| Author | Message | ||
     Snackbar64 |
I have a small oil leak near the rear head. Harley says that the leak was only repairable by using this part which would basically call for rebuilding the engine. There is only 17,000 miles on this engine. Is this the beginning of more major engine trouble? Does this sound correct? | ||
| Blake |
What are you talking about, "this part"? Where exactly is the oil leak? No top end oil leak that I know of requires rebuilding the entire engine. | ||
| Snackbar64 |
The part is the engine repair kit. The leak is just above the primary, where the two Cylinder heads meet. The oil is not running down the side of the primary. It is contained and sits in one spot like a stain, but the oil is always fresh even after I clean it to see where it is coming from it returns to the same spot. It is not really noticeable until you bend down and look just atop the primary. It has not caused me any performance problems and the leak has been there for more than two years. The mechanic said that the top end kit would allow him to rebuild the top end, thus fixing the problem. | ||
| Road_thing |
Engine repair kit? A picture might help us understand what you're saying. It could be a leaky rocker box gasket (that's a real common problem and a real easy fix. Search the Knowledge Vault for lots of information) or it could be the starter gasket (You have to go into the primary to fix this one, buts it's still not a big deal). Is the oil clean or black? If it's clean oil, it's more likely to be coming from the primary/transmission; if it's black, it's probably motor oil and the leak is more likely a rocker box or some other gasket on the top end. Hope this helps. rt | ||
| Snackbar64 |
The oil is black and yes it does help. Thanks a lot. Harley advised me that it would be multiple hrs worth of labor to fix it totaling $803.00 | ||
| Pammy |
Is there any oil above that? Possibly leading down to the cylinder base? If not,it sounds like a base gasket. If it is just weeping, let it go. No great harm. (Message edited by pammy on April 03, 2007) | ||
| Road_thing |
Pammy's here! Listen to this lady, she knows wherof she speaks. Snack, your troubles are over! rt (unless you p*ss her off, in which case they're just beginning)! | ||
| Sportyeric |
I think Snackbar has his terminology a bit messed up. When you say "head", I think what you are referring to is the cylinder. The head sits on top of that but they both look like a single piece unless you look closely. The head actually begins about halfway up the finned section of each leg of the V. Below that its the cylinder. So the leak is at the bottom of the V, right? As Pammy says, its a base gasket leak. Harley's don't actually leak oil. They are just marking their spot. Seriously, it doesn't do any harm. Just ignore it until it is time for a rebuild. I have a suspicion that base gasket leaks may begin because of getting on the power before letting the motor get up to operating temperature, which would keep a good squeeze on that gasket. I think they now have a newer, better gasket than was used a few years ago. | ||
| Pammy |
(unless you p*ss her off, in which case they're just beginning)! It's hard to imagine how transparent I seem, considering how very thick I am...   | ||
| Bomber |
so many ways to go wrong . . . | ||
| Road_thing |
go ahead, pick one... ...or are ya chicken? | ||
| Pammy |
In the imortal words of my favorite actor... "Go ahead...make my day"  Anybody ever tell y'all that you two are like the Cheech and Chong of the badweb? You fellers crack me up... | ||
| Road_thing |
Oh, wow, man... | ||
| Bomber |
no sweat, man, it's just an ambulance! | ||
| Pammy |
Boys, Boys, I am not a violent soul...I would never cause anyone physical harm... I may leave you cowering in a corner, crying like a little girl.....nuthin' you couldn't recover from with help from a little prozac or possibly lithium.  | ||
| Road_thing |
Been there, done that... rt | ||
| Bomber |
physical harm? I LAUGH in the face of physical harm! it's that emotional scaring that scares me -- all that therapy afterwards, and all course, the chemo-therapy ain't have bad . . . . . . | ||
| Blake |
"Emotional scaring"... "have bad"... You ain't enjoying some therapy already this mornin' are ya?  Being made from barley, Scotch is in the cereal food group right? Interesting, my dictionary shows the following definition for "scotch" among others. scotch | ||
| Blake |
![: ]](http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/proud.gif) | ||
| Ceejay |
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| Fulgur |
Yo Snackbar, s**t I know about rebuilding Bl**dy XB engines by now (IMO its got nice performance but has some serious flaws, especially if you ride hard). If its leaking from a gasket it is not a technically difficult job but it is a pain as you have to strip down a bit (the bike not yourself). You can replace all the gaskets on the rear pot without removing the engine (believe it or not) but you will have to rotate it forward. If you want a run through I can give you one. I have to check out my rear piston next chance I get so I can even get you some pix if you want. I would think that if it is not much oil, no funny noises and no loss of performance that it not much to worry about though. .....Fulgur. | ||
| Qoatis |
what brand of complete engine gasket is the best for the xb? | ||
| Rootintootin |
I just got a full set of Cometic Gaskets from a friend with a private HD shop. It is a new item in the '07 Drag catalog, for the XB9. No more paper base gaskets, good metal ones and I really like the sandwich head gaskets. It was supposed to have blue viton valve guide seals, they weren't in the box. A call to Drag got them 2 days later, direct from Cometic. There were no pushrod tube gaskets and the lower rocker cover gaskets don't look the same. There were flat exhaust but no intake seals. A full set for the primary. Also, a bag full of assorted seals. I don't know if it is the best or not, I'm still waiting on parts to put the engine back together. The full set (purchased at dealer cost) didn't cost me much more than just the rocker box gasket set I bought from the local HD dealer. I think retail was something like $140. By the way, the manual says to do the cylinders and pistons, you have to remove the engine from the frame, not just rotate. I don't know about that. I've got my whole top end off with just rotation and the rear was easier. About the hardest part was the front and rearmost screws holding the pushrod tubes, they were hidden under the cylinder fins for the most part and I couldn't get to them with the tools I have without pulling the cylinders. As far as I know, this is the first time the motor has been this far apart and all the screws in the rocker boxes and pushrod tubes were locked. |
