Hey guys, I am brand new to the forum. I have an 88 Sporty and the manual shows the engine oil drain at the bottom of the oil tank. The oil tank is higher than the crank, so how do you drain all of the oil out of the motor? The manual says nothing about a bottom of the crank oil drain. Can anybody help?

 

We have dry sump engines.

 

You don't, unless you are digging in the engine. The oil needed for an oil change is less that the total capacity because some oil remains in the engine.

 

If you read the manual it says to run and warm the motor before changing oil.
This will return all but the smallest amount to the tank.

Don't worry about that little bit of oil.

Oil temperature is more important, put a cooler on it. And don't use environmentally friendly (low emissions) oil in it.

 

Pure fight/dispute napalm.....

 

Thanks guys, but i still have a problem. This is my project bike and it isn't running at the moment. My first step was to recon the carburettor, then check for spark and other electricals, now i want to drain all the old oil and give it a fresh drink before i try to start it. I have taken the oil filter hose off the bottom of the oil pump, but that does not look like the lowest point of the crankcase. What do you think, would that be as much oil as it is going to give up?

 

http://roguechopper.com/
These guys have a total change system but I think your overthinking this, the small amount of oil left after a traditional change is a non-issue.

 

OP maybe you don't understand "dry sump" . Unlike a car motor the H-D motor pumps the oil from the bottom of the engine to the oil tank under the seat. Why? There is not enough room in the bottom of the crankcase for all the oil.

However, if the check valve is stuck much of it may have drained back. That is called "sumping". It might be best to jump ahead of yourself a few steps and run the engine to warm up the oil and insure all is in the oil tank before changing. The low point in the Sportster for oil is the bottom of the oil tank and not the engine case.

 

Hey lh4x4,
I think you may be onto something when you mentioned that the oil could drain back into the motor. My other problem is that all of the oil in the tank drained into the motor and leaked out in places. When i turned the motor over (without spark) it squirted out of the carbie breather. This is the other reason why i do not want to try to start the motor yet.
Where is the "check valve" that you mentioned?
Ric

 

Most of them left setting for a long period will let the oil drain into the sump. You start it and it pumps it back into the tank. I have done this numerous times.