Technical tips
The never ending story,
leaking after market high flow air cleaner.
#1 the breather "holes"
Air and oil are coming out of these, piling up in the air cleaner and dripping out of it or blown on your oil tank, exhaust pipes, legs etc.
some remedies (?)
* Don't over fill the oil tank, a little above minimum is OK. you have to check the oil level more frequently.
* Install a
breather kit.
For most aftermarket air cleaners you need this kit.
Connect a hose to the tube (2) going from there into the back plate of the A/C or take a longer hose and let it end some where under the engine, watch out for oil spray on the rear tire, belt or brake disc, the bike still marks it's spot !!
If you lead the hose into the back plate you can put a paper tissue or something like that (Always??) at the bottom of the A/C cover and change that for a fresh one every week .
While riding in heavy rain this will be washed out !! :-( (I've bin there)
* Oil trap.
Make an oil trap.
What you'll need:
1 container from a 35mm film (1) with a lit (4) , 2 " hose (9), 2 hose clamps (8), 1 'nipple' on one side a connection for the hose on the other end some thread (7), 1 nut that fits with the 'nipple' (5), 1 washer that fits over the thread and is a little smaller than the lid from the container(6), lets say 23mm, some foam (10),breather kit already installed, punch tool 30 mm (11) ,punch tool 12 mm (12) , pliers (13) , a small nail (14), a lighter or some heat source to heat up the nail (15), screw driver (16), a knife and a beer..
Make a hole in the lid so the threaded side of the nipple fits snug in it, use a knife or the small punch tool. Heat up the small nail, (hold it with the pliers ,HOT, if you burn your fingers cool them with the beer) punch about 6 or 7 holes into the lid just around the washer, so the air can flow out through them, put the washer on the 'nipple' the nipple into the hole the nut on the nipple the hose with clamp on the 'nipple' the other side of the hose with clamp over the breather tube roll some paper around your finger put that into the container and snap the container on the lid drink the rest of the beer.
Here you see in which order you put things together.
* Here you see the container tucked away behind the air cleaner, mine is a round model from a Big-Twin so if you have the ham-can on yours it won't even be visible.
* Drill oil drain hole (2) and/or change umbrella valves (3)
The oil drain hole (2) can be drilled a little bigger (3mm = 1/8") for an easier flow into the valve pocket, and/or replace the umbrella valves after a couple of years they aren't operating smooth any more.
Pulling the rocker cover shouldn't be that difficult, only from hear say, add info if done =:-O
I just took of the rocker boxes, indeed no big deal, only had to remove the fuel tank to be able to reach the rear screw on the left side of the rear cylinder, but the tank wouldn't come off without disconnecting the wires, OK time to remove the tank, still can't get it off mmmhhh have to loosen the risers to make room for the speedometer (dash cover already removed ).OK now it's off.
If you have the stock fuel tank it isn't that difficult.
At this stage you might as well install "The Cure"
If you don't now what it is or how it works take a look at:
http://www.visi.com/~norton/harley (seems this link is a dead end by know ,sorry didn't found out where they went to )
This URL has great pictures and is easy to follow and it saves me a lot of space :-))
While looking at the pictures mentioned above I thought, what the heck, I have some alloy tube in my garage and make them myself, saves me $29.-
The tube is the same size as the hole where "The Cure" goes in.
So I had to make another construction.
This is what it looks like.
So, only thing I have to do is put things back together and make a test ride.
Stay tuned for more !!!!
And here we are again.
Put everything back together and changed the rocker box gaskets, but if you're care-full and go easy on them you can still use the old ones. I thought I had a good idea, replacing the top cover screws and put on chrome screws. Watch out only use hardened screws the ones I tried to use went tits up so I put the stock ones back in .I also reinstalled the original hose from the breather kit into the back of the air cleaner. Preformed a test ride, took of the air cleaner and ................. there was only a little bit of oil in the air cleaner. So I guess "the Tube" works, at least on my bike, now it's up to you to choose one of the above options.
Good Luck
Well "the Tube " worked for a while .. I guess just till the K&N filter was soaked with oil (see e-mail below).
Wanted to end this for good so the only way to handle this and not having oil all over the bike is....................
Connect a 4 foot hose to the breather kits outlet tube/pipe and run it down the rear pushrod
then behind the starter to the other side of the bike from there over the swing-arm
and be sure it ends BEHIND the brake disc (no need to have a slippery brake-disc)
put a couple of tie-raps on it to keep the hose in place...
well I don't see no more oil on my bike ...
I know the problem isn't cured this way
but can it ever be cured ?????????.
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Here's another great link on how to re-jet your carburetor.
http://www.sportster.org/tech/carb/rejetting.html
Here's an E-mail that came in.. maybe it's a solution for your bike too ...if there's only little oil coming out of the air filter...
Jack I read your article on the oil in the air cleaner problem on www.sportster.com I was interested in it b/c I have had a problem one time with oil blowing back on my oil tank, and it was coming from just what you talked about. Heres what I did to seemenly solve the problem... I dont post stuff yet as I'm kinda new to this www.sportster.com thing, but I thought I would mention this to you. I have a 2001 1200 custom I run a K&N filter, when I first noticed this oil blowing back I checked the filter and it was soaked with oil... all I did being you can wash the K&N was wash it out real good, then dried it real good, I did spray the soultion that comes with the K&N cleaning kit back onto the filter to trap the dirt and dust as should always be done after cleaning. When I installed it back..no more problems... this first started blowing oil back from it at about 2500 miles.... so I cleaned it at 2500 I now have 6000 miles and still no problems... I havent even checked to see if the is an oil build up on it now, I'm thinking if there is tho, just wash, relube, install and go. Okay so maybe every 2500 or 3000 miles you gotta clean the air filter... but hey thats a good thing anyway right... clean oil and clean air going in.... thats the life of a motor.
Thanks Mike for your input
Van: M. Thacker [mailto:mthacker@mchsi.com]
Verzonden: woensdag 14 september 2005 0:15
Aan: j.stoffels@worldonline.nl
Onderwerp: Air Filter Oil
Thanks for the great tip. I was worried when I pulled the air cleaner out of my 2003 xlc. I bought it used and seen the air cleaner with oil absorbed in the bottom portion but after reading your fix, I am going to get supplies right now and a new HD brand element.
Thanks,
Mike
Chillicothe, IL
and other thing that needs your attention are the battery wires
mainly the one that's going from the battery positive to the starter motor
the right side is connected at the battery pos. from there it goes down to the starter motor
only thing it's cover near the end (left side) and nicely sealed of with a shrinking hose
so water gets in but can NOT get out ... it's just a matter of time till the cable brakes
I replaced the cable but didn't put the protection on it any more problem solved next
due to vibrations, it's a sportster ya know ,the connecter broke off , see the orange line
didn't want to put another $15 wire on it any more so got one from a independent store
costs $2.80 , took the "eye" off of the cable and replaced it with a new one which costs
$1.50 so there are cheaper ways to fix your broken wires / cables.
Just keep an
on them.
;-)
September 2005 back from a Trip to Austria, 2500Km (1550Mls) round trip
The 53C wouldn't start on our way back home, after some 100Km on the 3rd day, we stopped for a refeul
and as we wanted to hit the road again my wife switched the key and there was no power at all not even the headlight came on.
Push started the motorcycle but it wouldn't run properly just coughing, after a batery test at www.made-of-steel-2.de it turned out the the batery was OK
the bike was picked up and checked by the wrench and yep the pos. cable was corroded at the starter side.
So it was an easy repair, just cleaning the connector and we ready to go again.
So this is a weak spot on the sportster and check it first if your bike won't run.
Oh yeah one more thing, the wrench made a test ride and after he came back the oil was just dripping out of the airfilter =:-O
Updated : september 15, 2005 23:53
