Forum

[Graham43]

Will this knowledgeable forum explain to a simple soul like me why would my Electra X start dumping significant amounts of oil out of its breathers only on trips more than ten minutes long? Is this wet sumping? If so what makes a continent engine become incontinent? All help will be appreciated.

[Adrian]

Most likely blocked breather pipe(s) somewhere, the factory set-up for the Electra-X is very prone to this. There have been all sorts of modifications tried and posted on this and other forums.

The best solution for normal riding is to junk the catch can and associated plumbing, just keep part of the 1/2" bore breather tubing: you want the short 90 degree bend to go onto the breather exit on top of the oil tank, and enough length in the pipe to reach the front of the rear chain. Rescue the short duckbill from the breather can and attach it to the end of the breather tubing with a short piece of 1/2" OD metal tube so that the oil mist gets the chain. Then block off the feeds to the rear of the timing case, the primary chain case and the air filter box, if it hasn't been replaced.

This works fine for most of the time, exceptions being a) overfilled oil tank, and b) very enthusiastic riding, both of which will leave your bike with an oily back end. Other less restrictive catch can options can be explored if exploring the performance of your bike is your pleasure.

Regards,

A.

[PeteF]

Not all of this applies to the Electra but general principles will be the same

[Leon Novello]

Hearing about this problem from one of the Royal Enfield Group on a recent ride; the problem is not with the hoses, it`s with a blocked duckbill "inside" the catch can.

[Alan R]

Hi guys---------- maybe a more practical solution would be to gently "off-load" the bike onto a mu.. er, Customer and replace it with an iron-barrelled model ?? I believe that the Electra-X is NORM's favourite RE ?? --- I know he swears by them, frequently !! loL..........Sorry GRAHAM43, but you are def. not alone with those symptoms you have described and there is an element of seriousness in my reply ie}--- consider selling it and get a different model...

[Norm]

Hi Alan,
I was lucky to off load my Electra/crossbred that was working exceptionally well as a Cast Iron Electra at probably a loss of $10,000 but at least it is now part of my history that I no longer dwell on, but there is still an Electra sitting in my shed that doesn't belong to me and I have been trying to off load it for 6 months and it still sits here reminding of my sad Electra days

[Graham43]

Ohhhh fellas are Electras so bad? I have two, one as a complete bike and another as the engine of my WD RE/CO sidecar replica. I like RE engines so which would you recommend that is 500cc with electric start? Meanwhile it has just dumped oil on my exhaust pipe.

[Alan R]

Hi GRAHAM 43, Have a look at the specs for a "Bullet 65"....It ticks all your "Want" boxes in one go. ie}---- Enfield engine, Electric start, 5-speed box, Old-type "Iron" Engine with all the mods sorted down the years and available En-Mass from Mr. H's Emporium.....

[Alan R]

------------- the "Iron Engine" will be much more visually acceptable in that WD replica as well...........

[Norm]

Graham the scavenge pump on an Electra should remove any oil in the sump very quickly and the oil ring should stop any oil/smoke from coming out of the exhaust unlike the old cast engine smokey wet sump things they did. Where is this oil coming from just out of the breather? If thisis the case it is because it is building up crank pressure so I would get some plastic tube and put it on the breather of the oil tank and hold it up high, run the motor and see if oil wants to try and come up the tube. Nothing should be able to come out of the breather on the inside of the timing chest because it has a duckbill fitted to it