panhead breather tube

[georgedexter]

I have installed belt drive on Pan and will need to route breather pipe out back of primary cover. What holds the breather tube in and does it matter what direction the curved pipe is facing when it comes out of crankcase behind sprocket.. (Not the snood/deflector shield,the pipe itself). Can't find any clear illustrations or removal instructions in any manual. The breather pipe is bronze and a pretttyheafty size. I tapped it lightly with a ball peen and it will rotate.Thanks.

[old1955]

G'day George,

This subject has been well cover on the forum, check this link, it will be very helpful
Your breather at the back of, and inside has a 5/16" rod extending to the opposite case half, fixed by a
1/2" nut. If you look from the right side of the bike between the oil pump inlet and return pipes where
they fix to the oil pump, at the back on the engine case you'll see the 1/2" nut.

Breather pipe for Pan motor w/ open primary

I try not to cut anything, so you can always go back to the stock setup


Pete

[Miles]

Good morning, I'm new to this site and hope replying to this post with another similar question is appropriate.
I have a 1951 Panhead FL, I put a belt primary on in 1984 and routed the front chain oiler to the rear chain, adjusted the pump to just mist the chain and it's worked well for 20 years. I now get great gobs of oil coming out of the breather/chain oiler tube. Could there be a way oil is somehow bypassing and draining into the breather and then pumped out the tube? Check valve? Seal?
Thanks for any help.
Miles

[georgedexter]

Miles, There is a breather screen located next to your cam behind the cam cover. You may have sucked it or it may be clogged. Check your manual to see location. The JP catalog/website has good diagrams if you don't. Rock on. GD

[NightShift]

Dear Miles,
Most of us see a little puke if its been sitting for a while because they all sump some less than others. But if yours just now started doing it all the time then your drool tube might be filling up because its got a mud dawber or something in it. Then it would act like them silly filters that always fill up when they get dirty. And it would explain a gob too.

Or maybe your sump bearing and spring just finally just got tired,
Respectfully,

[Miles]

georgedexter, nightshift; Thank you. The screen is in place behind the timing case cover. When you say the 'sump bearing and spring got tired' do you mean the check valve in the pump? If the check valve is stuck or lodged open will that allow oil to fill the sump when it sits idle, and if so would the oil in the sump get pumped out the breather on start up? The pump is the old style, pre 52, without the locknut for the chain oiler adjusting screw, and was on the engine when I bought it in 1980. I can't complain if it's starting to fail after giving me 30 years of flawless service.
Is there another way the sump can get filled when sitting besides draining from the tank through the pump?
Miles.

[NightShift]

Dear Miles,
Yes the 3/8 inch ball bearing in the pump valve cant last forever but the springs seem to. Everybody puts a new one in just because.

I wouldnt touch the seat just yet. Sometimes just letting the spirits out works!
if you dont try to put any back in,

[georgedexter]

Miles, I actually put an inline shutoff on my oil feed line. This is the only way the oil can get into your crank. This works great as long as you remember to open it before you start your bike. All that oil in the case will make for hard starting also. Since the oil will only scavenge at a set rate, whatever oil is in the case when you start is what will be there as you run, and when you shut down. . Also if the oil does not leave your heads quickly enough it will back down your valve guides causing smoky exhaust. There is an internal channel in your barrels that is supposed to return the oil to the scavenger pump and then to the tank. This excess oil could run back down ito your case also.
If you dare you can try to reseat the ball in the pump by dropping a punch inand giving it a whack. I don't recommend it. You can also get a new ball,braze a "handle" on it and hone the seat with valve grinding compound. The easiest fix is go to Home Depot,get an in line shutoff valve in the plumbimg dept. and just trap the oil in the tank when the bike isn't running. It works and cost under $10.00 to do! Good Luck GD

[fourthgear]

Good morning, I'm new to this site and hope replying to this post with another similar question is appropriate.
I have a 1951 Panhead FL, I put a belt primary on in 1984 and routed the front chain oiler to the rear chain, adjusted the pump to just mist the chain and it's worked well for 20 years. I now get great gobs of oil coming out of the breather/chain oiler tube. Could there be a way oil is somehow bypassing and draining into the breather and then pumped out the tube? Check valve? Seal?
Thanks for any help.
Miles

You might want to clean the seat & ball check first . Ya never know what can get in there . Is it only puking @ first start up ? It could be a lot of things , but I would start with the check valve first.
There are ways to set it as right as you can . You can burnish it ,but that will not help if the seat is deformed or split. If you lap it ,you still need to burnish it afterwards . You can have it re-cut to a new ball valve specs.
The springs do get weak over the years of use, try a new spring & ball after cleaning.
Also see if you can see your oil return to the oil tank @ diff. RPMs to see if you may have a scaviging problem or blockage in the return.
Are you running a oil filter on the return side of the pump ? Check it if you have one , there could be a blockage in it or the lines to & from it . Some things for you to check.

[Miles]

Forthgear, I must be older than I think. I do have a filter and I have not checked it, not to say that's the problem, but I should have checked it before I got on this site. I'll take a look asap and post result.
Miles

[Miles]

Filter's clean, I'll take the check valve out next and see what gives.
Miles

[Panacea]

Miles, does it just puke right after start-up? Or does it continue till you park it?

[Miles]

Panacea. Don't know, I've never had oil coming out like this before [always been just a mist, enough to keep a little oil on the rear chain but never any on the ground] and I haven't taken it on the road since the oil puked out the other day on start-up. It seems to slow down after a few minutes running so it could be leaking down when shut off. I don't know what kind of problem I'd be having if it pumped out like this until the tank went dry.
Miles