How many engine oil drain plugs are there?

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Feb 12, 2014 | 10:27 PM

#11

jmpinell

Stage I

Joined: Feb 2014

Posts: 1

Likes: 0

From: concord

i was tryin to change my tranny oil for first time, 2003 fatboy, thought the plug under the motor was the drain plug was the right one. i now know the tranny drain plug is between the shocks, wen i drained the incorrect plug a few ounces or more drained out. where did this oil come from?

Mar 12, 2020 | 06:07 PM

#12

Walt Osier

Stage I

Joined: Mar 2020

Posts: 1

Likes: 0

From: West Burlington IA

Quote:

Originally Posted by burchis

Thanks for that information, this is what I kind of thought.

I noticed that the oil was black after I drove around the block and then check the oil level. I realized that I must not of drained all of the old oil out.

There must be another reason why this other plug is there and the manual does not refer to it when draining the oil. Maybe something to do with the oil pump loosing it's prime if all of the oil is drained out.

Anyone else have an opinion?

you can drain another quart or a little more by removing the return line from the oil tank after draining and refilling. Conect a hose to the line. Crank the engine with plugwires off 10 revolutions. Then change oil filter. Crank another 30 revolutions.

Jul 3, 2020 | 01:47 PM

#13

Thomas F

Stage I

Joined: Jul 2020

Posts: 1

Likes: 0

From: UT

Uhh, did I screw up?

So I recently inherited my fathers 01 Softail. While doing the first oil change I did as I read a few others have, pulled the Crank plug. Only a few Oz's came out before I realized my mistake. I successfully managed to get it back in and re torqued. But do I need to refill it or is there a way to check the level inside? Might be a stupid question but if I don't ask I won't learn.

Jul 3, 2020 | 02:12 PM

#14

Dan89FLSTC

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 21,175

Likes: 12,747

From: South Carolina

Next time you do an oil change use a 5/8" socket instead of an allen wrench, that way you won`t be able to remove the case drain (it doesn`t have a hex head).

Don`t worry about the level of oil in the crankcase, it will be fine.

Jul 3, 2020 | 07:05 PM

#15

pococj

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Dec 2004

Posts: 11,068

Likes: 1,477

From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomas F

Your Softail is a dry sump system. The oil is contained in the oil tank. It is gravity fed to the feed side of the oil pump which pumps it through the engine. After it does its thing, it drains into the bottom of the engine where it is sucked out by the scavenging side of the oil pump and pushed back into the tank. Any oil remaining in the actual engine crankcase is there because it is below the pickup of the oil return side of things. You don't need to check that oil level. The only time oil left over in the bottom end is a problem is when it gets past the check valve and drains the oil tank into the engine. And even then all that usually happens is that it pukes some out, and puts the rest back into the tank. The puke-out, if it happens at all, will be just enough to tick you off.

I don't know about the newer engines, but in past days there were "drain" plugs at various points that were used for access during machining and other reasons. It was not uncommon to find the "drain" plug on the bottom of the crankcase to have been cross-threaded, stripped out, or tightened too much so that it cracked the relatively thin aluminum in that area. I, of course, had to learn that the hard way. My first bike had to be welded up in 14 places when I had the engine rebuilt. Some of the repairs were my fault, some were stress-related, and some were from playing Hot Rod Harry and blowing the trapdoor and lower right rear of the transmission case.