Oil drip from air filter housing - Harley Forum

mikexl883r · #1 04-03-2009, 05:47 AM

I've had the oil leaking out from the housing for damn near two years on my 883R. Right after I put on the K&N filter it started. I tried manny things to stop it but it is oil blown out from the case breathers. Now I could spend $125 on a stage one kit but I have been broke for a long time. Or I could spend my money on one of the breather kits that routes the oil down to the ground in front of my rear wheel. I didn't want to do either of those so I just lived with it. Well last week I just couldn't stand it anymore and I finally figured a sure fire way to make that leak stop. I tested it out for a hundred miles and it is still working fine so my idea works and best of all it only cost me about $1.00. What I did was I took off the air filter and using two pieces of brake line (steel) I bent them into a "U" shape that will go from the breathers to the center of the carb opening. I measured it out so that even if they were to come out of the breathers that they couldn't be drawn into the carb. Then I was able to fish them through the air filter and using rubber vacuum line I was able to make two grommets to fit around the brake line and make a very tight seal to the inside of the breathers. I put the vacuum line onto my brake lines first then fit it into the breathers. You have to use a little lube to get it in there but once they are you have to really work to get them loose. So I then put the airfilter up to the backing plate. You have to seat the lines into the breathers first then push on the air filter (it is a tight fit) then assembled the housing. Thats it and it works awsome and doesnt cost anything but a little time. I have a pic of it for those of you that have the same problem as me. You kind of have to look close at the picture to see what I have done. Hope this helps someone.

street bob · #2 04-03-2009, 01:43 PM

Nice job... and very creative.

shovelmike · #3 04-03-2009, 02:33 PM

A fine job there, thanks for sharing that info with us.

Hammerhead Pat · #4 04-03-2009, 04:51 PM

Very creative

All that was needed was to get the oil directed into the throat of the carb. And you also have the satisfaction of keeping some cash out of the "stealership"

#5 04-07-2009, 02:02 PM

I have an S "n" S teardrop filter on my 2003 Sporty, I just ran a length of rubber pipe down to the bottom of the bike, no problems since.

unclepsycho · #6 04-08-2009, 12:09 AM

Oiling down the rear tire with a long tube from the air cleaner might not be good. On a tryke, it would be ok.

I was wondering about the oiling up of the intake...and fouling of plugs... hows that going??
Do you need to shoot carb cleaner in there every so often to keep it kleen???

mikexl883r · #7 04-08-2009, 06:27 AM

Haven't run into a fouling problem yet. I havn't had enough time on the bike since I put this on. I don't think that will be a problem. It is such a fine mist that gets sent into the carb don't think it will matter. The stock breather system is designed to do that anyhow this just makes it work for the the aftermarket high flow airfilters. The reason that it drips is a buildup over a period of time in the airfilter housing so the little bit that does come out you probably won't even notice in the cylinder. Of course that is what I think but I don't have enough miles on it to be conclusive.

mikexl883r · #8 04-18-2009, 10:31 PM

Ok have put two tanks of expressway and high speed trips and no leaks at all. It works perfectly. Just to let you all know.

sportsterpaul · #9 06-08-2009, 11:27 PM

mikexl883r: Nice job and I am sure others will follow suit. For those of you dumping to the ground, as I did previously on the hotrod bike, your dump tube can be extended back along the cam cover down to the exhaust mounting bracket back it to the vicinity of the rear axle. As luck would have it my tube had a slight curve in it and was aimed outward away from the tire and no more mess on the bike. You have to look very hard even to notice it.

tat2ed · #10 08-16-2009, 06:12 PM

i'm a little confused here, don't have a ton of experience working on motorcycles. i have the Arlen Ness big sucker stage 1 kit and have the same problem. the 2 hoses are they connected to the two orfices next to the axcellerator pump? the one that shoots the gas into the carb. or r they just kinda in the middle of everything?