1935 Harley VLD - Smoking and Oil drain on start up

[Jesse]

Hello,

New to AMCA and flatheads... but love both. I picked up a 1935 VLD with sidecar in March and have been doing some minor maintenance. It has been running great until this weekend (I have ridden every weekend since beginning of March) no smoke and no oil leaks. When I fired it up this weekend, it immediately starting smoking (white oil smoke). It was more than the minor smoking which I understand is normal. It created a plume that caught the eye of a passing fire chief, who proceeded to check in and make sure everything was ok. I let it idle for about 8 min to see if it cleared out. It did a bit. Then I noticed oil coming from the primary drain hole (solid stream) and the exhaust pipes where they bolt to the heads. I turned it off. let it drain oil for a bit and restarted. Still smoking, though not as bad. And the oil stopped draining for the most part. I rode it slowly around the neighborhood for about 20 minutes and it finally stopped smoking. I was wondering if anyone else has had this happen and if it could be a check ball in the oil pump?? While it was parked, it seems to have gravity fed into the cases. Someone mentioned I should store it at the top of the compression stroke. Looking for any advice.

They only thing that I did different this weekend was remount the sidecar. It had been connected for years and I disconnected it a few weeks ago to change tires and rebalance. No issues before or during two wheel riding/storing. Therefore, I doubt simply reconnecting the side car (parking upright instead of kickstand) has anything to do with it.

Thanks for your help,

Jesse

[46CHF]

Sounds like wet sump drain oil in cases and refill with tank pump

[kitabel]

At this point there is usually a brisk conversation as to the advisability of inserting a manual valve in between the oil tank and and the pump inlet.
Mandatory remark: "you only need to forget to open the valve once, and you eat the crankpin". The valve can be wired to a big red bulb which lights when the switch is on but the valve is closed, even to ground the ignition until the valve is open.
There are also proposals to use the vacuum-operated fuel valve from some late bike: opens automatically whenever the engine is running.
Yes, try to find the leak first.

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Jesse, I think you got it first time with the leaking check valve. It only takes a tiny piece of rust or dirt under the seat to drain oil into the sump over time. Not a problem when the bikes were ridden every day, but now we leave them days or weeks and then first time they fire up they get oil everywhere. Remove check valve, clean, lap in seat if necessary, don't put valve in oil line. If leaving the bike for a time, drain oil from cases, leave drain valve open, then put a pan under to monitor for check valve leaks over time. Don't forget to close the drain valve and put a couple of full strokes of the hand oil pump in the cases before you next fire it up! Keep having fun...

[pan620]

Does a person need to measure how much each hand pump puts in to the sump? 1930 DL.If so is 6oz sounds right?

[Jesse]

Thank you for the advice. Glad to hear I am on the right track. Think I will follow Steve's suggestion and begin with the check ball. The inline valve would be a good backup, interim solution if I can not get the ball to seat.

Appreciate your time,

Jesse

[Rollo]

As some one who has 3 VL's and went through the learning curve you are going through Steve is right on the money and was my experience as well. First time I fired up one of my VLH's I thought the neighborhood was on fire from all the smoke. It eventually cleared out but also made it hard to start. Too much oil in motor. Ever since I drain the bottom end and resupply the oil via the hand pump and no issues other than a little bit of oil smoke from residual oil in motor, but quickly clears. Replacing the hand pump check ball and the one in the oil pump on the motor should clear it up but as Steve says a tiny piece of crud can mess up the works and sump the oil into the bottom end. Kind of a dog chasing it's tail thing so I just drain and resupply and save the drained oil for make up oil for trannys etc. as it is mostly clean oil anyway. They are a blast to ride but I stay off Interstates and high speed , congested areas as I try with all my old bikes. Have fun you'll enjoy it!

Tom (Rollo) Hardy
AMCA #12766

[Steve Slocombe]

In response to the earlier question on hand oil pump capacity, the bore and stroke of the oil pump would be the same over many years, so the capacity depends on the quality of those leather pump washers. I reckon a fresh pump does 50 ml per stroke, which is about 2 ounces, and that a VL runs on about 150 ml or 6 ounces in the cases or three strokes of the hand pump. On a broken-in motor two strokes seems to do the job as there is residual oil still left on the motor surfaces.