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[WFP]

Well, I took the Deuce off the stand a couple of daysago and today went to take it out for it's first run of the season.  Checked the tires and everything else then came to the oil.

First off, this is my first year with this bike, picking it up about 12 months ago, brand new.  It was also my first softail, my other bike last year was a '97 Road King.  I put 2500 miles on it, had the dealer do the 2500 mile service and then put it away for the winter on the HD storage stand.  The dealer of course used Syn3 oil.

Back to today.  With the bike on the jiffy stand I went to check the oil.  Could not believe what I saw...went to get a flashlight to verify it.  There was nothing in the tank.  Nothing was on the floor of the garage, there was oil at the end of last year.  What happened to it?

I assumed that it drained into the crankcase, but to be honest, I did not know what to think.  OK, I decided to crank the engine and watched the oil level rise in the tank.  OK, little pressure off at the sight of the oil but then I looked at the oil and my concer went up again.  It looked like chocolat milk, frothy, milky even.

At this point, I checked my warrantee card and then went for a ride, about 20 minutes, 10 miles to get the oil up to temp.  Back in the garage, I checked the oil and it looked pretty normal.

My questions:
Should a softail drin into the crankcase like this over the winter?
Should the oil look like it did sitting in the cranhcase over the winter?

I have a boat and milky oil is a big issue in a water cooled engine...but what about an air-cooled v-twin?

[JCZ]

Chocolate milk lookin oil is usually a sign of water in the oil (it could be condensation if their is a lot of it) however, I've never heard of it seperating while running the motor, once it's mixed up.  If it was condensation and their was very little, it would disapate with the motor getting hot and would evaporate.  That may be why your oil looked normal, after your ride.

As for oil going into the crankcase.......I've heard of it happening, but don't think it's a good thing.

[WFP]

Thanks,

I think I will give the dealer a call.

I agree about the water in oil ...maybe I did not run it long enough last fall after the service and before putting it away...the empty oil tank concerns me.

/Bill

[jay]

In the old Harleys, especially the Shovelheads, this was a problem i.e. the oil draining back into the crankcase.  There is a check valve that is supposed to prevent this, but it sometimes doesn't.  The softtails have the same basic check valve set up.  One way to insure it doesn't happen again is ( at the time you put it away for the season) to take the oil line from the oil tank off at the oil pump and stick a dowel in the line and clamp a hose clamp around the hose to block any oil from leaking out.  Come spring, just take the dowel out and reconect the hose to the oil pump and tighten the hose calmp again.  I have done this for years with my old bikes.  What is maddening is that sometimes the check valve will hold and sometimes not!!  I have given up taking the chance!

[WFP]

While in New Jersey yesterday, on my way to Norfolk, by Tahoe, not Bike, I stopped in a Harley Dealer in highland Park and talked to their tech, after the requisite overpriced t-shirt.

He said that it IS a common occuranced in the Softails...one concern down.

[TCSTD]

Chocolate milk is usually from the condensation, take it out and ride it and get it good and hot to cook off the water before it does damage from sitting in there, quite common from not enough heat in the oil to cook off the water

[WFP]

Thanks...I ended up changing the oil.  In doing so, I learned an imprtant lesson...remove the spoiler side pieces first...oil collects in there and is hard to remove!

The fact that there was none in the tank after 5 months still bothers me....

/Bill