Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

oil consumption

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 01:06 PM
  #1  
beaker's Avatar
beaker
Thread Starter
|
5th Gear
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Default oil consumption

[]I have a 2005 Road King with 38500 miles. I developed a spark knock a while back andnow I noticeitis starting to use oil. When I changed my spark plugs, the front plug had oil around the threads. The spark knock seems to be coming from the front cylinder where the oily plug was. I am told there is a filter in each head that filters oil from crank case pressure. I have heard this can cause oil to leak from the breather if it is stopped up. Could this also cause oil to leak around valve seals? Bike runs fine otherwise. Is there a way to check for bad valve seals? How much compression should I have per cylinder to eliminate a ring problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Reply
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 04:05 PM
  #2  
choochoo's Avatar
choochoo
Banned
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,301
Likes: 4
From:
Default RE: oil consumption

ok number one buy the service manual from HD.
It explains the breather system in detail.
why did you get a spark knock (ping, detonation)
Are you carb or F.I.
what mods did you do?
If you are getting oil in the cylinder it can come from only three (common)places and breather is not one of them, although it can add to the problem.
1. past the rings
2. through the valve guides
3. Head gasket
or worse a cracked cylinder or piston with hole burned through from detonation.
Now if you did something to cause an excessive lean condition you could have severe internal
problems. And that is your bad.
I'm not expecting you to be a mechanic and know all the ins and outs.
But I do expect you to BUY the HD manuals (service and electronic) for your bike.
They explain a lot and have valuable info.
Unless you are never going to work on it yourself.
In which case you shouldn't be asking the last few questions you asked.
but since you did.
I haven't looked it up myself yet but Thunder Mountain says 06 TC88 should be about 160 psi
on compression, guess someday when I need the info I will verify it.
If the breather fails or gasket is installed wrong, it can allow excess oil to accumulate in the rocker boxes. so if you have bad / weak seals, valve guides yes it can leak down.
If spark knock is bad enough long enough the excess pressures and heat can;
crack pistons and heads, burn hole in the piston, warp the head and damage rings.
Now go buy the manuals.
 
Reply
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 05:00 PM
  #3  
2005UltraNC's Avatar
2005UltraNC
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,200
Likes: 1
From:
Default RE: oil consumption

05's were known for bad valve stem seals. Would bet that's your problem. Might be time for an upgrade? For example, if considering having the heads ported, Bean at Big Boyz will replace the seals at part of the porting job.

I have exactly what you described with the oilly/crusted spark plug (mine was the rear).

Search the forum for valve stem seals - will find a bunch of info.
 
Reply
Old Apr 20, 2008 | 10:14 PM
  #4  
Potato_Potato's Avatar
Potato_Potato
Outstanding HDF Member
15 Year Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,600
Likes: 7
From: Minnesota
Default RE: oil consumption

I had oil on the plugs on an 05 RKC. There was a recall to replace the valve guides. Check with your dealer.
 
Reply
Old Apr 21, 2008 | 12:20 PM
  #5  
beaker's Avatar
beaker
Thread Starter
|
5th Gear
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Default RE: oil consumption

my bike is efi, i am thinking the spark knock is from oil around the plug and is not getting a good ground, only does it when loaded and a hot day. thanks.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
RicRides
Sportster Models
10
Feb 9, 2015 12:09 PM
maldito85
Shovelhead
9
Jun 21, 2012 01:44 PM
Jturnboshovelhead
Shovelhead
4
Apr 10, 2012 09:31 PM
chubbygator
Touring Models
8
May 19, 2011 01:19 PM
Edster 69
EVO
20
Feb 20, 2011 03:16 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:42 AM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE