oil pressure

Just taken my '75 XLCH for its first longish run where it can really warm up.

Great fun ..... besides losing the primary oil fill plug (bugger!). However, when came to a standstill and ticking over the oil pressure light flickers on....is this OK? If revved it goes off.

Still a bit of a pig to start mostly, then sometimes first kick! Real pain when it kicks back as you kick down.

[kiwidave]

is your idle set extremely low?

About 1000 rpm

[the_french_owl]

Hi splittie65

Yes, it's fine, Sportster oil system relies on flow, not pressure, so when the engine's hot, the oil light can often flicker at iddle speeds...

Patrick

[1200shovel]

Sounds like your ignition may be over advanced if it is kicking back, retard it a tad and try again.

Thanx for the reassurance and advice.

All help gladly received!!!!

[Simon_Y]

Splittie

Other question is what oil have you got in the old girl? Should be a single weight, I sugget 50 SAE in the UK summer, I'm running 60 SAE over here in Southern California when the in the summer when the temps top out at about 120°F and switch back to a 50 for the winter when the temps fall back to the mid 70's ( ain't life a bitch!). I have a pressure gausge on the rear most rocker and after a long high speed run (for a shovel) the pressure at the rocker is typically beteween 5 and 10 psi ( I have a oil cooler with thermostatic control valve fitted to maintain the temp and allow quicker warn up)


As mentioned by partick with all these older engines flow is far more important than pressure and a flicking oil pressurer light at idle is nought to be wary of.

R

S