32 vl over oiling

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Hi guy, my 32 vl is over oiling. Even when sitting it's still leaking out .So how much oil should be at the oil line going to oil pump? does it gravity feed from the the tank into oil pump and gets distributed inside the pump as needed. If so how can I slow it down. Also can I remove the pigtail line I was told this would slow down oiling. Last and least I did remove the small washer from pump already. Thanks Gary

[Steve Swan]

Gary, i don't own total loss VL's, but i do own and ride JD's. Where is oil leaking out? There are quite a number of details to be aware of with the total loss oiling system. In the early days, the factory referred to the "pump" as a mechanical oiler. The mechanical oiler literally regulates the gravity feed from the oil tank, so it is not a pump in any form as we would typically think of a pump pushing oil through a closed system of galleries. The oiler literally regulates the rate of drips entering the crankcase at varying rpm's. i don't know about the number of shims on a VL oiler, but with the JD, the oiler came from the factory with 3 thin shims and one thick shim, 0.012" and 0.065" respectively. Rather than write a lengthy text about how the oiler works, i am including a link to an article by Lonnie Isam that does a nice job of explaining the function of the mechanical oiler. Although the oiler's post-1927 had a throttle assisted regulating mechanism, the swash plate design, at least as i understand it, was essentially unchanged during the lifespan of this type of oiler.

As far as over oiling during operation goes and/or excessive amounts of oil accumulating in the crankcase cavity, there are two different and unrelated causes for such.

1. Over-oiling during operation is usually caused by excessive wear in the two holes of the rotating gear; these two holes each hold a spring and a small pin or piston. These spring loaded pins push against the swash plate and are responsible for oil passing through the oiler. Over time, the holes these spring loaded pins fit in become enlarged/elongated from wear and no amount of shim adjustment (or lack of shims) will regulate the desired drip rate and consequently excessive amounts of oil will go past the mechanical oiler into the crankcase and cannot be blown out through the relief pipe and past the rings. I had the rotating gear holes repaired, new pins made and new springs, so the oilers on my '27's can be adjusted for a drip rate equal to what enters the crankcase and is blown out of the crankcase. Adjusting the drip rate requires test rides of the same mileage over the same route to determine how many or how few shims need to be used.

2. The cause for oil accumulating in the crankcases over an extended period of time is due to the spring loaded ball not completely making a seat inside the pump body. Making certain the hand pump ball valve is not allowing oil to leak past requires draining the crankcase, letting the bike sit a couple weeks, then remove the drain plug to see if any and how much accumulated oil leaks out. Also a good idea to know how many cc's or ounces of oil one stroke of your hand pump pushes into the crankcase.

Below is the link to the oiler details. And, the factory Rider's Handbook does a nice job of explaining oiler adjustment. Also a picture of the rotating gear that holds the two spring loaded pins.

https://www.competitiondist.com/page...are-and-repair

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Thank you for the information. I clean all oil from around the ( pump ) and plugged the line from said pump to the breather in a effort to stop some oil from leaking out there . Also when riding the bike the breather was putting so much oil in the primary cover it was pouring out going up the driveway .I'm not sure if this will slow down now . It seems that the gravity feed oil stay at the pump until its needed .I must ride it to confirm this. Thanks again Gary

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Gary, the usual problem is that the check ball in the hand oil pump is passing. Disconnect the hand oil line to check, then if necessary pump out the oil into a can, remove the hand oil pump and check the ball and seat condition. Slightly stronger check ball springs are available.

The 1930 VL mechanical oil pump had a brass pin to hold the angled plate that controls oiling, changed to steel in 1931, so your '32 should be OK. Another common fault is in the set-up, as the pump should be just wide open at full throttle, with the low speed looking after itself. The 1930-33 pumps are pretty bullet proof, but designed for dirt roads and no oil rings on the pistons, so will overoil today at the factory settings. Another dodge is to put a longer screw at the back of the pump, say a Harley 038, to hold the angled plate more vertical and reduce the stroke of the little pistons. I understood some Cannonball riders partly disabled the pump by removing one of the springs behind a piston. Keep going, when you have it fixed the settings will last a long time. Details are in my VL book under running-in.

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Thank you Steve. I have a question if I may .the oil is gravity feed to the pump .so should some oil be passing past check valve to the pump . ?

[Steve Slocombe]

The mechanical oil pump is gravity fed from the oil tank by one line. The hand oil pump is connected to another line. The two are not connected, and the hand pump is used only for putting fresh oil in the cases after draining. You almost certainly have a leaking hand oil pump check valve or too much oil in the crank cases. Check the running-in section in my VL Book. Replicant Metals have copies if you don't.