2017 breakout, I modded every thing myself I call her "sick fish"

 

Great looking bike! Gotta know where you got the seat done

 

Front Fork lower boot gaiters for FXSB - Bikers Choice 48-8791 seems to be unavailable. Is Bikers Choice 666767 the same?

 

You can get them on ebay

 

Got the seat done here locally in san antonio tx if you want the guys info i can post it

 

My Breakout normally neither uses nor loses any measurable oil. Today, I noticed that there is a stain (stain only - no actual liquid or dampness) on the crankcase directly below the air cleaner. There doea NOT appear to be any "leak path" staining from the pushrod tubes or base of the cylinders. Just an "isolated" stain clearly visible on the polished crankcase.

Is this excess oil coming out of the air cleaner? Or??

Jim G

 

That would be my guess Jim, maybe you could post a pic? How high do you keep your oil level, I keep mine about half way between the add and full marks on the dip stick, and haven't had any problems with oil coming out of the air cleaner...

 

Very nice looking bike, what is that backrest you have on it?

 

2017 Breakout, i traded in my 2016 wide glide for it. It was done by performance machine. Its got a 23 in front wheel, and the wheels , belt sprocket, disc brakes, and air cleaner all match.

 

The oil leak is definitely from the air cleaner! Look at this first of 3 photos:




The oil stain is strictly limited to the area right under the air cleaner. No "tracks" from pushrod tubes, cylinder bases, or crankcase cover below the top of the cover

Here is a photo showing an oil drop I caught still hanging off the air cleaner:



In the 3rd photo, I used a paper towel to wipe the bottom of the air cleaner, and the photo shows the oil on the paper towel:



Before I left Texas to move to Canada, my trusted mechanic at the local Austin dealership had told me and others during a performance seminar that induction of too much oil into the air cleaner is common on these engines.

The ingestion of this volume of oil into the engine cannot be good. It's likely causing carboning of the combustion chambers, and maybe even affecting fuel injection by contaminating the intake tract.

I don't knwo what I can do about it though.

I have an oil change at the new "local" (85 miles away!) HD dealership in Victoria, British Columbia on Thursday 8-03, and have alerted the service writer that I'd like the technician to take a look. I suspect that at a minimum, I need a new air filter. I'll also find out if the dealership has any constructive suggestions.

I had recently made one change in my riding style: Some HD owners have told me that it is undesirable to run these engines below about 2200 rpm when cruising, as the compensator doesn't react well to low rpm, and wears quickly when subjected to low rpm for long periods. So, I had made a conscious effort to stay in a lower gear versus shifting up when I would have already shifted. Thus, I have been cruising often at 2500 to 2700 rpm where it would have been 2000 to 2200 beforehand. (Note that I have done the 30-70 regearing that we have a separate thread about on the Softail forum, and with that gearing, there is no need to spin the engine higher than 2200 when "cruising" in any gear other than 6th)

Interestingly, this oil from the air cleaner issue appeared after I made that change. The gas mileage also was a bit lower, but that is expected when you run higher cruising rpm. Maybe I should change back to my lower-rpm cruising habits?

By the way, my Breakout oil changes have always been done by the dealership, and the accessory HD "electronic dipstick" has always shown the oil to be at the correct level. (EVen after this leak, so the leak is evidently not big despite the appearance)

Jim G