Oil Leak?
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Joined: Nov 2013
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From: Richmond, VA
Oil Leak?
My 2010 FXSTC the last two times Ive taken it out I'm seeing a small amount of oil on the oil check/fill tank by my right leg. It's not overfilled before you suggest that.
Anyone know what else could this be. It looks like its coming out the top and then just showing a slight smudge on the chrome oil tank.
Anyone know what else could this be. It looks like its coming out the top and then just showing a slight smudge on the chrome oil tank.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,146
Likes: 11,220
From: San Diego, CA
My 2010 FXSTC the last two times Ive taken it out I'm seeing a small amount of oil on the oil check/fill tank by my right leg. It's not overfilled before you suggest that.
Anyone know what else could this be. It looks like its coming out the top and then just showing a slight smudge on the chrome oil tank.
Anyone know what else could this be. It looks like its coming out the top and then just showing a slight smudge on the chrome oil tank.
Too much oil (like checking it cold when some oil has leaked into the sump past the oil pump) / A restriction in the crankcase breather circuit causing high back pressure / And/or the rubber grommet on the dip stick cap getting loose over time...
The two cheapest and easiest fixes are;
Make sure to check your oil on a warm/hot engine, or at least an engine that has been running for 5 minutes or so, to make sure the sump is evacuated of any standing oil and it's back in the oil tank.
If you have a loose cap, add an o-ring to the cap...
FYI.....
My '01 & '03 softail parts manuals show an OEM O-ring for the dipstick cap (part #11345). Both my '01 & '03 have o-rings on the dip stick caps...
Pic of dip stick cap with o-ring....
Your year parts microfiche does not show the o-ring on the dipstick cap...... I forget when it changed .... but they went to a one piece, no o-ring designed cap that has two ridges that do what the one o-ring used to do... those ridges, over time and heat cycles, can flatten out and fail to seal properly...
Many people have just added an o-ring to that dip stick cap, between the two ridges, when the cap got loose... the key is to get one that's not too fat (thick), so you can still get the cap on/off without a lot of force and it allows the cap to fully seat in the tank neck......
Here is a pic of the non o-ring cap, with an arrow pointing where most people just add an o-ring to help seal the cap...
If you are checking the oil properly and have it at about 1/2 way down between the add and full marks on the dipstick, I would next check to see if your cap is loose... If yes, them the o-ring solution may solve your problem...
Good luck with the fix.
Last edited by hattitude; Mar 15, 2021 at 01:28 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,146
Likes: 11,220
From: San Diego, CA
I was trying to find the size of the o-ring that people used to seal the newer caps...
As luck would have it, I had saved the o-ring size that fits perfectly in the FIRST groove of the cap and a pic of that fix...
O-ring size #63, that measures 1-1/8" x 15/16" x 3/32"
Here's the pic of that o-ring fix...
It's a lot cheaper than a new cap...!
Good luck with the fix...
As luck would have it, I had saved the o-ring size that fits perfectly in the FIRST groove of the cap and a pic of that fix...
O-ring size #63, that measures 1-1/8" x 15/16" x 3/32"
Here's the pic of that o-ring fix...
It's a lot cheaper than a new cap...!
Good luck with the fix...
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