Oil sucker!!!

I did a complete oil change on my Iron Horse chopper before the start of season.

I changed the oil today because of the crankcase backfire that I had. I only had 500 miles on her and a quart and a half came out between the oil filter and the tank!!!

3 quarts went in...I put 2 quarts in the tank and started her up, waiting for the oil to circulate and all. Finally, she sucked up the final quart.

The fricking manual said to check the oil every time you stop for gas!!!! God Damn!!! I didn't think that was supposed to be taken literally!

The previous owner said that the guy he bought it from didn't break her in right and that she burns some oil....ya right! I'd say a lot of oil.

I did switch over from Lucas 20W50 dino to Castrol 20W50 GTX. I gotta watch this oil sucker! I am thinking the crankcase backfire was a "Blessing in Disguise"!!!

I would definitely be keeping a eye on the oil level.

Sorry, for not welcoming you sooner but I hope that you enjoy the forum.

Sorry, for not welcoming you sooner but I hope that you enjoy the forum.

That's Ok! I have had my hand's full dealing with Buford and Dave!!!

Those two are evil...little "Instigator's" :rotfl:

Damn, Tugs, you get back from Dager and don't say hi? Steelhorse, I think keeping a very close eye on the oil is in the mix here.

I think maybe bolting that front fender on and selling her at the next custom bike show may be in order Lenny. You painted her up sweet, and lot's of people will buy sweet looks in leiu of sound condition... I'm not advocating hiding any mechanical/electrical problems from anybody, just saying you might find somebody who's looking for a bike for show. Sell it if you can go and buy a mechanical/electrically sound bike to paint.

You easily doubled the value of the bike with the paint job you put on her. Sell the paint job and move on.

I think maybe bolting that front fender on and selling her at the next custom bike show may be in order Lenny. You painted her up sweet, and lot's of people will buy sweet looks in leiu of sound condition... I'm not advocating hiding any mechanical/electrical problems from anybody, just saying you might find somebody who's looking for a bike for show. Sell it if you can go and buy a mechanical/electrically sound bike to paint.

You easily doubled the value of the bike with the paint job you put on her. Sell the paint job and move on.


Ron, is it really that bad? If the break in was not done right and she is using oil, what damage was done up top? Can that be remedied?

I was planning on stripping her down this winter and re-paint the bike. I have some ideas that will run better with the lines on the bike. So, if the top end can be fixed, I was thinking of having the fins diamond cut at the same time.

So far after removing the pinch and replacing the circuit breaker...she is running good...no cut outs thus far.

I bought the bike for 16K. It is a 2005 and before IronHorse filed Chapter 11, a few months ago, the brand new ones where going for around 28K.

What are your Idea's on why she is burning oil...the engine is a 111 cu/in S&S.

The bike doesn't smoke, it doesn't leak? So, I would hate to throw the towel in on her just yet.

You may be pushing the oil out between the valve gides, If you run her hard I am sure you use more oil right ? If so check there

That's Ok! I have had my hand's full dealing with Buford and Dave!!!

Those two are evil...little "Instigator's" :rotfl:
Jeeezus Steel, ya have the talent with the airbrush, just do as Ron says and move into the pretty paintjobs on shitbikes, make a killing and move right on up to the latest Heritage. you still make me laugh, I'm sure you missed your real calling.... on the stage!! :bling:

You make three statements:
1) It uses oil.
2) It doesn't smoke.
3) It doesn't leak.

Only two of those statements can be true. It is impossible for all three to be true.

To check out Rick's suspicion, take her out and push her hard for a couple of hours, then bring it home and take a rag and swab out the insides of your tail pipes. If it's blowing oil past the exhaust valve guides you'll pull out an oil coated rag. This means you're leaving a spray of oil behind you as your riding, which is in fact, a leak.

If it's blowing oil past the intake valve guides, it would in fact be smoking, however how can you be certain that it's not smoking when your romping on it? Just because it doesn't smoke at idle doesn't mean that it doesn't smoke when pushing it hard. Get somebody to follow you while you're riding it hard and see if it smokes when you romp it. If it's coming past the valve guides and not the rings, it won't be thick billowing white smoke like you normally think about when you think about a smoking motor. It'll be a faint bluish smoke that almost dissipates as fast as it comes out of the tailpipe. It may take watching closely to see it, but it is smoke nonetheless.

My comment about selling it was more geared towards the fact that you seem to keep having issues crop up. This is the second issue in two weeks you've brought up. How many other issues do you have that you haven't told us about yet? How many other issues are going to crop up down the road? The bike either a) wasn't manufactured correctly, or b) wasn't treated properly by the previous owner, or c) a combination of both. A crate S&S 111 is a great motor, but that doesn't mean that the bike is great.

If you like the bike, keep it. A rebuild won't cost more than $1000 if it doesn't need major parts. I just don't give up that easily. If it isn't smoking, and it runs good, just keep an eye on the oil level and enjoy.

If it's coming past the valve guides and not the rings, it won't be thick billowing white smoke like you normally think about when you think about a smoking motor. It'll be a faint bluish smoke that almost dissipates as fast as it comes out of the tailpipe. It may take watching closely to see it, but it is smoke nonetheless.

I have seen this when the bike is idling and I romp it slighty. It happens as soon as I roll down on the throttle and is only there for a split second.

No wet oilly residue though...only black carbon on the rag.

BW is right, the oil has to be going somewhere. But there may be another place where it is going. As you are riding the bike, it may be going out of the breather vent and onto the ground. I have found this issue on a friends bike that was losing oil, but not leaking or smoking. The way we found it was to zip tie a baggy to the vent, run it hard and check the baggy for oil. Almost a pint. It was an out of sync separator. Worth a check if yours even has one.

Jeeezus Steel, ya have the talent with the airbrush, just do as Ron says and move into the pretty paintjobs on shitbikes, make a killing and move right on up to the latest Heritage. you still make me laugh, I'm sure you missed your real calling.... on the stage!! :bling:

LOL Dave! Some like my humor...some don't. Sometimes, I go over board and piss people off. It's better when I do the wording to have peeps laugh at me. hehehehe

I hope you and Bufford didn't take my little jab at you two the wrong way!:biggrin:

I just might do that shit bike thingy. I am selling a Honda VT750C2 right now, maybe I'll take the proceeds from it and buy a TURD....squirt some paint on it and give it the illusion of being a Rose!!!

Now, you got thinking of shit and why you can take one of your own and sit there and breathe away with no problems....but walk in after the wifey has made a deposit and you have to hold your breath?:think:

BW is right, the oil has to be going somewhere. But there may be another place where it is going. As you are riding the bike, it may be going out of the breather vent and onto the ground. I have found this issue on a friends bike that was losing oil, but not leaking or smoking. The way we found it was to zip tie a baggy to the vent, run it hard and check the baggy for oil. Almost a pint. It was an out of sync separator. Worth a check if yours even has one.

Oh, the litte post whore that I am...but, it's better than being corporate whore. I don't know how you do it Buford?...does it hurt much? Hell Bro, I won't hold against ya...you have to get to the top someway or another!!!:sex002: Hehehheee

Hey, the question here is....the breather? Crankcase breather yes?

Sorry Buford...I told ya I would get ya for the blow job joke!!! :ass:

Thanks for the breather idea!

Lenny

Well all, in reading some of the last posts that I have put up, I wish I could go back and hit the edit button.

Word's can be taken wrong and we all like to joke, but as I stated above...sometimes it pisses people off.

If I have offfended anyone here, I apologize! Making anyone mad was not my intent in my goofey banter replies.

I like to laugh and play like everyone else does, but I realise that I am new here and may have come on too strong too quick without building up relationships where that type of funny business would have been excepted by long time friends.

I have appreciated all the help everyone has given me here, and I just wanted to speak my mind to all here. Right now, I am not in a funny mood, and re-reading some of my posts!...well...y'all can see my introspection here!

Lenny

Lenny, I can'y possibly see how a guy with your weird sense of humor could possibly piss anyomeone off... Mate you are on e really funny guy.. just keep doin wot u r doing..
I think i gad too many frinks today!!

Did you check the oil level in the primary? I have S&S cases on my bike and the oil seal on the crank into the primary leaks real slow. More if I run hard.About a half quart a month.

Steelhorse, please don't ever worry about pissing me off. I throw jabs at everyone on here, and they throw them right back. I am one of those corporate whores who still has a virgin ass because those who hired me needed me more than I needed them. Just a lucky guy to be in the right place at the right time. I survived the last half of bike week with Ricky, FX and aja. How the hell do you think you can offend me. Keep up the good work, we need all of the humor we can get. Even if it is directed at me.

Steelhorse, please don't ever worry about pissing me off. I throw jabs at everyone on here, and they throw them right back. I am one of those corporate whores who still has a virgin ass because those who hired me needed me more than I needed them. Just a lucky guy to be in the right place at the right time. I survived the last half of bike week with Ricky, FX and aja. How the hell do you think you can offend me. Keep up the good work, we need all of the humor we can get. Even if it is directed at me.

Will do Buford!

Lenny

Buf said he is a whore, ha ha