It's a 94 sportster, never had any problem with it. I got a new bike and this one sat. When we charged the battery and tried to start it, the engine sounded bad, and it wasn't getting any oil. How could this happen if when I parked it it was running fine? What do I need to do to fix this?
2007-09-16 10:20:27 · 8 answers · asked by cindy1323 6 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Motorcycles
How do you know its not getting oil? Sportster are notorius for "wet sumping" letting the oil drain from the tank to the engine when they set a long time.
2007-09-16 22:01:15 · answer #1 · answered by austin j 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did it ever start? If it did how long did it run without oil pressure? I'm not real up on Sportsters but on a V-twin you have a plug on top of you oil pump which has a screen under it. Check it and your oil filter for metal shavings. I think it would take a lot more than a couple of years of sitting to affect your oil. Unlike gas which goes bad fairly quickly. And that could be part or all of the running poorly.
If you can try pulling the coil lead or something else to keep the bike from starting and using the starter to turn the bike over see if you can see oil returning into your oil bag. Or using your service manual find out which is the return line and do the same thing with the return line off. Could get messy. This will tell you if you actually have oil pressure. Just in case oil light has a problem and that's the reason it's not going off.
2007-09-16 11:11:28 · answer #2 · answered by puttndutchman 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Once my buddy changed oil on his '79 Sportster (we were on the road) and had a heck of a time getting oil pressure. That was long ago and I don't remember exactly where, but he had to crack a line to bleed the air out. It only took a few seconds to expel all the air, and it was fixed.
2007-09-17 06:08:03 · answer #3 · answered by bikinkawboy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those have the most trouble free oil pump on any HD. I doubt the pump is bad, more likely the gear that drives it or ?
If you are sure it isnt pumping, you take the cam cover off, then you can see the pump gears and such and see if it has oil on top of the pump.
Maybe pull the line off the pump on the in side and see if oil is getting to the pump from tank.
You should have a shop manual to take this apart and have a look or have a shop do it.
2007-09-16 11:38:13 · answer #4 · answered by Scott R 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Start with reverse engineering.
Pull the oil feed line (from the oil tank to the oil pump) and see if oil flows, or is it plugged.
Is the oil pump clogged?
Is the check valve (that keeps oil from draining into the crankcase when engines is stopped) stuck close?
2007-09-17 03:29:22 · answer #5 · answered by strech 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
look for bubbles in the oil bag. or in my case, mine almost spits at me.
If you had not started the bike in 2 years, you should have put some oil where the plugs are to lube the cylinder.
I hope that sheds some light on the fact that the oil has to work it's way back up to the heads. good luck.
2007-09-16 10:31:31 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Harleys run very low oil pressure. Are you sure the problem is that, rather than dried gas in the carb, old gas in tank, low voltage or fouled plugs? Or, no joke, mouse nest in the air cleaner or rodent chewed wires? I've seen those happen.
2007-09-16 12:02:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe clotted lines or old oil has gelled in in it/ should take to shop and ask? dealer can help? write harley what to do?
2007-09-16 10:40:42 · answer #8 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋