Oil Pressure???

[05chop]

Okay got home today after work and made the following discoveries;

1. obvious oil leak under bike. A small, but substantial leak leaving oil on the floor about 5 inches long and three inches wide. Not the nickel size when the starter O-ring went.

2. really dirty, cruddy undercarriage.

3. Checked oil level and it still looked good.

4. Pulled tappet screen (looked good) cleaned off and replaced

5. Brought bike outside and washed under frame, engine area to try to find leak. At first I figured the new starter must have really let go. Once it was cleaned off (Okay fairly clean), I could see a good drop of oil every thirty seconds or so.

6. Jacked bike up and found the following;

a. Oil was leaking from the stainless oil line itself. Even though I could not see a puncture, it was dripping from the same place.

Here is a close up pic

If I wiped the oil line, oil would quickly appear in the same spot. Consistent drip for this spot.

The oil line went from the bottom of the oil tank

to the top of the area on the right side behind where the cam cover is (right side, lower)

Here is a closeup of where it goes;

So, tomorrow I will contact the dealer and see if they have a replacement line.

Would this be sufficient to cause a loss of pressure at idle, but have enough pressure at higher rpm?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Im I looking at your exhaust pipe thats right next to your red arrows in the first picture? To much heat near this oil line can cause a oil line to fail

 

[Roaddawg]

I thnk what you are referring to is the frame (with the scrapes). While under there, I touched up areas with paint, but that was after I had snapped these pics.

I spoke to the mechanic at the dealers today and he stated that they had serviced several bikes needing new lines as they were chafing against each other or on the frame. Part of the fix will be adding a clamp that separates both lines and keeps them from contacting each other.

The dealer has to order the new line so it will be a few days before it is moving again. The tech believes that the low oil pressure was caused by air getting sucked in from puncture. Hope that's all it is.

I will keep you all posted. I will definitely be looking for the K&P filter and seriously consider an oil cooler.

 

[DRBarnhart]

If you have a leak in the oil supply line to the oil pump you've found your problem!

Assuming your filter is clean and the level of oil in the tank is at least above the supply line (my guess is that would only take a quart or so) then neither oil coolers, filters, or quantity in the tank have anything to do with your pressure problem.

If your oil pump is sucking in air along with the oil it means your oil pump is suffering a form of cavitation (actually it's "air ingestion" but the they act a lot alike). Cavitation reduces the pressure and volume of a pump. In short, it's a bad thing. (There's plenty to be found Googling if you're really interested in the physics of this...)

You only see the light at idle because that's when the pump is putting out its minimum. The larger the hole gets the faster the pump would have to turn to make enough pressure to satisfy the pressure switch. Cavitation is also very hard on the teeth of the oil pump and can ruin the pump if it goes on long enough!

Anyway, replace the line and you'll be good to go. :2thumbs:

Dennis

 

[RRRUFF]

All those who said air getting suck into the system, good call.:2thumbs:
That would be my call at that pressure it wouldn't take much of a leak on the suction side of the pump to cause problems.

 

[Roaddawg]

Well it turns out that both bottom lines were actually compromised. Apparently after 25,000 miles of rubbing together they wore through and developed the leak.

New lines and the addition of oil line separator clamps solved the problem and will prevent further occurences.

Here are the bad lines, the top one was wearing against the bottom one

and here are the oil line separtors

Now the dog is back on the road and running hard and fast!

God, I love America!!:flag:

 

[Trainguy]

Good Find Dawg! :2thumbs:

That's a tricky one to find for sure!

You previously made a comment regarding "increasing" oil pressure. Nothing you do short of replacing the oil pump, with a "higher" pressure pump will "increase" oil pressure.
The pressure and/or the oil light might be your issue now, but please correct that issue first before going into other areas and making changes.
Added pressure is not really whats needed for any engine. In the "old" days people changed to "higher" pressure pumps because it was the only thing that was know to get "more" oil to the engine. Later on, it was learned that "high" pressure was "NOT" what was needed here. However, the high "Volume" pumps were the correct answer to the problems, and would move "much" more oil!

Now in saying all that. :Yawn: :zwhistle: :Yawn:

Dawg if you'll install a K&P oil filter that was previously suggested and I agree. That unit will not only lower the oil operating temperatures due to the aluminum housing, but it will also increase oil "flow" potential which is somewhat the same thing as increasing the "volume" of oil being moved!

I would suggest the installation of a "oil pressure" gauge and changing over to the K&P filter. I think that will provide you with a much better insight into the matter, before you go out and buy a "oil cooler". Which you "may" find out that you might need anyway later on.
But no matter what I would recommend the installation of a "oil pressure gauge" and the "K&P Oil Filter"!

Go Luck! :2thumbs:

What is and where do I find a K&P oil filter?

 

[Chopper Dave]

What is and where do I find a K&P oil filter?

here ya go DJ....contact Mad Dog and he can hook ya up:up:
http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/group-buys/9739-k-p-oil-filters-group-buy.html

 

[Trainguy]

here ya go DJ....contact Mad Dog and he can hook ya up:up:
http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/group-buys/9739-k-p-oil-filters-group-buy.html

Thank You

 

[Mark E]

Oil Leak

I was riding from Columbia, South Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida. I pulled in to a gas station to helmet up right before the Georgia line and noticed I had oil all over the back right side of my 08 Mastiff. I thought I had blew an oil line due to the amount of oil dripping. I cleaned the oil up and discovered that it was coming from the tappet screen bolt. The O-ring had split and oil was coming out from around the bolt. I recommend stopping by an auto parts store and adding an extra one to your travel tool kits after your next oil change.