45 Oil Pressure help - please

[ratfink]

Hoping you guys can give me further assistance with my 45. I got it running, but the oil pressure light stays on.

So I need to determine if it is the switch or pump. I disconnected the wire from the switch and the light stays on, though not as bright as when it is grounded. Yet another hack job by the so called "expert" I had work on the bike. Never use KC Choppers in Port Chester, NY. Shoddy workmanship is his trademark.

So I will need to have it rewired. But how can I determine if the pump is working?

If I disconnect the line from the scavenger pump (block off the oil tank) and then run the bike to see if there is any flow, will that give me the answer?

Thanks.

[motorhead1]

Use a test light on the switch.

[koanes]

Just have a look inside the oil tank. The return is extended from the bottom of the tank to discharge up in the front outside area of the tank.

[len dowe]

hello, i'm having a hard time as well with my oiling on my 41 servi. i need to test the oil sending unit as my dash oil light is not going off when started or reved up. i'm thinking(big mistake) that my sending unit is rated at a higher pressure than needed to make contact and turn the dummy(thats me)light off. i have a pressure gauge and can't figure out the multimeter to read when the sending unit is contacting at a certain pressure. i found out that the repop ones make contact at a higher pressure than needed and i do have a oem one but the light stays on with both and i'm concerned that i might do some damage to the engine. thanks, len.
p.s. i did a search and came up with only this thread.

[Paps]

Oil pressure is very low in a 45. 5-7 lbs should turn the oil lamp off. You may have a clogged oem oil sending switch. As koanes stated, look in the tank while the engine is running. Oil flow returns steadily, not rapidly. Note the oil line routing in a 45 tank in the attached photo. Paps

[len dowe]

thanks paps, but thats the trick question. i can't even see close to the bottom of the oil tank even with a mirror. and if i have it running, it needs to have oil in it and it covers up the end of the return line. this one has me stumped big time. i checked my sending unit and all seems fine. i lifted my valve covers and there seems to be some oil, but not as much as i would have thought. i just didn't know how to check my sending unit with my multimeter for a test on that. do i put just enough oil in it so that if i can see the line with a mirror to check, will it harm the motor. my motor gets really hot on running it and to me, indicates no oil. am i pulling a brain fart or just not getting it?

[Rubone]

Pretty much not getting it Len. The returned oil comes out at the front of the filler neck, above the oil level, not down below it! Extremely easy to see! If you have return you are fine, as the pressure is very low, but the VOLUME is what's necessary.
Robbie

[DaveAus]

If you cant see it, shine a light in the filling and look towards the front.

It doesnt come out with any real pressure but you'll be able to see if its returning.

cheers
Dave

www.1944wl.webs.com
www.caimag.com/forum

[len dowe]

ok guys, first is that i really appreciate all the help and my apologies to beat a dead horse. but to me, the scavenger pump is what brings up the oil in the "return" line back to the oil tank. in which has a flare fitting in which is the first fitting from the front on the tank that requires a flare connection. in paps pic (posted above) and thank you for the picture paps) it clearly shows the return line going all the way up by the filler neck and around and back down to the far end of the tank close by the supply line fitting bringing it back to the pump. the one that i see, that goes to the top by the filler neck,(i can see spurts of oil coming out), is this the gear breather vent? it comes off of the gear case and is the middle connection and has the banjo fitting unlike the flare on return and supply. it's pretty hard to missmatch the lines to what goes where on a 45 so thats why i was asking about seeing the return oil coming back in to the tank. in paps picture, it's kinda hard to see the exact top by the filler neck, but in matt olson's thread on ryans 45 build. it shows a pretty good pic that the two aren't connected. if anybody could be so kind as to clearify this for me as i think i'm really losing it. thank you for all the input and again, i really appreciate it, len.

[len dowe]

ok, i was looking at the picture in the thread of ryans amca bike givaway again and i can see a hole in the return line. is this what you guys are talking about? nobody mentioned the hole and i still think the return line goes up, around and back down to the rear of the tank. i will check on this tonight. thanks, len.

[chibobber]

Len,Your overthinking this. loosen the return line on the scavenger pump.Disconnect the the line from the tank,rotate the line away from the tank fitting,just enough to clear the fitting,tighten the line back up at the scavenger pump.Fire it up.if oil spurts out the scavenger is working.If it was'nt the engine would fill with oil and it would find its way out. Feed pump is the same routine,but have a squirt can ready w/oil. Fill feed pipe.kick,if oil goes down then feed pump is worklng.Obviously it can be messy but you can control that.you will have to block off feed nipple to not empty the tank on the floor.One other thing,After you ride awhile,feel the tank,if it is warm or hot the oil is circulating.
Good luck,Bob

[DaveAus]

Hi Len,

There's a line inside the tank that takes the oil back around to the top of the tank.

Oil comes through the line in the bottom and then goes through an internal line inside the tank.

Hope that helps
Dave

[len dowe]

chibobber, thank you so much. you were right, i was over thinking this. i took your advice and it worked perfectly. boy, a lot of oil came out of the scavenger return line. i LMAO on that one. but everything is working great on circulation thanks to you and everybody else thats helped me. i took her for a ride today and the tank heated up just like you said. oil light is still on though, so i'm going to check for other potential problems on that. a friend of mine is sending me a nos unit. so hopfully that will cure it. she's wired right, i triple checked that. and she still has other gremlins to get out seeing how it's a fresh ground up build. but i'm building her right and confident things will work out. so to all, again, thank you for being paitent with me and helping out, len.
p.s. the oil that you can see by the filler neck(which was very little at first and then started really pouring) is coming out of a small factory hole in the return line and thats what was really confusing for me. i had no clue on that. but, now i know. whew!

[Paps]

The oily bird gets his worm LOL

[servicardenise]

I had a problem similar to this, it was fixed when I put the electrical gremlins in their place. It still lights up at low idle but that has always been the norm. Mine was wacked when the regulator went to @#$%. Then I had to polarize the generator, so probably it's the gremlins. 45s usually slush, slush with oil. They are pretty reliable that way even when mortally ill. How was that slush, slush for a descriptor? Not to be mistaken with HD's (their description) whirring, grinding noises.
Denise