the lifters, p-rods, or rockers ingested debris during the failure and just didn't get cleaned out.... clearly sounds like that is not the case...


Well, the clue is the "air weeping sound after I stop turning the engine"....

If the plugs are out, need to find where air pressure is building up and how it's affecting oil flow.... I'm pretty stumped at this point...

Once you find it, you will probably have an, "Oh my God! How'd I miss that?" moment... keep at it, figure out what's building pressure with no plugs in the engine......

 

After reading your reply again, it just has to be something simple....

If oil is flowing out of the lifters, but not making it to the rocker boxes.... it has to be some kind of restriction/pressure issue...

Either you're not making enough oil pressure to get the oil up the push rods to the rockers, or something is restricting the oil flow....

Also, I just can't think what would change oil pressure or flow between a manually rotated engine, and a running engine.... (you mentioned you can get oil to the rockers when manually turning it over, but not when it's running, correct?)

That weeping air sound still intrigues me.... The closest thing I know of, involved a slow hissing after shutdown. Someone put the umbrella valves, in the rocker breathers backwards and there was a build up of pressure in the rocker boxes... It caused a bunch of issues, but oil flow wasn't one of them...

You will find it, be sure to post when you get it figured out... it's making me crazy! I just spent 20 min studying the oil circuit chart in my '03 Softail parts book..!!!

 

My understanding is that the oil won't squirt out of the pushrods like a small block chevy.

 

Yea, this.

OP - When you say you have no oil to top end, what do you mean? If you run it for a minute is there oil on rockers etc..? Or is there no oil at all, like dry. There really isn't much more than a dribble coming out of the pushrods, but top end will be wet.

Also, as other poster said; check to see if breathers installed correctly. Did you replace lower rocker box gaskets? Did you get installed correctly? If not this can block the breather channels.

 

I replaced every gasket on the bike went threw everything by the book I check the air flow that is correct yes no oil to the top took rocker box off and just assembly lube I took the cam plate and oil pump off twice blew air threw it everything has flow changed my oil filter to be sure guess I need to install a presure gage