When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have not found a definitive answer to this question.
In researching this on the Internet, I have found four or five "for sure" reasons for oil in the A/C. Everything from overfull (more than half way up the stick when cold) to oil pump adjustment (official H-D service bullitin). Reed valves and other in-head fixes.
I have a K&N 3910 A/C and it won't allow the Kury "Bluegrass Breather Kit" (+/- $50 or so). This kit simply adds a foot or more of hose up under the tank to give the oil mist someplace to condense and run back down into the head when the bike is shut off.
Some have said this was fixed on later bikes, but my '07 does it, and my buddies '06 does it too. Mile after mile of 80+ MPH does it on mine. My oil level is about 80% up on the stick when cold, and I'm going to take out another half-pint.
I don't get a lot of oil, just a few drops on the saddlebag, and a rag wiped under the A/C always comes out with oil. Sometimes a drop or two will fall down onto the cam cover overnight after a longer ride.
It's annoying, and there are fixes, you just have to find out what works on your bike, either a Bluegrass-type kit if it will work with your A/C, or adjust the oil level, or slow down, or see if the dealer will adjust your oil pump (I'd rather live with it as-is) or one of the other $$ kits on the market that may or may not work.
Know this, there are no end the number of riders who have fixed it for good by just doing....
I got oil coming from the air brether, looking for something to rerout the oil brething, who has what? any pics?
I got an 07 SG, 103"..............
Thanks
SJ
Normally, oil out of the breather is caused by filling the oil tank to its capacity. Remember, the HD engine is lubricated with an oil spray, not a wet sump like you'd find in your car engine. Therefore, as long as there's 1/3 to 2/3 of a tank of oil, the engine will be lubricated sufficiently and you'll get very little if any misting from the air cleaner. The oil from the tank continuously recirculates by means of the 2 stage oil pump - one stage lubes the engine and the other pumps the hot oil back into the oil tank to be withdrawn again. Personally, when changing oil, I added 3.5 qts after draining the old oil. Never the 4 qts that dealers like to add. There could be other reasons you're seeing oil too, but, over filling the oil tank is the most common.
Do some searching... I've posted several different options. Here are a few pics I still had on the PC. Depending on what backplate you have, the specifics may vary, but the fundenentals are the same.
Another option would be to simply buy a Doherty Power Pack w/Power Vents.
I understand the reasoning behind running your oil at a level lower than full but I always run mine full in my '02 UC. I keep it full because of the cooling aspect of the oil. I could be wrong but I believe that more oil means more heat taken out of the engine. I guess I'm just lucky but I haven't had any of the oil dripping problems. I will have to clean a little out of the filter every 2500 miles but it is not excessive.
+1 on the Doherty system. My 04 Ultra doesn't have this problem; however, both my 01 Heritage and my father's 01 EG spew oil if driven fast for extended periods. Put in the Doherty system and not a single drip since. Works FANTASTIC!
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.