Oil Tank Overflowing!

[Billua]

Bike is a 1998 Buell S3T with 13K miles on it...

Oil was last changed 2 rides ago and the bike has about 250 miles on the oil change...

I took it out yesterday on a local loop of about 25 miles. I pulled into the garage and looked down and oil was pouring out of the left side of the bike.

I shut it down, glad oil wasn't pouring on the street when I was leaning on it...

Put oil dry down, took the seat off and saw that the oil had pushed the dipstick up and had flowed out of the opening down the tank, over the swingarm and to the ground.

So, today after I cleaned everything up, I drained oil out of the tank to get the level to the lowest mark, started the bike and watched the oil flow...

The oil level started to build in the tank and I had to shut it down to prevent a overflow! What the heck????

I am concerned, does this mean there is an obstruction downline? Has there been a catastrophic failure somewhere?

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Cheers,

Bill

 

[Billua]

Wow, 3 days and no suggestions...Sorry guys, I guess I should have put that I have a 08 flstc also so I might rate a suggestion.

At any rate, I figured out the problem and will only post HD related questions in the future!

Cheers!

 

[glider]

Wow, 3 days and no suggestions...Sorry guys, I guess I should have put that I have a 08 flstc also so I might rate a suggestion.

At any rate, I figured out the problem and will only post HD related questions in the future!

Cheers!

Some problems are difficult to diagnose on the internet. Possibility of a collapsed line or bad pump, however getting an attitude will no doubt not help get you replies regardless of the bike you ride. If nobody has a suggestion on what to look for, quite possibly you will not get a reply.

Also not sharing what you found will not help others out in the future that have the same problem possibly. We all share when we can and it's not a take/take situation. It's a give/take situation here.

 

[Billua]

Some problems are difficult to diagnose on the internet. Possibility of a collapsed line or bad pump, however getting an attitude will no doubt not help get you replies regardless of the bike you ride. If nobody has a suggestion on what to look for, quite possibly you will not get a reply.

Also not sharing what you found will not help others out in the future that have the same problem possibly.

Glider, agreed and you do have a great and very useful forum here. I just find it hard to believe that no one else has ever experienced a bad bypass valve that would allow a bike that has not run for a few weeks to present itself as low on oil. Thereby, allowing an unsuspecting owner to add oil to the tank thus overfilling it, not becoming apparent until the oil is warmed to operating temp...

Sorry, I got up on the wrong side of the bed to today...:s

 

[glider]

Glider, agreed and you do have a great and very useful forum here. I just find it hard to belive that no one else has ever experienced a bad bypass valve that would allow a bike that has not run for a few weeks to present itself as low on oil. Thereby, allowing an unsuspecting owner to add oil to the tank thus overfilling it, not becoming apparent until the oil is warmed to operating temp...

Sorry, I got up on the wrong side of the bed to today...:s

The sumping problem also similar to your findings which is common on sportsters/buells/softails can do the same thing after the bike has been standing a while. No need for alarm, it just requires some attention and quite possibly some detergent additive like Marvel mystery oil added to the engine oil, ran for some good miles and dumped for a fresh oil change. The bypass will usually give you an indication of low or no oil pressure.

At least you got it figured out and getting up on the wrong side of the bed is better IMO than not being able to get out of bed at all.:s

Good luck.

 

[Billua]

At least you got it figured out and getting up on the wrong side of the bed is better IMO than not being able to get out of bed at all.:s

Good luck.

True that!

Thanks for the MMO suggestion, I have some in the garage...If that doesn't work, I will plan on replacing the bypass valve this winter.

Cheers!

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

True that!

Thanks for the MMO suggestion, I have some in the garage...If that doesn't work, I will plan on replacing the bypass valve this winter.

Cheers!

Honestly, I had thought the bypass valve could have problem, and gravity or leak down past it could do it, but I did not respond to your post because your bike was so new thinking erroneously as probably others..."IT CAN'T BE THAT SIMPLE." Sorry, glad you have the problem handled! :ap

 

[softailsteve]

well put glider

 

[porkchop]

Hey Glider, are you saying that the bypas valve got stuck open or closed? You got my att. here. would like to know a little more on this.

 

[glider]

It's basically a problem with a gravity feed situation when the valve doesn't close properly and the oil seeks the lowest level in the engine.