'50 fl oil leak from sitting ?

[flthead]

anyone have a link or info on a fix for the oil dumping out from sitting . read somewhere about a ball bearing check valve sticking . like to get get it fixed in the next week or so . thanks

[Robert Luland]

Go to the panhead site and search there knowledge bank. There has to be a dozen differant topics on this problem with pro resolve. Bob L

[BigLakeBob]

It is usually the check ball. Maybe dirt, maybe ring groove on ball or valve-replace or reface radius on valve, or maybe needs lapped. I use the method described in, I think, the original Easyriders tech tips where you arch weld a rod to a 3/8 ball and use this to relap the ball seat. I just drain the oil out of the cavity enough to get to the seat and use a small amount of fine compound and lap, clean, and lap several times. Clean cavity well with Q-tips. I'm sure some will disagree but I feel that if a small amount of lapping compound does go in the oil it is no big deal, to me a comparasion is a oil tanker spilling in the ocean, spill vrs volume. Anyhow, good luck.

[c.o.]

Cotten makes a burnisher that I've had good results with.

[flthead]

Cotten makes a burnisher that I've had good results with.

have a contact number or info on cotten ?

[T. Cotten]

Sorry to get into this so late Folks,

But let us consider a few things about our H-D ball checks.
First, those of us who cut motorvalve seats know that a thinner seat seals better than a wide one;
Lapping and cutters widen the seat, and leave a finish that is either the grit of the compound, or toolmarked with 'chatter'.

An effective seal against oil must have a finish of mating parts that is smaller than oil molecules.

Burnishing is a technique where a hardened polished surface is pressed upon the seat to smooth it, without removing metal. Thus no abrasives are needed, and no chips from a cutter are produced.
It can even be performed with the OHV pump installed, and full of oil.

But the tool is not cheap, and demand has me in the middle of producing yet another small batch.
Interested folks should email me direct at liberty@npoint.net.

Thanks,

...Cotten
Liberty Motorcycle Specialties, Inc.
118 N. Washington Street
Lacon, IL 61540 USA

[BigLakeBob]

My suggestion has always worked for me, but this sounds like a preferred method. I'll be contacting Cotten. Thanks.

[flthead]

sent a email out

My suggestion has always worked for me, but this sounds like a preferred method. I'll be contacting Cotten. Thanks.

me too . sent a email out to 'em

[Chris Haynes]

I bought my burnishing tool from Resurrection Cycle.
http://resurrectioncycle.com/

[JohnR]

Interested as to the proceedure for using the burnishing tool?

Thank You.

[T. Cotten]

JohnR!

For an OHV, the breather line is removed for convenience, and then the top cap on the oilpump is removed to allow the spring and ball can be quickly fished out with a magnet.
Oil will purge of course, so a drip pan will be necessary.

The tool is then installed to stop the overflow, turning the center screw down to meet the seat.
Bringing the center screw up to 15 ft-lbs three times performs the burnishing action.
The tool is then removed, and a fresh ball and spring should installed, with the cap replaced quickly to stop the oil from purging further.
A mineral spirits rinse, and replacing the breather line does it.

This procedure has produced dramatic improvement when the seat has not been widened by previous lapping, cutting, or beating with a drift.
Badly damaged seats can still be saved by grinding with a conical stone before applying the burnisher.

The efficiency of the tool depends enormously upon the finish of its ball, as it must be of mirror luster to produce a seat finish with a mill profile finer than an oil molecule.
Repeated uses will of course eventually mark the ball, so re-polishing will be required.

....Cotten