Oil Leak

[retox]

I am preparing to start a 93 Sportster 1200 for the first time in 7 years. The owner said that the oil started overflowing the oil tank the last time he started it. I put in a new battery and a small amount of Marvel Mystery Oil in the heads waited until the next day and turned the engine over with the plugs out. The engine spun with no problems. The next day i noticed oil under the bike and traced some of it back to the battery area. The other oil leak appears to be under the shift lever.

How can i tell if there is to much oil in the bike, or could it be the check valve?

I planned to start the bike let it run for a short period of time and then change the oil and filter. The oil in the bike looks new.

What are your suggestions?

Thanks for any help you can provide...

 

[fin_676]

It is possible that oil got past the check valve and drained from the oil tank into the sump this would show an empty oil tank if oil was added to the oil tank prior to starting once the engine is turned over the oil pump would start to pump oil from the sump back into the oil tank at a faster rate than it is drawing oil for engine lubrication so that tank would soon over flow

The oil tank and battery tray on your sportster are bolted together as a single unit and mounted to the frame on rubber mounts 3 mounts on the oil tank and 1 under the battery tray
The mount under the battery tray can become deformed and fail allowing the weight of the battery tray to be taken by the 2 bolts that secure the battery tray to the oil tank this extra force can cause the oil tank to split

This issue was addressed for the face lifted 94 model sportster with a new oil tank battery tray and uprated rubber mount for the battery tray also 3 mount points between the battery tray and oil tank

Brian