Breather bolts are verified as completely free of any debris. I ran a pipe cleaner through each one but I also visually verified I could see through them once removed.

The only "gasket" on either the stock intake or the FM version is the TB to backing plate gasket. There are no gaskets around the breather bolts save for the breather hose nipples themselves. Would make sense for FM to have some sort of gasket in between the spacers and the backing plate, but none exists or is mentioned in the instructions.

The air filter element that came with the FM AC is a K&N style filter that requires cleaning and oil (or at least that's what I was told by the person I bought from). He was kind enough to clean and oil it before shipping it to me. I made sure it was not over oiled before installing.

 

Most of my high flow air cleaners have been the Screamin' Eagle Air cleaners...

On those, there is an o-ring that goes between the backing plate and the head, where the backing plate attaches to the head. IIRC, there may also be an o-ring between the breather bolt and where it tightens up against the backing plate... or maybe the washer, integral to the head of the breather bolt, is enough to seal it, I forget..

On your air cleaner, the breather bolts look to go through the OEM "black head-to-head throttle body support bracket", that is mentioned in step #1 of the install directions. It says not to remove that bracket... I would suspect there are o-rings, sealing washers, or a gasket between that bracket and the heads, and maybe inside the breather bolt location, where the breather bolts seal against the bracket as they connect to the head. Your actual backing plate only looks to connect to the intake, thus only that gasket is supplied...

Coincidentally, that is where you have a picture that seems to be showing some oil leaking.... I have absolutely no oil around those spots on any of my air cleaners... That breather system is supposed to be sealed until the hose/pie that directs the blow-by to the intake... I believe that is where your problem lies... that breather bolt/bracket to the head connection

Did that bracket fall off during assembly? Did you remove that bracket? Could and o-ring or gasket fallen from behind the bracket and the head when you were doing the installation?

I would check those locations for a gasket or sealing washer that may have been dislodged. Also check for an o-ring that may have become dislodged or pinched during the install. It's entirely possible there are not supposed to be gaskets/o-rings, in which case I would check for proper fitment of that bracket/bolts, making sure there is no dirt/debris/scratches on the mating surfaces. And of corse, clean the theads and bolt holes to ensure you are getting the proper torque when you tighten the breather bolts.

That's my best guess just based on the pics... let us know what FuelMoto says and what you find..

Good luck with the repair..

 

@hattitude As far as I know there are NO o-rings at all, none called out in the instructions from FM. I looked at the microfiche and none are called for there on either side of the bracket. I did not remove the "induction module bracket" as HD calls it and, as far as I can tell, it did not move during the process at all. I reverted back to the stock backing plate and filter. Gonna test ride it and see how it does.

I emailed @fuelmoto and got a very short response of "keep your oil under half-way on the dipstick." I replied with the photo of my oil level (at under half) and have not heard back. sigh. I may have to stop off at a dealer (puke) and ask around if anyone has seen such an issue and if there might be o-rings that I not seeing on Ronnies parts finder pages.

 

I am at a loss.....

I only know that I see oil on the breather bolt "passages" that go to the head... and it's not supposed to be there..

So it's either leaking from the joints in those "passages", from the rocker covers or bases above those "passages", or from something next to those areas that is running/flowing/splashing onto them... I'd be inspecting in and around those connections..

If you look at this pic, it's from the installation instructions of a Screamin Eagle Stage I high flow air cleaner. You can see how they use o-rings. They seal the breather bolts to the out side of the backing plate, and between the backing plate and the head, where the breather bolts attach the backing plate to the head. They are there to seal that breather system, until it flows inside the backing plate to be routed to the intake...

I circled one of the bolts, the two o-rings, and the backing plate portion that holds the breather bolt, on this pic...




I have installed four of these on Twin Cam engines, and one on an EVO engine... Unfortunately, I can't remember how the OEM backing plate attached in that area...



NOTE: I was curious, so I just looked up the OEM air cleaners for the five bikes I've added SE Air cleaners (with o-rings)...

They all had plastic backing plates v the metal backing plates of the SE A/C... That could be the reason the SE A/C kits need o-rings to get a seal..

None had o-rings between the breather bolts and the plastic backing plates... I was thinking maybe something is built into the plastic backing plates, or maybe they are expecting the torque of the bolt, on the plastic backing plate, would be enough to seal it...

However, three of the five bikes (two early twin cams) showed o-rings between the plastic backing plates, and where they attach to the head for the breather bolt passage..

None of this helps you specifically, but confirms that at least on a couple of the OEM systems, they show o-rings to help seal the breather system through the air cleaner backing plate...

Good luck and please make sure to post up the resolution.. I for one am very curious...

 

I'm in the "O" ring/ rubber gasket where two pieces of metal are mated, rarely is there a perfect surface to prevent oil from seeping past the surfaces. If this were my bike I'd take the mounting plate and breather bolt to a good hardware store for fitment. Keep in mind the "O" rings have to be thick enough to be compressed and seal against the bracket. It appears FM engineers may have dropped the ball on this. As a side note, I've seen FM stage 1 air cleaners installed with non-venting bolts supplied in their kits. Just my 2 cents.

 

So, if I re-install this AC with non-venting bolts, where does that pressure go?

 

SSGE8 can correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think he was suggesting non-venting bolts. The engine needs to vent through those bolt holes in the head. Rather he was suggesting bringing your parts to the hardware store to find better fitting o-rings. Possibly thicker o-rings. His mentioning non-vented bolts in some kits as part of bad quality control on FM's part.

 

DO NOT install non-venting bolts... you will open up a host of issues that will eventually lead to engine damage.. the engine NEEDS to vent....