Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[CVOMOE!!]

Check the breather bolts where they go into the head.  Sometimes they get loose and the oil will seep past the breather tube that goes into the air cleaner and blow out all over the right side of your bike.  You will be able to see the oil seeping at the round aluminum cover where it goes against the head.  Just remove your air cleaner, pull the little rubber boots off the breathers and then check the bolts.  I think they are 7/16th if memory serves me well.  Other than that as others have said is keep your oil level about a 1/4 " from full or add the after market kits.

Regards, Moe

[Bankrupt]

This was a huge problem with my 2000 Wide glide that I had after I put in the big bore 95' and a new air filter system. This was a carb. bike but it was real bad at the two little piston looking things on each side of the breather. If you road it a little hard or right at the oil level mark,yep! it's drippin'. grc is so right with what he said so run a little low and you shouldn't have any more problems. I didn't! Good luck and happy ridin'!!!!

[JoMo]

Thanks everyone for your comments.
My bike is a 08 soft tail custom 3 months old and 1200 miles on her and 7 year extended warrenty.
The only thing I did to her was change the exhaust system and 1000 mile service, I Will see them Tuesday


                                Jo Mo

[JoMo]

Well I went to Harley Davidson N Y today and they checked out the problem and found that the Arlen Ness baking
plate was cracked and missing -O- rings caused leak. They tryed to put a new one on and that one broke in the same
place chit metal casting, they settled on H D plate, better made and all the O rings.
Down the road I go.

                                        Jo Mo N Y C

[PHAZE]

Thanks for the input here.  The CUSE is at the dealership now.  Since the problem came up immediately after the 15,000 mile service, I'm going to let them deal with it.  I plan to have some discussion with them about the oil level issue.  If running the pike a pint low with help avoid the problem, that sounds like a pretty easy fix.

[Bleach]

you have to buy a oil breather kit there is umbrella flapper valves that go bad every few thousand miles in the rocker boxes harleys answer is to burn the oil in the cylinder but that causes oil to burn and slug up on the valves and pistons and foul out plugs so just spend the money on a oil breather kit ! Harley knows about this problem and would rather you bring the bike into them and tear the whole top end apart for $2000 then install a $25 dollar breather kit from ebay or they charger $130 for it and claim they have no idea what your talking about !

[North Georgia Hawg]

There is the old trick of drilling out the oil drain holes in the rocker support plates to 1/8" and countersinking them a bit to improve oil drainage from the rocker boxes. It will help reduce or even stop the oil from coming out of the breathers into the A/C or onto the heads.

I did this my old Evo FLHTP, and I've done it on the Honey Badger. Several of my friends have done it, too.

Ken

[Cvostu]

So far on my sesg3 it's been pretty clean in that area.    On my 04seeg, I ran hoses from the breather out.    Much cleaner around the right saddle bag now,,  after a long day it would get pretty messy there from the blow by. 

[mrflewellyn]

i tried the fixes everyone recommended. Reduced the amount of oil to show about half full on my dipstick. I checked for any cracks in the backplate, checked the o rings and breathers. I still have oil spilling out the air filter. It especially happens when I rev the engine. Was anyone else able to find any other fixes? Any help would be appreciated

2009 FATBOB

[bigchuck]

Their breather system has always been either too small, inadequate, or poorly designed. Simplest is when we vented directly from the cases. Do what you want with it at that point, and just be prepared for dumping an occasional wet sump on the floor, after it's been sitting awhile. Nothing but a PIA since they moved it to vent thru the heads. Requires overhead plumbing instead of below. But either way, the surest way to get it from misting all over everything, is to replumb it to the ground! Look at the Kury Bluegrass Breathers. They're adapters to allow you to get it from the heads to the ground or a cannister. Pipe them to a tee, with a single line down to the ground. Done!

Hoist!

X2
8 years later and still the best answer

[mrflewellyn]

That sucks that I may have to pipe it to the ground, but having oil all over the bike sucks more. I was considering it may happen more when the engine gets really hot. i was considering installing a new air filter that provides more air and installing an engine breather on the other side of the bike to keep it cool. This sucks, i never had this issue with my Iron 883...but it was a 883. Thanks for the info, I'll check the Kury Bluegrass Brothers website.

[ptnlinda]

I have had this problem to some degree with every Harley I have owned since 1992. Six in total now. Venting to the ground or to an Oil catch can has been the way I solved the problem.

[chaos901]

In addition to some of the responses above, it can also be caused by the air filter being dirty.  Been my experience that I have the problem on long runs at high speed on the expressway, but that might just be me.

[msquad]

Another alternative.  Used '14 Streetglide parts and drilled a hole and got some hose from the part store.   Ran breather elsewhere instead of into the engine.

[ptnlinda]

In addition to some of the responses above, it can also be caused by the air filter being dirty.  Been my experience that I have the problem on long runs at high speed on the expressway, but that might just be me.

Yes me also, the problem is always worse when touring doing big miles at high speed.