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Wet sumping............

Borderlord

Borderlord

Member
My '86 Sportster has been sitting in my front room for the past 4 years...I've been riding my '65 Triumph Tiger 90.........so I took the Sportster out today with a view to getting a new battery and getting her on the road too.........giving her a check over I dipped the oil tank and most of the engine oil has gone...and none of it on the floor I might add...has she wet sumped??? And it this a common occurrence? My old 1944 BSA M20 used to do this and it was just a matter of draining the sump. But the Harley looks a different ballgame. Is it just a matter of starting her and the oil pump will return the oil to the oil tank or is there more to this. The oil in the primary chaincase is perfect. So...what's my next step................thanks...Borderlord.
 
I am not a Sporty guy but I am pretty sure you can start up and watch the oil pumped back up from the sump into the tank. That could take a while so be patient. Four years is a long time so I would be changing the oil pronto.;)
 
Pull the plugs and shoot a little oil down the cylinders, turn it over with the plugs out a few times to get the oil moving around a bit. As dolt said 4 years is a long time, things are pretty dried out.
 
I prefer to take the plugs out and let the starter do the work for most of the oil. Harder on the battery, but not as much chance of blowing a crank seal with the excess pressure of a running engine (not a lot of chance blowing a seal,,,but.)
 
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