Hitchcocks Forum

Dear Chaps,a short while ago my 2005 Electra X filled the air filter box with oil. I cleaned the hoses etc and replaced them correctly ensuring free breathing to crank, timing chest and primary side. It promptly refilled the air box!!!!!!!!!!! Today I fitted 1 meter of clear half inch hose and duck bill return valve lead it to a empty beer can on the rear mudguard. After changing the oil filter and draining the oil. also I blocked the pipe to timing vent and primary side. I refilled it with exactly 2 liters of oil. I went for a 63 mile ride of varied speeds etc. The beer catch can had caught 50 milliliters of oil. Do you think I have put in too much ie 2 liters or maybe another problem. Any ideas. Thanks Malc

Couple of things. The breather pipe should be lead up behind the battery before going down to the chain or wherever you fix it. Also, don't fill more than half way on the dipstick. If bit still blows oil you may have another problem. Possibly excessive crankcase pressure from worn bore/piston/rings/valve guides. Is the engine smoking from the exhaust at all?

Hi, the pipe leads over the battery box, no smoke from the exhaust. I have a problem with disappearing oil on the dip stick within seconds of stopping the dip stick shows no trace of oil. It is in there as I have drained it several times and measured it. the oil I have collected tonight is very light in colour. Malc

Its only done 3500 miles

You have to check the oil immediately after a run or as you say the oil will drain from the tank and there will be nothing on the dipstick. I've never managed to drain more than 1.25 to 1.5 litres out so if you have put 2 litres in then undoubtedly it is overfilled. At an oil change I measure what comes out and put the same back.I kept the catch can, just took off the pipe to the airbox,blocked the hole in the box, the pipe to the timing case was pulled off the can and allowed to breath fresh air and the spare ports on the can drained to the ground. Everything neat, looks original, works and minimum oil loss.

I have found the same as others on here, if I change the oil and put more than 1.5litres in it blows what it doesn't need out of the breather until the level drops down to the half way mark. Then I get a creamy misting down the number plate because mine vents straight to atmosphere and I never get milky oil . Mine doesn't have a duck bill because I misplaced it when I rebuilt the engine

What a relief. Sounds like I keep over filling. Will keep my jerry rigged breather and beer can on and give HARRYtheENFIELD agood thrashing to the Ponderosa Cafe tomorow. Thanks 4 the advice. Malc

SORTED with 1.75 litres of oil not 2.25 as stated in manual.HARRYtheENFIELD thrashed and no oil leaks. Thanks

I'm intrigued, amazed even, now i don't own an (X) so i have no personal experience of this vanishing oil syndrome but you all seem to think this is normal.

So please enlighten me.. I know the pumps are different to the discs in the iron barrel, so does the oil drain past and into the sump? i mean where else can you hide a litre of oil?

Why doesn't it smoke like a gorse fire like other enfields that wet sump?
HELP FRANK explain this conundrum so's i can sleep nights..

Gwilly, can't say I know for sure but I guess it must disappear into the sump. The scavenge pump is higher capacity than the classic engine so it is pumped back up much quicker so you get little smoke, some, but it clears reasonably quickly. I don't have sleepless nights over it, neither should you, just the way it seems to be with them.