So I'm just about to knock out my 5000 mile maintenance on my Breakout this weekend but today while riding I started to hear a chattering today like a sewing machine almost. Parked the bike in the garage, let her cool for a couple mins and then checked the oil level......I'm a quart low (WTF).

So I've got a FuelMoto PV2 installed, BCT baffles in stock pipes and a RSD air cleaner. I'm having a hard time believing that this Stage 1 kit would result in burning a quart of oil but anything possible.

With that, I'm open to feedback on what you think it might be and I'm also curious when the F@CK the damn indicator lamp turns on....a quart of oil seems low and it should have notified me earlier.

 

On a softail, since the oil is drawn pretty low off the tank, even two quarts would not turn the light on at a cold startup since it's a low pressure switch that does it. The oil was just so hot and thin, at idle it was dropping below 3 or 4 lbs of pressure. It was still getting oil. Might want to keep an eye on oil level. Once you get hang of it, it's simple mater to check it cold and off or simply pulling stick and not where level is in tank. Always keep it when oil is hot from a long hard drive at top of stick. Recently, someone on here with a similar post got a top end rebuild. Think he said his was using a quart ever 1000 miles.

 

Just because you are a quart low does not mean that the oil pressure is low. AFAIK, the MoCo says it's perfectly fine to burn 1 quart per 1,000 miles.

With that said, how often do you check the oil? When was the last time you added oil?

 

Honestly probably not since the last service interval......can't remember though. It's obvious that I need to start checking it though now.

 

When you're coming in from a ride, let it idle a couple minutes before checking it, will read lower if you don't. Oil in the sump needs to be pulled out..

 

Master Chief,

My 2 cents. I'll assume that at some earlier point in time you verified that the oil was at the proper level.

-Oil can only escape by three methods. (1) It enters the cylinders and is burned, (2) It Leaks out of the engine, and (3) It is blown out the Rocker Box breather bolts due to high crankcase pressure (Known as Slobbering). You can easily eliminate 2 possibilities. Check the air cleaner for oil saturation and inspect the bike for oil leaks. If the engine is burning oil, you should be able to see indications of this on your spark plugs. If possible, perform a cylinder compression test (Hot).

-Losing a quart of oil per 5,000 miles is not totally extreme but in my opinion certainly an issue of concern which should be monitored and addressed.

-The Oil Indicator Light on the dash is connected to the Oil Pressure Switch and will only illuminate if the oil pressure is low. It does not measure volume.

-In your Cam Chest is a Cam Plate. Within the Cam Plate is a ball and spring (Check Valve) which prevents oil from leaving the oil tank and entering the engine when the engine is off. Sometimes these check valves fail, oil quickly seeps into the engine and a false reading is displayed on the dip stick.

Check your oil each time you ride and monitor your consumption. Good Luck.


Bob
SCPO USN (Ret)

 

Good to see another Goat around here.

As for the Rocker Box and Air Cleaner, not seeing any blow back nor am I seeing any leaks under the bike. With that, the bike does seem to run warm so maybe I need to load up the PV2 display and see if there is something in the settings that are off.

Thanks again brother!

 

I probably burned a little over a quart up to my 5K service. About every couple of fill-ups I'll check it. Done about 500 since and haven't had to add any, but then I was also loosing oil back then due to a faulty seal in the stator that I changed when I went to the belt primary.