Oil leaking down into engine on Deuce

[Alvin]

I've got a friend that has a 04 Deuce---95 kit---high compression pistons....Mackee heads and cams.....The problem is that he's got oil seeping down into the engine.  The oil tank just keeping getting lower and lower.  He changed motor oil this summer---and started blowing oil out the breathers...took out 16 ounces of oil and was fine.  Changed motor oil again about a month ago--rode about 300 miles--with no problems.  Then took the bike out again and blew the dip stick right out of the oil tank and "again" found that he had too much oil in the system.  So....he's been watching the level in the oil tank now for the last few weeks, with the bike just sitting in the shop and notices that the level is going down....obviously into the engine.  I've "heard" that there is not a "check valve" in the twin cams, like there was in the EVO's, but what's causing this problem?   Any thoughts from the group??

[Scurvy]

Yes, R&R the oil pump/cam plate. Mine did it more and more as the miles piled up. With the softail oil tank sitting up as high as it is it didn't take much wear on mine to start leaking by and the longer she sat, the more that would drain into the crankcase. No big deal really beause as soon as I started it the oil would return right back into the tank, and I would only check the oil level if she hadn't been sitting for long.

[Faast Ed]

It is common on Softails as Scurvey just said. From what I understand the symptoms are much worse if you are running a fueling oil pump.

Check your oil warm for accuracy.
My 04 did it worse than my 08 does, but the 08 has less wear on the motor. LOL 

Fact of life with Softails.

[ultrarod]

Just finished fixing the problem on my 88 EVO. Pulled the check value out along with both balls. used a small block Chevy push rod to reseat the ball seat. The small block Chevy push rod is the same size as the seat balls so with a light tap, a real light tap you will even out the seat. Replease the ball,spring and 2ND ball with new stuff and that should correct the problem of oil bypassing to the crank case when your bike sits. \

[Ultrashovel]

On the Softail Deuce, as mentioned above, it's got a bad camplate and/or oil pump. Since it's been worked on that makes me wonder if the "wavy washer" is in there correctly.

[Scurvy]

Winter's almost here, good time to check that, and your tensioners too.

[bbfatboy]

I have a 2000 FLSTF SE 95" with most of mods and it started doing this oil disappearing act after getting back from Sturgis this year.
Seems to run down if it sits for couple days. I am assuming oil is running into the lower end. Does this cause any problems?
Don't seem to blow it out the air cleaner.
Seems to run ok.

[hellbilly]

mY 05 SOFTAIL with 16500 miles slowly looses oil into the crankcase over the winter storage. I think by springtime the oil tank will look about half empty if i remember correctly what happened last spring. I don't consider it a big deal since it takes weeks of storage to even notice a level drop and once the engine is started the oil goes back to the tank.  mike

[FSG]

IMO all TC Softails will eventually have the oil drain from the tank (which is higher) into the crank if they sit long enough, as will an Evo Softail that has a leaking/stuck/dirty check valve, as will Evo Tourers that have the higher/remote oil tank (my '90 FLHTCU).

The below are brake line pincers that I use on brake & oil lines, TC's & Evo's, which one depends on the job at hand,



below is the oil line on my Fatty pinched off during a period of idle time ( > 1 week), I also do this during cam chest work,



(Please no comments about the damage I'm doing to the hose, how it will collapse, etc, etc. I think I've heard them all before))

below is a tool that lives in my "carry on board tools"

[bbfatboy]

Thanks for all the advice. This was the first soft tail i have owned and it went this long before it started to leak down.
No reason you couldn't just place a shut off valve where you are pinching the line....
Just don't forget to open the valve i guess.
bb

[Faast Ed]

Just don't forget to open the valve i guess.

That is the reason that I would not dare even consider doing that.

[FSG]

No reason you couldn't just place a shut off valve where you are pinching the line....

True, but consider the ID of the existing oil line, the wall thickness and the ID of the barbs on the shutoff valve and the ID of the shutoff valve. I think that would restrict flow so I wouldn't consider it.

[bbfatboy]

I will use a pincher as i have a plastic ratchet model around some place.
Thanks for the advice.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS

[Scurvy]

Not sure what the big deal is, it pumps right back out as soon as you start her up, and I just check oil levels with the engine warm.

At 35k I did replace my cam plate with the SE billet plate to use the new '07 oil pump and no more slow draining of the tank over time; that was 13k ago.

[Faast Ed]

He didn't make it real clear how long the bike sat between rides, but from what I get it looked pretty normal to me (for a Softail).
Wouldn't be the first time a guy checked it cold (with oil in the sump), then over fill because of the oil that is still in the sump.

Check it warm, not only warm but let it idle a minute before shutting off and checking.

[HardRydin1]

A hose pincher??? Are you kidding me?  I've seen a lot of ridiculous things over the years but this is by far the STUPIDIST!


Who cares if the oil drains into the case when it sits!!  Its called gravity, and does no harm to ANYTHING.  Just fire it up and ride it. 

Oil should be checked on a "HOT" full operating temp bike.  Ride it for 15 minutes then check it.  Fill it to the weld line on the tank spout with the bike standing up straight and all will be fine. 

A good rule of thumb is to check the oil when you return from a ride, that way you dont have to guess if any has drained into the case.

Your worring about absolutely nothing. Hose pinchers, geeze!!

Michael
107" FXSTD 128,000 miles

[bbfatboy]

That last post was what i wanted to hear, whether it hurt anything or not. I couldn't see that it could. My main concern was that i'v had the bike this long and it did not do it prior to this last trip to Sturgis. Always had FL models before so had no experience with this deal.
Thanks for taking the time to help me out.
I will stop thinking about it and only check the oil when fully warmed up.
It had sat for about a week when i first noticed it was low then it seemed to do it after that even if it sat for a day. That was why i was concerned.
THANKS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

[fattmann101]

start it ride it. unless something is wrong with your oil pump, the oil will be back in the oil bag quickly

[1FastBagger]

It is common on Softails as Scurvey just said. From what I understand the symptoms are much worse if you are running a fueling oil pump.

My softail w/Fueling pump w/20k miles will leak down after a couple days of sitting but it has never been a problem. Pumps right out of case on start.