Oil Gushing
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,321
Likes: 12
From: Shorewood IL
I seem to be having this same problem, excessive oil coming out of the breather. I just recently pick up my bike after having an indy mechanic repair it after a failed inner cam bearing. Ended up replacing the crank, put in new gear driven cams, fueling oil pump, new cam door/plate, and he ported the heads. The night I picked it up I got about 5 miles from his shop and noticed quite a bit of oil coming out from the air cleaner. Drove it back to him immediately so he could fix this. It would not do the same thing for him, only a little drip or two came out of the breather area (air filter off to see), nothing to the extent of what I told him was coming out. The fact that the whole right side of the bike was covered with oil was enough to show that I wasn't making it up. He kept it for another night and when I picked it up the next day, he had installed a hose from the breather ports(?) and routed it down and out under the bike. At the time it seemed to be an acceptable fix. Just out riding today, trying to put some break in miles on it and was keeping an eye on the oil pressure gauge, it was moving around quite a bit. It would build pressure on deceleration and pressure would go down on acceleration, I would think just the opposite, correct? I stopped for a cool down and a smoke, checked the oil, a quart low. I put a quart in and head home. Notice the back brake isn't working as well as it should be, new shoes over the winter. Then it hits me! Stinking oil running out the tube that indy installed and all over my back wheel! Explains why rear brake not working. I don't know why I would be getting all that oil coming out from the breather area. Thanks to this thread now I have some ideas. I will be on the phone with the indy tomorrow to have this corrected. Get that damn hose off of there and find out why all the oil is coming out of the breather.
Stage IV
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Mid MO
I had the same problem; enough oil flowing into the air filter to foul the plugs and splatter all over the right side of the bike. The oil started flowing after about 20 minutes at 70 mph.
Like marvincbr, I had an indie convert my 2000 RKC to gear drive. The oil problem started after I pick up my bike. He didn't have a clue, so I found another guy that pulled it apart and found the oil pump was misaligned.
He put it back together properly and now I can ride at highway speeds for hours with no oil dripping. Probably not the OP's problem, but marvin, it might be yours. Good Luck.
Like marvincbr, I had an indie convert my 2000 RKC to gear drive. The oil problem started after I pick up my bike. He didn't have a clue, so I found another guy that pulled it apart and found the oil pump was misaligned.
He put it back together properly and now I can ride at highway speeds for hours with no oil dripping. Probably not the OP's problem, but marvin, it might be yours. Good Luck.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 537
Likes: 12
From: Chesapeake, VA.
My son had the same problem, after replacing the cam shoe on an 01 RK with
50K miles. He did repllace the umbrella whatever in the head but did not drill
the head. If the engine was ran hard at temp for 8 or 10 miles it would puke
a half qt. or better on his wifes leg. It did NOT burn her, and our thought was
maybe as it misted the oil was cooled. He did go back and with the help of
another person he realigned the pump. Somehting about one guy to rotate the
wheel while he centered the pump.
It cleared it up 75% or better, and just early this yr. he did as fabric8r suggested.
And now its 100% again. As fabric8r said the pump not only pumps it SUCKS!
PUN INTENTED, this is the way a non mechanic remembers it, ME..As my son
is an ASE master tech. Hope this helps, as a wordsmith I am not!...Tenn.Vol.
50K miles. He did repllace the umbrella whatever in the head but did not drill
the head. If the engine was ran hard at temp for 8 or 10 miles it would puke
a half qt. or better on his wifes leg. It did NOT burn her, and our thought was
maybe as it misted the oil was cooled. He did go back and with the help of
another person he realigned the pump. Somehting about one guy to rotate the
wheel while he centered the pump.
It cleared it up 75% or better, and just early this yr. he did as fabric8r suggested.
And now its 100% again. As fabric8r said the pump not only pumps it SUCKS!
PUN INTENTED, this is the way a non mechanic remembers it, ME..As my son
is an ASE master tech. Hope this helps, as a wordsmith I am not!...Tenn.Vol.
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
@ Marvincbr: yeah, that hose was just an attempt to 'out of sight, out of mind ' the problem. I have an appointment with a former Harley mechanic who has been recommended. when I spoke with him about it he told me something like this: The '01 & '02 twin cam engines have a pinion shaft that is flywheel driven that in turn drives the oil pump. It is fastened to the flywheel in a rather shoddy manner - pressed in maybe instead of whatever(?). After about 30k miles, a little slop in the rotation develops and this translates into slop at the other end which damages the oil pump and cam plate. He says that you can temp fix it by replacing the oil pump and cam plate but the problem will eventually return since the root problem has not been addressed. He further says that the only permanent fixes are major repairs jobs that amount to engine rebuild or new engine where the pinion shaft is better attached to the flywheel. OUCH!! $$$$$
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 212
Likes: 0
From: Jacksonville, IL
I had oil constantly comming out my tb when I put the right amount of oil in so I started just putting in 3 quarts instead of the 3.5 it calls for and adjust it as needed when it gets low. Plus my rocker boxes were leaking oil when they fixed that it helped I don't know what they did when they changed the gaskets but it helped
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,593
Likes: 6,435
From: Honah Lee
@ Marvincbr: yeah, that hose was just an attempt to 'out of sight, out of mind ' the problem. I have an appointment with a former Harley mechanic who has been recommended. when I spoke with him about it he told me something like this: The '01 & '02 twin cam engines have a pinion shaft that is flywheel driven that in turn drives the oil pump. It is fastened to the flywheel in a rather shoddy manner - pressed in maybe instead of whatever(?). After about 30k miles, a little slop in the rotation develops and this translates into slop at the other end which damages the oil pump and cam plate. He says that you can temp fix it by replacing the oil pump and cam plate but the problem will eventually return since the root problem has not been addressed. He further says that the only permanent fixes are major repairs jobs that amount to engine rebuild or new engine where the pinion shaft is better attached to the flywheel. OUCH!! $$$$$
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Sep 14, 2018 at 07:49 AM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,246
Likes: 19
From: Cypress, TX
I'd check my service manual before I started a motor rebuild for an oil pump. I do agree with others something is broken or in the process of breaking. This is not a problem that existed, it just started. Its definitely not normal or common. I am assuming you changed your oil before this and no problem? I would check the pump and drains first. Since it works sometimes and sometimes not that indicates a malfunction. Open up your cam chest and check out the tensioner and the pump. If the tensioner is torn up you likely have chunks in little spaces in your motor (read drains). Why enlarge something when it worked fine before? Be careful when some "former Harley mech" says your motor needs a total rebuild.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,321
Likes: 12
From: Shorewood IL
I'd check my service manual before I started a motor rebuild for an oil pump. I do agree with others something is broken or in the process of breaking. This is not a problem that existed, it just started. Its definitely not normal or common. I am assuming you changed your oil before this and no problem? I would check the pump and drains first. Since it works sometimes and sometimes not that indicates a malfunction. Open up your cam chest and check out the tensioner and the pump. If the tensioner is torn up you likely have chunks in little spaces in your motor (read drains). Why enlarge something when it worked fine before? Be careful when some "former Harley mech" says your motor needs a total rebuild.
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PopDukes
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