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Oil puking out of crankcase breather

31K views 83 replies 16 participants last post by  candyman1340 
#1 ·
I have a 92 heritage softail. Tappet housing busted so replaced both housings, cam, oil pump, breather gear, and tappets. After driving about ten miles every bit of my oil puked out through the crankcase breather tube. Took nose cone back off and verified that the plastic oil separator was still in nose cone and still have the same problem. Any opinions?
 
#2 ·
You gonna stick around after we help you? Double check your timing in cam chest. Do you have a manual? Go to new members section and introduce yourself.
 
#7 ·
No, tight pushrods will clatter. Like I said, sumped crankcase. Let the oil out the breather equalize and don't add any to the oil tank. It will take the pump a while to evacuate the crankcase oil back into the tank, that's why the oil is evacuating out of the breather.
 
#8 ·
Just thinking out loud but when I did the cams on mine I topped off the oil. Well I topped off a tad too much, wound up pewking all over the side of the bike, till I changed oil to the correct level.
 
#9 ·
Exactly ! Never add oil to a Softail oil tank until the engine runs for at least 10 minutes. That goes for any bike that the oil tank is higher than the crankcase. The oil pump needs time to evacuate any sumped oil back into the tank.
 
#11 ·
The light comes on when the sender sees below 3 psi. At idle 2 psi will lubricate the engine rotating assembly. When the engine is sumped and the pump is working overtime to evacuate the crankcase it cavitates and bubbles form in the oil and pressure drops.
Any other questions ? I'm watching NFL pre-game now too !!!
Seriously tho, let the engine run long enough that the overflow breather runs dry and don't add oil to the tank in between.
 
#14 ·
So will all that oil go back into the tank later cause when the oil stops puking out there is none in the tank and I let it run for about ten min after and shut it off and still no oil. I have an uncle that has owned Harley's for forty years and he informed my that I installed my pushrods wrong. He's not sure if that's my problem but said I definitely needed to fix them.
 
#15 ·
Push rods do supply oil to the top end. Rockers, springs, etc.

Do not think wrongly installed rods would do what you are seeing.
If too tight they would likely clatter.
Too loose and you would have a miss, very rough running bike. Some sort of symptom.

Did you install stock or after market?
 
#21 ·
My reason for asking is post #12 he said "I put 2 qts. in and it puked out 2 qts.". Post #14 he asks "So will all that oil go back into the tank later?" No mention of a big mess, or if the oil is being contained. I'm easily confused/sidetracked/distracted, or amused.
 
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