Gentlemen (or Ladies),

2004 FLHR Road King - 92,000km

I know from my workshop manual that my 2004 Road King should take 4 Quarts (3.8 litres) of oil when doing an oil change. However, when I did my own oil change (after running the bike for a while to get the old oil hot) I put exactly 3.8 litres of oil in. I did a cold oil level check this morning & it barely registered on the dip stick. I then took the bike for a good run, came home, let it sit for 5 or so minutes & checked the level with a hot engine & oil. It registered a bit higher but, only at the bottom of the 'bump' on the dipstick. So, I added 0.5 of a litre for good measure & checked it again; this time it registered at the level it should for a cold engine/oil, that is halfway up the bump. So, I added another 0.5 of a litre & ran the bike, let it settle and checked it again & it was spot on the hot level for oil level mark.

Now, I do burn a little oil but, no way it burnt 1 litre of oil in 30 minutes. My bike is not smokey on startup but, I do find I have to top my oil up every 1.5 to 2 months to the tune of about 0.5 of a litre. I'm not losing oil through any of the breathers & I'm not losing oil anywhere else so, my educated guess is it must be burning some oil. 

I am not getting the symptoms I have read about if the cam compartment was filling up with oil & the scavenge pump not working. Accelaration is good, the bike does not struggle as it apparently would if the oil scavenge pump in the cam compartment wasn't working.

So, big question is: Why does my bike take 4.8 litres of oil & not the 3.8 litres it says it does in the workshop manual?

I haven't had the bike since new so, have no idea (other than the obvious) of what mods the previous owner may or may not have done that could be causing this issue.

Grateful of any assistance

Thanks in Advance

 

Does it have an oil cooler mate? That would increase system volume.

What can I say,, 4,8 litres for a basic oil change. There is approx 1 litre left in the components when you do the basic engine oil drop.. That adds up to a least 5.5 litres or more oil in the engine ,, and on the dip stick after warming up , it shows at the full mark,, it should show well over full... Something is not right !!!!!

Are you screwing in the engine oil dipstick to take a reading,, (it is not the same as the Tranny dipstick reading, where you place it on top of the treads, (ie , dont screw it in) ....

When all else fails......read the manual!  You are correct, i retract my prior post

Mate, try running it until up to temp and then immediately checking the level. There is a chance it is sumping badly (allowing oil to flow to the crankcase and thus giving an erronous reading. FYI Harleys are a dry sump engine). This would require cleaning/repairing or replacement of the ball check valve in the oil pump. Simple job.

If the bike was wet sumping shouldn't I also be getting excess oil coming out of the engine breathers & making a mess behind the air filter cover, my right leg & the ground..

This is not happening, but, I will try what Hound Dog suggested nonetheless....

Sorry , I should have been clearer, there is no check valve ball in a Twin Cam.
There are a few possible causes, but you need to figure out if it is using/burning oil or sumping.
A quick sumping check is to ride the bike until hot, try and get back to your shed without idling and shut off the engine.
Have the bike upright if possible, and pull the drain plug at the bottom of the crankcase.
You want to see around 200ml or less come out.

A lot of people are afraid to pull this plug due to damaging the crankcase (very unlikely if done properly) .
I suggest if you are unsure, let a shop handle it.
Causes can include a misaligned or worn oil pump/Cam plate or bad scavenging o'ring.

Update on this issue:

Today I was in at the local Harley dealer to pick up some bit's and pieces. Whilst I was there I had the chance to speak to the head mechanic. Described the issue & answered similar questions to those asked by folk on here.

He thinks the most likely scenario is that the oil is leaking over to the primary case; he says this is not uncommon, especially on bikes that have been left to sit for a while which, was the case with mine. Sat in a car yard for over a year before I got it at bargain price. (ie: the seals perish)

It's booked in for Thursday. first thing they do is drop the primary oil & measure exactly now much comes out. If it's more than they expect then begins a slightly longer job of pulling the primary apart to get at the seals...

He also says if I was burning as much oil as I appear to be losing over the past 6 - 8 months then I'd be riding around in a cloud of blue smoke... hoping this is the issue, will avoid a more costly top end rebuild if that's the case.

how would engine oil enter the primary case? he's talking shit, or maybe I am.

It's not oil pressure that causes it leak pass a worn seal its the pressure from the crankshaft rotation /rods / piston moving there is minimal oil in a Harley crankcase as there dry sump So no it won't rattle this has been a problem with Harley since 1903
When a seal is worn spit ,damaged.

Well, the bike has been thoroughly checked over by a different mechanic than I normally use & the verdict is in:

1. No evidence of oil passing from engine side to primary side. in fact they added 400ml to the primary.
2. No evidence of wet sumping
3. No noticeable evidence of burning oil; ie: no smoke when running, although they had to add 500ml of engiine oil to get it to correct level.

4. No evidence of any leaks anywhere

So, apparently, nothing wrong... they commented that the bike runs beautifully.... & asked the inevitable: Are you sure you put enough oil in when you did the oil change... Yes, the answer is absolutely yes... I put 3.8 litres in went for a run & had to put another 1.2 litres in to get it to level.

It's official, there is an oil black hole somewhere in my bike but, no-one knows where or why...

So, I'm gonna do my best to ignore it although I will put a litre container of oil in my saddle bag & keep the sucker topped up. Next service I will get them to do a wet & a dry leak down test. I meant to ask them to do it today but, forgot...

Anyone got any other ideas coz I am officially clueless...  

Mate, recently I picked up what I thought was 1L bottle of oil....a brand I use all the time. I thought fuck, thats cheaper than normal Ill get a few. 800ml bottle. Company now sells 800ml and 1L bottles that are identical. I know its an outside chance but just check. Also, if you were measuring from a 4L container and using one of those cheap assed measuring cups u get from the $2 shop they can be radically inaccurate. Sometimes its the simplest of things that fuck us up!