![]() They would be correct, but the modern techniques we use today were not common in the 70s and early 80s. Perhaps this improved process is an upgrade in quality control. With the advancement of technology and improved machining techniques, the quality of a rebuild Shovelhead engine reduces the likelihood of seeing an oil leak. Applying Modern Techniques to the Shovelhead As a result, the quality of the bike declined to a worse state than before the partnership with AMF. The problem was AMF had its hands in everything and knew little about what the brand needed to improve. Harley was not doing very well, so the partnership with AMF was a glimmer of hope to improve the brand and the bike. It has kept me from even considering any Harley from this era. On the face of it, it sounds like many places for the black gold to ooze from the big twin. While digging on a few forums of the years, I have come across several mentions of oil lines leaking. The oil pump was another commonplace for them to leak. When you look at the numbers on a large scale, the shovelhead engine had a few common places it would leak.Ī worn engine may leak at the head or valve cover gaskets. Common Oil Leaks For The ShovelheadĪs I noted earlier in the post, any engine at any point in time may develop a leak. Rebuilding shovelhead engines with modern techniques reduce the likelihood of an oil leak. Leaks on brand new motorcycles from 1966 to 1984 (primarily the AMF years) were from poor quality control. Worn head gaskets, valve cover gaskets, and oil pump seals are common places for these engines to leak. The Shovelhead engine was the curator of the image that all Harley’s leak oil. “Harley’s mark their spot with an oil drip.” Unfortunately, this reputation has not completely left the brand. We have all heard it and read jokes online about it. The problem comes when we go looking for something to justify a bias we already have. There will be a few individual bikes here or there with leaks or failures of some kind. No manufacturer can build with 100% quality. ![]() Here is the list of bikes:Īlso if you look hard enough, you find every model will have an out outlier bike. Looking at the more recent history of Harley, we know in 2017 many of the touring models had a voluntary recall due to an malfunction with an oil line. As we already know, there are other places that oil leaks happen. You can read the post for yourself, but I think it goes a little beyond this explanation. It seems from this post on Quora, a contributor gives a little history on the reason Harleys leaked as a means to lubricate the primary chain. The stereotyping did not seem to be associate with any one particular model.Ĭuriosity got the better of me so I spend sometime going through forums and various other items to discover an interesting take on the topic of Harley models that leak oil. Common Harley Models that Leak OilĪs I already alluded, the many of the older models of Harley use to mark thier spot on the showroom floor. Other manufactures generally make the transmission part of the engine housing, whereas Harley separates the two components. They were not hard to fix but Harleys seem to have more of them than other brands. My Harley has had a few small leaks with the seals being the biggest cause. This creates potential areas for leaks to develops. More Seals and O-Rings May Create More Leaks for Harleyīecause of the way Harleys are made, there are generally more seals and o-rings on them than you would find on other manufacturers. I can tell you from experience working with the oil lines on a Harley is not something I enjoy. I will spare you the details but know that AMF did nothing to help make the bikes better.ĭuring recent years, Harley did make a recall of some 57,000 bikes due to an oil line coming loose. If you are a Harley fan, you know this took place during some of the dark years of Harley’s history. The quality of the bikes was not as high as it is today. Quality Control Leading To Harley Oil Leaks ![]() Speaking of quality control, we can look back to the period in time when Harley’s “marked their spot” with an oil leak on the showroom floor. The only thing we can do is talk about larger trends and quality control. But you need to know there is no direct answer one can apply to the WHY question. Yes, that was a blanket answer to the question why do Harley’s leak oil. Because some Harleys have external oil lines, these can also be common places for oil leaks. They can also leak oil from the drain plug and starter areas. Generally speaking, Harleys leak oil from the primary cover located on the left handsome of the motorcycle because of bad seals or o-rings. ![]() The root cause can be just about anything. Like any vehicle, a motorcycle can leak oil. I spoke with a long time motorcycle tech and here is what he had to say on the topic. We’ve all heard this and many still believe the saying. When a Harley leaks oil, it marks its spot. ![]()
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