Watching someone who makes a mistake and then admits it and shows how to do it correctly and not edit it out gets big respect from me, love watching your videos, keep up the good work👍👍
The low oil presure on a twin cam is your best friend . The real issue with the plunger is not that it sticks open to create low pressure but more importantly that it sticks closed creates to much pressure the piston oilers operate wide open at all times and the scavenge side can’t keep up and your bike sumps
If I screw up I'll be the first to admit it. I won't hide it or make excuses for my own stupidity. That was just a dumb mistake on my part and a wake up call. But thanks
Actually not a bad video even considering he had the plunger backward etc. However, I've done this a number of times for friends and the only difference is I will 'lap' the plunger into the seat - that makes a big difference. It's a lot of work but, worth the effort so long as you do it your self otherwise, get hold of the Axtell Oil Bypass upgrade kit and presto, you are done!
Good video. I made my tool out of a $1.99 1/4" nut driver from Harbor Freight I simply notched with a grinder using a cutting wheel. I needed mine short as I pulled it while the cam plate was still installed. I used the eraser end of a cut to length wooden pencil, to pull the plunger. Just make sure you stuff a lint free rag into the drain back to the sump, in case the roll pin goes flying.
Glad you liked the video. Yep if you put you're mind to it there's a lot of tools you can make yourself. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching
My buddy had to go retrieve his father's 99 Electra from a "Friend" of his father's after he passed away. The bike had sat for several years. Once home we got it running, and after a good quality oil change and 200 miles of run, the oil pressure drops to 0 warm at idle. We believe what you explained here is the issue. Knocked crud loose, scummed up that bypass valve. We will try to take it out and clean it.
Thanks for the comment, while you have it apart check the oil pump also. Hope it's just the pressure relief valve stuck open. Thanks for watching and ride safe.
01 RK I bought with 26k miles. Second owner had it for 15 years and put a couple thousand miles on it since it was his Florida SnowBird bike that was used a few months every year. Just for fun, I pulled the camchest cover and inspected the tensioner shoes. They look very good, almost no wear. I then put on an oil pressure gauge, because I jist wanted to know! (No engine or valve train noise). I use 50W oil here because we have no cold weather here! Oil pressure on start up slammed the 60psi gauge, so I installed a higher quality 100psi gauge... It starts out at 80 to 90 psi on warmup then settles down to 60 and sometimes 50 after warmup. Sometimes at idle!. But never below 45 to 50 anytime. Here's the rub. AFter the oil gets good and hot, it will sometimes get up to 90 at 2500rpm and moves around between 65 to 95 at times. I put in 20w50 just to see, and it does the same. I'm thinking the spring was changed way back and maybe the plunger is sticking closed??? Or bypass piston is sticking closed??? Ordered a Fueling plate and hyd tensioner conversion, but it is back ordered. Had I not installed the gauge, I would be dumb and happy riding along at 100PSI!!!
Wow that's way to high. It sounds like the pressure relief valve is stuck closed. You'll like the Feuling cam plate and pump. Have the Fueling on mine. 60 psi cold and 30 psi hot. Reduced my engine temp by 20 degrees. I live by a oil pressure gauge. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching.
Thank you for this video I came to it right on time, I am in the process of changing my tensioners and inspecting cams etc. so I will take a look at the oil relive valve as per your indications. Would it be a good idea to add some assembly oil to it?
Thank you very much for your timely response. Do you think it could possibly be a stuck relief valve? It looks like I can remove it and inspect it for any debris / damage without removing it from the bike. Would a stuck relief valve show no pressure at all ? With only 15K miles do you honestly think it could be the oil pump ? It happened almost instantaneously had had normal oil pressure right before going to zero. If I do end up pulling the cam plate do you recommend cutting the push-rods and going with the quickies or pull the tank and remove the rocker boxes ? Thank you for the assistance, Rick
To be perfectly honest I've never seen a stuck pressure relief valve cause 0 oil pressure. I suppose it's possible but I've not seen it. Are you the original owner? If you are than you know everything that's been done on the bike, if not they may have been work done to it that you don't know about. If you remove the pressure relief valve while it's on the bike and get a lot of debris out of it that debris has also gone through the oil pump. Stock Harley pumps usually last about 60,000 miles unless they've been damaged. When you remove the pressure relief valve take note of the debris that's in there. It should just be crude from the oil, if there is metallic material in it you have a bigger problem and again all that stuff has run through the pump. Hope this helps.
Great video’s; very detailed and informative. I watched the one on oil relief valve and oil pumps today. I have a question that I’m hoping you can help me with. I’ve been riding for approximately 55 years ( getting old ) 😎 Anyway my 2003 Harley Anniversary Edition Ultra Classic lost all oil pressure yesterday while idling in my garage ………. Bike only has 15,600 miles and is like brand new ,Thank god this time I didn’t walk away from it. The gauge went to zero; I waited about 10 minutes and started it again; still nothing. Waited 30 minutes and the same result. Today I removed the oil pressure sending unit and installed a gauge (it read zero) , I pulled the exhaust this afternoon and removed the timing chain cover. Everything looks brand new including the chain tensioner. No evidence of any debris anywhere was planning on inspecting the spring and plunger. Any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. It happed all at once, I’m having a hard time believing that it is anything major. Could I have a collapsed oil filter ? Probably shoul have checked that first ? Thank you very much ………. Keep up the great videos.
Sorry to hear you have no oil pressure. I was going to suggest you pull the sending unit out and put a gauge on it to see if indeed you lost pressure, but you've already done that. So you have a good idea of what you're doing. I would recommend pulling the cam plate ( the cams and oil pump will come out with it). Remove the oil pump and inspect it for any wear or damage, also check the cam plate for a crack. If it's a stock cast cam plate they sometimes develop weak spots and crack which would cause you to lose pressure the way you describe. Also there is a small screen in the case which seats against the pump, pull that to see if there's debris in it blocking the oil flow. Also check the pressure relief valve. I hope this helps you find the problem. I did a video about 3 years ago about a cracked cam plate and I show the crack in the video. The crack is hard to see, but it may give you a idea what to look for. Hope it's something simple. Thanks for watching
Assuming regular oil & filter changes at around how many miles would checking the relief value be recommended? And I gather you aren't recommending a new roll pin on reassembly?
You only need to check the relief valve when you open the cam chest to check or change tensioners, or your having a oil pressure problem. You can reuse the roll pin without a problem. Thanks for the question and thanks for watching. Ride safe
Put a baisleys spring in mine what a huge difference I never checked the oil pressure beforehand ,I removed the oil pressure switch and screwed a oil pressure gauge on there I fired it up from cold and was looking at over 30 psi on idle and 60 when I upped the revs .I think the gauge I used was a good one and was accurate ? I wish now I'd checked it before fitting the aftermarket spring .anyway it's running great 👍 any one else tried these springs ?
I've used Baisley springs on the pressure relief valves when I rebuilt the cam plates. They've always worked very well. It would be something I would recommend for a stock cam plate. You get a much better seal on the plunger or piston than you do with the stock spring and plunger. Thanks for your input and thanks for watching. Ride safe.
I have the feuling plate and oil pump in my bike and lost all oil pressure. Any idea if the valve sticking could cause total loss of pressure? And also are the feuling pumps prone to any failure? Thanks in advance
If the pressure relief valve is stuck open it would cause loss of oil pressure but probably not a total loss. Usually total is caused by something else like oil pump failure. I've seen all makes of oil pumps fail for various reasons. The most common reasons I've seen are debris running through the pump and also to great of pinion shaft run out. Thanks for watching and ride safe.
Got a quick question if you can get back to me working on one right now that I believe the relief valve is stuck I’m not sure but it is blowing oil. It keeps blowing the oil filter basically off it feels so much pressure. It will swell the oil filter up and then spit it through the O-ring. Have you ever run across this problem please let me know if so I’m thinking I’m in the right direction if not, any help would greatly be appreciated.
I have run into that problem. It could be the pressure relief valve stuck closed which just allows it to keep building pressure. The times I've run into it, it has been a bike that someone else has worked on and covered a return hole with a gasket which creates a mess. Check the pressure relief valve and check all return holes to make sure there not blocked. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching
It can if the valve is stuck closed. But 9 times out of 10 bikes I've had in here with the complaint of blowing the dipstick out the cause has been the oil was overfilled. Thanks for watching and ride safe
The solid side of the plunger should face inward to seat the opening in the cam plate. The hollow side faces out. The hollow side is also where the spring is inserted and compressed than held in place by the roll pin. Hope this clears up the confusion. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching
Watching someone who makes a mistake and then admits it and shows how to do it correctly and not edit it out gets big respect from me, love watching your videos, keep up the good work👍👍
Thanks I appreciate that. Thanks for watching
Making mistakes is human - it’s how we handle them that defines us. You sir, are a good human. Thanks
Thank you for the kind words and thank you for watching.
Honesty on UA-cam is very rare…. Keep up the great work love watching
Thank you for the kind words. And thanks for watching the videos.
The low oil presure on a twin cam is your best friend . The real issue with the plunger is not that it sticks open to create low pressure but more importantly that it sticks closed creates to much pressure the piston oilers operate wide open at all times and the scavenge side can’t keep up and your bike sumps
Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching ride safe
You owned up to it, that's great. Thank you for being honest.
If I screw up I'll be the first to admit it. I won't hide it or make excuses for my own stupidity. That was just a dumb mistake on my part and a wake up call. But thanks
The “gut” is one of the most valuable tools in my service bay when I need spare hands!
Ain't that the truth, thanks for watching and ride safe.
Its all good brother....you have much more "atta boys"...to recover...no worries...keep up the good work, ty again!
Thanks for the kind words. Thanks for watching
Actually not a bad video even considering he had the plunger backward etc. However, I've done this a number of times for friends and the only difference is I will 'lap' the plunger into the seat - that makes a big difference. It's a lot of work but, worth the effort so long as you do it your self otherwise, get hold of the Axtell Oil Bypass upgrade kit and presto, you are done!
Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching
Right on brother it takes a big man to do what you just did keep up the good work and keep cranking the videos out 👍
Thank you for the kind words. Thank you for watching
Good video. I made my tool out of a $1.99 1/4" nut driver from Harbor Freight I simply notched with a grinder using a cutting wheel. I needed mine short as I pulled it while the cam plate was still installed. I used the eraser end of a cut to length wooden pencil, to pull the plunger.
Just make sure you stuff a lint free rag into the drain back to the sump, in case the roll pin goes flying.
Glad you liked the video. Yep if you put you're mind to it there's a lot of tools you can make yourself. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching
My buddy had to go retrieve his father's 99 Electra from a "Friend" of his father's after he passed away. The bike had sat for several years. Once home we got it running, and after a good quality oil change and 200 miles of run, the oil pressure drops to 0 warm at idle. We believe what you explained here is the issue. Knocked crud loose, scummed up that bypass valve. We will try to take it out and clean it.
Thanks for the comment, while you have it apart check the oil pump also. Hope it's just the pressure relief valve stuck open. Thanks for watching and ride safe.
01 RK I bought with 26k miles. Second owner had it for 15 years and put a couple thousand miles on it since it was his Florida SnowBird bike that was used a few months every year. Just for fun, I pulled the camchest cover and inspected the tensioner shoes. They look very good, almost no wear. I then put on an oil pressure gauge, because I jist wanted to know! (No engine or valve train noise). I use 50W oil here because we have no cold weather here! Oil pressure on start up slammed the 60psi gauge, so I installed a higher quality 100psi gauge... It starts out at 80 to 90 psi on warmup then settles down to 60 and sometimes 50 after warmup. Sometimes at idle!. But never below 45 to 50 anytime. Here's the rub. AFter the oil gets good and hot, it will sometimes get up to 90 at 2500rpm and moves around between 65 to 95 at times. I put in 20w50 just to see, and it does the same. I'm thinking the spring was changed way back and maybe the plunger is sticking closed??? Or bypass piston is sticking closed???
Ordered a Fueling plate and hyd tensioner conversion, but it is back ordered.
Had I not installed the gauge, I would be dumb and happy riding along at 100PSI!!!
Wow that's way to high. It sounds like the pressure relief valve is stuck closed. You'll like the Feuling cam plate and pump. Have the Fueling on mine. 60 psi cold and 30 psi hot. Reduced my engine temp by 20 degrees. I live by a oil pressure gauge. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching.
0
Innovation as well ! ONYA mate!
Necessity is the mother of invention. Thanks for watching
Thank you
Glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching and ride safe
Thank you for this video I came to it right on time, I am in the process of changing my tensioners and inspecting cams etc. so I will take a look at the oil relive valve as per your indications. Would it be a good idea to add some assembly oil to it?
Glad you liked the video. It won't hurt anything to apply a light coat of oil to the plunger. Thanks for watching.
Hi, Thanks for good video. Can you do this without taking the cam plate out from the bike?
Thanks for the question, the answer is no you have to take the cam plate off the bike to drive the roll pin out. Thanks for watching and ride safe
Thank you very much for your timely response. Do you think it could possibly be a stuck relief valve? It looks like I can remove it and inspect it for any debris / damage without removing it from the bike. Would a stuck relief valve show no pressure at all ? With only 15K miles do you honestly think it could be the oil pump ? It happened almost instantaneously had had normal oil pressure right before going to zero. If I do end up pulling the cam plate do you recommend cutting the push-rods and going with the quickies or pull the tank and remove the rocker boxes ?
Thank you for the assistance,
Rick
To be perfectly honest I've never seen a stuck pressure relief valve cause 0 oil pressure. I suppose it's possible but I've not seen it. Are you the original owner? If you are than you know everything that's been done on the bike, if not they may have been work done to it that you don't know about. If you remove the pressure relief valve while it's on the bike and get a lot of debris out of it that debris has also gone through the oil pump. Stock Harley pumps usually last about 60,000 miles unless they've been damaged. When you remove the pressure relief valve take note of the debris that's in there. It should just be crude from the oil, if there is metallic material in it you have a bigger problem and again all that stuff has run through the pump. Hope this helps.
Great video’s; very detailed and informative. I watched the one on oil relief valve and oil pumps today. I have a question that I’m hoping you can help me with. I’ve been riding for approximately 55 years ( getting old ) 😎
Anyway my 2003 Harley Anniversary Edition Ultra Classic lost all oil pressure yesterday while idling in my garage ………. Bike only has 15,600 miles and is like brand new ,Thank god this time I didn’t walk away from it. The gauge went to zero; I waited about 10 minutes and started it again; still nothing. Waited 30 minutes and the same result. Today I removed the oil pressure sending unit and installed a gauge (it read zero) , I pulled the exhaust this afternoon and removed the timing chain cover. Everything looks brand new including the chain tensioner. No evidence of any debris anywhere was planning on inspecting the spring and plunger.
Any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. It happed all at once, I’m having a hard time believing that it is anything major. Could I have a collapsed oil filter ? Probably shoul have checked that first ?
Thank you very much ………. Keep up the great videos.
Sorry to hear you have no oil pressure. I was going to suggest you pull the sending unit out and put a gauge on it to see if indeed you lost pressure, but you've already done that. So you have a good idea of what you're doing. I would recommend pulling the cam plate ( the cams and oil pump will come out with it). Remove the oil pump and inspect it for any wear or damage, also check the cam plate for a crack. If it's a stock cast cam plate they sometimes develop weak spots and crack which would cause you to lose pressure the way you describe. Also there is a small screen in the case which seats against the pump, pull that to see if there's debris in it blocking the oil flow. Also check the pressure relief valve. I hope this helps you find the problem.
I did a video about 3 years ago about a cracked cam plate and I show the crack in the video. The crack is hard to see, but it may give you a idea what to look for. Hope it's something simple. Thanks for watching
ua-cam.com/video/LN2J3na67mo/v-deo.htmlsi=9HDdkMXa827_qhFG
Assuming regular oil & filter changes at around how many miles would checking the relief value be recommended? And I gather you aren't recommending a new roll pin on reassembly?
You only need to check the relief valve when you open the cam chest to check or change tensioners, or your having a oil pressure problem. You can reuse the roll pin without a problem. Thanks for the question and thanks for watching. Ride safe
Put a baisleys spring in mine what a huge difference I never checked the oil pressure beforehand ,I removed the oil pressure switch and screwed a oil pressure gauge on there I fired it up from cold and was looking at over 30 psi on idle and 60 when I upped the revs .I think the gauge I used was a good one and was accurate ? I wish now I'd checked it before fitting the aftermarket spring .anyway it's running great 👍 any one else tried these springs ?
I've used Baisley springs on the pressure relief valves when I rebuilt the cam plates. They've always worked very well. It would be something I would recommend for a stock cam plate. You get a much better seal on the plunger or piston than you do with the stock spring and plunger. Thanks for your input and thanks for watching. Ride safe.
I have the feuling plate and oil pump in my bike and lost all oil pressure. Any idea if the valve sticking could cause total loss of pressure? And also are the feuling pumps prone to any failure? Thanks in advance
If the pressure relief valve is stuck open it would cause loss of oil pressure but probably not a total loss. Usually total is caused by something else like oil pump failure. I've seen all makes of oil pumps fail for various reasons. The most common reasons I've seen are debris running through the pump and also to great of pinion shaft run out. Thanks for watching and ride safe.
Got a quick question if you can get back to me working on one right now that I believe the relief valve is stuck I’m not sure but it is blowing oil. It keeps blowing the oil filter basically off it feels so much pressure. It will swell the oil filter up and then spit it through the O-ring. Have you ever run across this problem please let me know if so I’m thinking I’m in the right direction if not, any help would greatly be appreciated.
I have run into that problem. It could be the pressure relief valve stuck closed which just allows it to keep building pressure. The times I've run into it, it has been a bike that someone else has worked on and covered a return hole with a gasket which creates a mess. Check the pressure relief valve and check all return holes to make sure there not blocked. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching
Will it cause the oil cap to blow off
It's like I'm getting to much pressure
It can if the valve is stuck closed. But 9 times out of 10 bikes I've had in here with the complaint of blowing the dipstick out the cause has been the oil was overfilled. Thanks for watching and ride safe
I'm confused because also when the plunger is pulled out it is facing solid side up that's what his magnet is hooked to
The solid side of the plunger should face inward to seat the opening in the cam plate. The hollow side faces out. The hollow side is also where the spring is inserted and compressed than held in place by the roll pin. Hope this clears up the confusion. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching
👍
Thanks for watching