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[papasmurf]

When I took the bike for its MOT recently it decided to drop oil on the mechanics pristine workshop floor.
We could both see it was coming from the catch can somewhere so it still passed it's MOT.
I decided to remove the catch can today to see what the problem is. There was no oil at oil in it.
I have now replaced all the spring clips on the catch can piping with proper two coil ones, and also put an O ring in the lid.

I really hope that has cured it and also I hope I have not destroyed any of the electrical wiring making enough room to get the can out and back.

[papasmurf]

After a big struggle catch can now refitted. Engine started , (always a surprise.) electric fully functional.

A mystery the tick-over has now increased, I had to reset it.

Also in the course of dismantling the catch can it is different to the one in the online parts book for a 2006 Electra X.
There is a "ducks bill" inside the catch can on my bike, that does not appear on the online parts book. There is also a mess filter in the lid of the catch can on my bike that is not on the inline parts book either.

[stinkwheel]

There was a duckbill in the catch can on both my bullets.

The tickover increase is probably due to you unblocking the breather, reducing pumping losses and giving less static resistance.

Pinch the breather hose and the idle speed will drop as the crankcase pressurises (adding resistance to the piston descending), the engine can even stall.

[papasmurf]

I didn't (knowingly) unblock anything.

[stinkwheel]

It does however beg the question of why oil was coming out of the breather in any quantity if the crankcase wasn't pressurised. Maybe the oil leaking incident was whatever was blocked unblocking itself. Kinked hose or similar?

I once had the end of the duckbill breather on my 350 fold over (must have just caught the chain as I was pushing it backwards). The bike sounded like it was going to die, while at the same time forcing large volumes of engine oil out of every orifice and seam. Mainly the tappet cover.

Wonder if it goes faster now?

[Adrian]

As I commented earlier the late-style pre-EFI breather system was prone to blocking the main pipe, with crankcase pressure then forcing oil up via the supposed return pipe at the back of the timing chest into the catch can and on into the air filter box, over the back end of the bike and finally onto the floor.

As papasmurf has previously stated, his bike is a non-standard Electra, so I'm not sure exactly how it is/was configured, but that does sound like the standard catch can, mine also had the internal duck bill and mesh under the lid. Plenty of alternatives have been suggested on this forum, as a quick search ought to reveal.

A.

[papasmurf]

As papasmurf has previously stated, his bike is a non-standard Electra, so I'm not sure exactly how it is/was configured, but that does sound like the standard catch can, mine also had the internal duck bill and mesh under the lid. Plenty of alternatives have been suggested on this forum, as a quick search ought to reveal.

A.

My problem is neither the ducks bill or the filter are shown on the online parts diagram on this website.
The catch can on my machine also has and offset threaded post and a bracket to attach it, that is not on the parts diagram either.

[Adrian]

No, it only lists the complete breather box assembly, the current offering seems to a moulded plastic effort rather than the metal ones they used to fit.



A.

[papasmurf]

No, it only lists the complete breather box assembly, the current offering seems to a moulded plastic effort rather than the metal ones they used to fit.



A.

How much is that please as it appears to have a complete seal around the lid. The one fitted to my bike does not.

[Adrian]

According to our hosts:

PART No. 521240
BREATHER BOX ASSEMBLY
£21.73 (Excl. VAT)
£26.08 (Incl. VAT)

A.