RL 45 Oil tank fabrication

[shermanpup]

Hello
I have a 1934 RL with a WLA engine mutt project . I used to have a home fab oil tank that fits where the battery mounts which will work for the oil return for the WLA engine , but someone at a Harley shop that I won't mention lost it , so I would like to see if I can have another oil tank made .I do not want to modify the gas/oil tanks to accommodate the oil return and I can mount a smaller modern battery somewhere else on the frame Either that, or trade/ barter my rebuilt WLA engine (with numbers) for a well functioning oil loss engine.
Thanks S-pup

[HDSmitty]

I'm not too familiar with the RL but if the current oil tank (in with the gas tank )has 2 outlets like my VLD has, 1 for the hand pump, 1 for the oil pump, it seems like you could adapt one for a feed and one for a return without any tank change except fittings and lines. Hope this helps ya. Smitty

[shermanpup]

Hd Smitty ,thanks for the info.
I saw some videos of Tatro working on a very similar type of project I have (mine is 34 frame with WLA motor , his was 35 frame with WLA motor)... These videos are great for me and I really appreciate Tartro for putting them up on youtube. He did not use the hand pump opening , instead he cut a small rectangle next to the oil out tube in the tank..... The rectangle was drilled out to accommodated the return line which extends hi up in the oil tank ,and the breather line from the cases which extends higher than the return tube .... Then the rectangle was welded to the tank .... He had to bend and route the new solid oil lines back to the motor which took some under tank space .... I don't want to cut a hole in the tank .and I don't know about attaching a tube to the hand pump to get it above the oil level in the tank like Tatro did.Maybe it would not need an extension in the tank ?..(I need to take a closer look in the tank for this possibility)..... I bought a hand made oil tank at Woodstock years ago that fits in the battery box space, that I wanted to use , but after taking my bike to an ahole Harley dealer to get it put together ,he had the bike for over a year mounted the engine and tranny and then stopped . When I picked it up , my homemade oil tank ,my Buddy seat , and my drag pipes were not with the bike , he sent the seat back only. Never got the tank or pipes back...I like the idea of the remote oil tank ,because if I ever got an 1934 oil loss motor for this thing (which I don't have the $ for) the tank mods might make things difficult . I believe I can hang a modern small 6 volt battery under my right leg like a late panhead battery mounts if I use a remote tank. Your idea is great, but I don't know about the breather line.... . Can you put a small filter on it and not connect it to the tank ,or is it necessary to for the breather to go up high directly in the tank .This bike will never be in a show . It has an old hippy paint job and I would just like to ride it regardless of looks and correctness.. One friend of mine told me to keep it the way it looks and don't even blow the dust off of it. He said if I went to Daytona with this bike , people would flock to see it because of the way it looks . Everyone at Wausen I showed pictures to , basically said the same thing too. , so that is where I am going to start Thanks for your reply and advise HD and thanks to any replies from anyone
Jim

[41craig]

A friend of mine built a chopper 45 back in the early 1970's. He built it with a peanut gas tank, so he needed an oil tank. He cut down a 1940-1957 Big Twin oil tank and ran a small 6 volt battery inside of it. I wouldn't use an OEM tank these days, but a V-Twin aftermarket would work. Attached is a photo from 1973. Just a suggestion.
Craig

[Larry May]

I have a 35RLD good #s with marching belly #s for sale, was going to build a bobber, but too expensive. The motor is almost complete, you will need the cams, pistons and rings, I have every thing else, thanks, Larry

[Greg Fittro]

Larry, I sent you a private message.

[Greg Fittro]

Shermanup,
My 2 cents is run return line to hand pump fitting .
Remove hand pump leathers.
Maybe remove check ball and spring.
Fashion a piece of copper to hand pump fitting so outlet near inside top of tank. Not sure this matters.
Install a late Shovel oil breather filter to oil pump breather outlet and see how bad it leaks.
Or run breather hose to oil primary chain.
Post a pic.
Don't cut the tank.

[shermanpup]

Well Everyone who responded , thank you. I am not going to pursue this because I have purchased the right 1934 RL engine . This would have worked with an external oil tank mounted where the battery does and then hang a smaller modern battery under a leg. The check valve probably wont work as a return line because there is just an opening in the tube at the very bottom of the tank . You could maybe drill a holehigher up in the tube and let the oil drain into the tank . Still un known .Oil would just probably sump to the lower end in my guess.I have a rebuilt WLA engine with rebuilt carb and generator .If anyone needs one or knows someone who needs one
Thanks
Jim

[HDSmitty]

Good luck with your build, keep us posted as to how it's coming along. Smitty

[shermanpup]

Well it is going, but then again I getting tired of , and can't afford to pay $100 for every little dinky thing. Really thinking about giving up and selling it all after I get the engine. I have a 1971 Cutlass convertible I bought in Los Angeles in 1984 sitting in the garage also. Needs next to nothing . Rust free muscle car. Way easier and way cheaper to get parts and labor done.

[T. Cotten]

Well it is going, but then again I getting tired of , and can't afford to pay $100 for every little dinky thing. Really thinking about giving up and selling it all after I get the engine. I have a 1971 Cutlass convertible I bought in Los Angeles in 1984 sitting in the garage also. Needs next to nothing . Rust free muscle car. Way easier and way cheaper to get parts and labor done.

I know just what you mean, S-pup!

I hate motorcycles.

Love my 1988 Toyota Van.

.....Cotten
PS:
NCC-1701-7

[shermanpup]

Thanks Cotten , I will keep plowing through the $. Do you know anyone with 32-34 vl dash pieces????? Don't need hardly much to complete
Thanks
Jim

[T. Cotten]

Sorry Jim!

I'm out of touch with the wheeler-dealers...

And just learning how to play ebay.

Good luck!

....Cotten