Oil in Crankcase

[Deye76]

Ultima has a handy plug in the bottom of the crankcase. When I change oil, getting between 8-10 ounces of oil out of the crankcase. Is that a normal amount? In the TC's that's considered excessive, isn't it.

[JW113]

Hey Deye,

Not a TC but on my Evo with Ultima cases I get about a cup of oil out that drain plug. I figure this is what was flung all over the inside of the motor while it was running, and after shut down, this is what drains to the bottom of the case. 8 oz seems reasonable to me. My Ironhead (factory drain plug) does about the same.

-JW

[JohnnyCashPan]

You'll always have some oil in cases, where oil slung around inside the motor drips/runs off from under the pistons, flywheels, any surface inside the cases.  Eight or ten ounces don't sound excessive to me.

[Burnout]

#1 There is no factory spec for the amount of oil remaining in a motor.

#2 It is not recommended to remove plugs from the cases, as the threads are in jeopardy each time.


The gack in the bottom of your oil tank is more critical than a few oz of oil laying in the bottom of the motor.

[JW113]

I agree you don't want to make a habit of it, but there are times when it is necessary. I always use teflon tape on the plug and don't tighten the bee-jezus out of it when reinstalling.

-JW

[Hybredhog]

   Consider that Evo's and all older big motors use the flywheels to drag the oil up to the scraper, not an overly efficient & predictable system, but it got the job done. TC use a bottom sucker passage in a sump, so it is returning more oil theoretically, But not always in some real world situations. I know some drag racer use a sump plate type sucker to the cam case to lessen oil drag.

[Burnout]

Harley's are traditionally over oiled, to the point that they experience power losses due the the amount of oil that lives in the motor.
This is especially evident at high RPMs, and when you are limited class racing and every iota of power you can apply to the rear tire makes a difference, it means a lot.

For the street this does not apply as you are no where near the RPM levels and you WANT that oil circulating to remove the heat.

Racers have been running slow oil pump gears, restricted oil feeds, extra sump pump stages, no oil pump, and a bazillion different methods to cheat this to go faster.
Few, if any, have any place on the street.....

My point was that Fiddlers, who waste time and risk stripped threads to squeeze a couple of ounces of not so dirty oil out during an oil change, should look in the bottom of their oil tank first. 

[Hossamania]

I barely change oil often enough as it is. When I do, my goal is to not strip the oil plug (so far so good in many decades), I'm certainly not looking to make trouble going after the engine plug.

[hbkeith]

The plug in a Ultima is not the same as HD plugs , plus i believe Deye has problems he is checking out so not just fiddling

[Deye76]

"The plug in a Ultima is not the same as HD plugs , plus i believe Deye has problems he is checking out so not just fiddling"


Thanks Keith, Yeah that plug in the bottom of the Ultima case is pretty stout. Nothing like the lame one in the bottom of Harley TC cases. I had a lifter go bad so have been looking at the oil, everywhere possible.