How do you know the oil tank is full

Lubrication System (oil feed pump and scavenger pump, reservoir, filter, and lines)
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03Roadking
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How do you know the oil tank is full

#1

Post by 03Roadking »

Hello to all
I had a problem this weekend and I'm not sure if I fixed it or it fixed it's self. I have an after martket horseshoe oil tank with screw on filter.
I drained the tank and took off the filter. I pulled the new filter out of the box and noticed it was about 3/8 of an inch shorter I looked at the part that screws on and it was the correct size but there are 8 holes around the edge, they are about 1/2 dia My old one has 8 but 7 of them are 3/8 and one is 1/2 I didn't think this would make a difference so I poured in 3 quarts and it was up to the neck of the filler hole, I figured I would start it let it run, then shut it off and add oil. Once I shut it off it looked down a little but no more than 1/2 a quart which I added. I started it again, took it around the block, every thing looked good so I took off to my buddys place about 5 miles as I pulled up he came running from the porch telling me to shut it off. He points to a puddle of oil about a foot in diameter under the bike. It was blowing out the hose I have coming from the oiler (belt drive) We loaded it up and took it home. I started it again and a small amount came out. When I reved it nothing, but when it idled it puked about 3 or 4 onces The only thing I could think of was I over filled it or I read somewhere that the filter may cause it, so I put the old filter back on, fired it up and nothing came out. I rode it back to my buddies and another 5 or 6 miles and nothing came out So do you think it was the filter or did I over fill it and it corrected it's self
VT

Re: How do you know the oil tank is full

#2

Post by VT »

Sounds like some of the oil drained into the motor sump. An overfilled sump will discharge oil out of that breather tube. A natural occurence if the the motor has sat idle for about a month or two. It sounds like oil is finding it's way through the pumps check valve. There's a ball in the check valve that's suppose to seat under the pressure of a spring on top. The seat or ball or both sound like they need to be looked at. You can remove the spring and ball and suction the remaining oil out of the check valve chamber using an 1/8" clear (aquarium size pump tube) tube and then use a mini-mag to peer down in there and have a look at the condition of the seat. If it's not smooth, you might need to smear a new seat. There's a tool that can be made or bought for that purpose. Might even find one here at the clubhouse.
Check the condition of the ball. No scratches or pits allowed. Move slowly and deliberately. Record your findings. Buy a new ball and spring.
No opinion on your "custom" oil filter, but it's probably not connected to your problem.
Let us know how the seat looks. Try and get a camera too. It's part of the Panhead tool box in 2009 for this site. It works. A clubber was trying to make a pinion nut tool and describing it wan't cutting it. Once he posted a pic, it made sense.
03Roadking
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Re: How do you know the oil tank is full

#3

Post by 03Roadking »

I am pretty sure it's not in the pump I went all through that last summer and it turned out the guy I got the bike from had the wrong screw in the oiler. besides I rode it almost 20 miles the day before and everytime I started it there was nothing coming out. I have let it sit for two weeks at a time and never had a problem since I went through the pump last summer. It just seems strange that I change the filter and it dumps oil and I put the old one back on and nothing. I have half a mind to put the new filter back on and try it again I'm just worried I will screw up the engine if the oil is not going through.
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Re: How do you know the oil tank is full

#4

Post by FlatHeadSix »

RoadKing,
Did you run the bike long enough to pump all the oil out of the sump before you changed it? Did you drain almost as much as you poured back in? If the answer to both questions is no, I would guess you overfilled the oil tank.

Otherwise I would strongly suspect the new filter, I would try to find a replacement exactly like the old one which worked.

jmho

mike
03Roadking
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Re: How do you know the oil tank is full

#5

Post by 03Roadking »

That is what I'm getting at IF it's a 4 qt tank and I put in 3 and a new filter, start it, let it run and run it around the block. let it idle in the drive way for a min shut it off ad a half qt or less. Call my buddy to see if he's home go out and start the bike let it idle while I put on my gloves and helmet then drive it to the corner then about a mile stop at a light I looked at the oil pressure and checked the hose and saw just mist but 10 min's later it starts dumping when I unscrewed the new filter it was full and oil came running out the center hole I stuck my thumb over it grabbed the old filter screwed it back on wiped all the oil off the bike real good kicked it once it fired right up and a very small amount of oil came out just for a second and then nothing everything back to normal Maybe I'm over thinking this but I some how feel the filter is at fault.
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Re: How do you know the oil tank is full

#6

Post by john HD »

03,

perhaps some photos would help.

my guess is that you have the breather and the return line mixed up on the oil tank.

john
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Re: How do you know the oil tank is full

#7

Post by fourthgear »

Filter ! Get one like the one you started with. If you have to pull it back off & take it with ya to match them up . It may have a part # on it or not , remember where you got it or the tank? Could be just a bad filter assem..

Did you check to see if you were getting return oil to the tank with the new filter on ?
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Re: How do you know the oil tank is full

#8

Post by Pomike »

It sounds like you just overfilled it. But I had a somewhat similar problem last year, and it was just that the oil pump gasket had split on installation and was allwing oil to go everywhere. I'm talking primary overfill, then to the crank case breather, then pouring out the breather tube on my '65. And yes, if you had too much oil in the gear case, then it might take a while to get it all out.
Mike
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Re: How do you know the oil tank is full

#9

Post by Ohio-Rider »

The first time I changed the oil on the 56, I over filled it. The book says 4 quarts but these tanks won’t hold nearly that much. Man what a mess. If your cap doesn’t have a dipstick then don’t fill the tank above the oil return line.

And by all means do be sure you have the correct filter. They don't all work the same.
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Re: How do you know the oil tank is full

#10

Post by rrhawg »

you might check to lines going to and from the filter to make sure you don't have them mixed up. The line from the pump goes to the outside and the one going back to the tank should come out of the middle of the filter. If you have them switched and then put on a filter with a check valve this could be the result.
Rich
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Re: How do you know the oil tank is full

#11

Post by 58flh »

One of my customers who runs a similar set-up like yours had the same problem!. He got a filter & it was diff. just the same way yours was. It turned-out the filter was definitly the culprit!., Also remember you need atleast a inch & a half from the filler to the oil-(bike standing straight-up) yea i know ha-ha you new that!. But back to the deal you need that room for expansion, after she heats-up you know what happens---it all expands.(hope you the bestof luck) 58flh
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