Old Chopper with NO drain plug on tank??

[Cjanick]

Can anyone help me? I picked up a barn fresh 74 sportster chopper built in a GME softtail frame with a GME oil tank that has NO oil drain plug. How am I supposed to drain the tank? And why in the hell would anyone build a tank like this? Its been sitting for 34 years and I am going to get her running. She is very cool. Girder front end, Weber Carb, built by John Airhart at Taurus Cycle. Really need help on how to drain the oil. Like I said the tank has NO drain plug!

[BlackCloudSalvage]

Drain it out of the feed line. Either at the bottom of the tank or pull the line off from where it enters the motor. Should have at least 3 lines: Feed, return and vent. No problem. Might spill a few drops but whatever. If you are unsure which line is which just look at a diagram based on which one feeds the motor. Can't go wrong by pulling all of them anyhow.

[hillcat]

Turkey Baster?

[FredoSNR]

You can use a fluid transfer pump from harbor freight, cost like $7. I had to do this a few times when my drain plug stripped. Pump it into a milk jug or a 5 gallon bucket then add the fresh oil.

[TriNortchopz]

Can anyone help me? I picked up a barn fresh 74 sportster chopper built in a GME softtail frame with a GME oil tank that has NO oil drain plug. How am I supposed to drain the tank? And why in the hell would anyone build a tank like this? Its been sitting for 34 years and I am going to get her running. She is very cool. Girder front end, Weber Carb, built by John Airhart at Taurus Cycle. Really need help on how to drain the oil. Like I said the tank has NO drain plug!

That's weird - must have been one of those oil tanks built on Friday afternoon or Monday morning....I was thinking you might have to turn the bike upside down (?)- just be careful with the gas tank. Got any pictures?

[BadMonkeyMW]

Like Black Cloud said, just pull the feed line off at the oil pump and it'll drain just fine. My aluminum Mooneyes tank doesn't have a drain plug either, but I've changed the oil that way without any issue or any turkey baster/fluid pump bullshit.

[DustyDave]

Ya could route the return line into a bucket and start adding fresh oil just as the tank goes dry then let it keep idling until the return oil is clean. Then shut it down hook the return back up and finish filling it up. They used to do Indians that way because the oil drain was right over the rear head and it was real easy to slip a hose over the return line.
Dusty

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

The Builder was well ahead of his time, such a trendsetter. Check out lawnmowers at Walmart, most do NOT have a oil drain plug. You just run them until they die and then buy another. Cars will be like that too. Have you seen those cheap-o oil less air compressors are harbor freight?? Well cars will be like that too.Pretty soon cheapo chinese pot metal engines,... Just run them until they drop.
Bet you had no idea you were so far ahead of the curve!

[Guest]

I Think you will find most new Harleys don't have drain plugs in the oil Tanks ....they seem to use a pipe/hose that comes off the feed hose at a ''T''piece that has a plug in the end to seal it when full & in use,... to drain you just remove the plug from the hose end and drain into a bucket or onto the ground if ya don't give a fuck,.....nothing new & it aint Rocket Science......

[toneyd19]

Use aluminum foil to build a little funnel system and to cover everything when you pull the line(s) loose.

[nmaineron]

My softail doesn't have a drain plug, just a nipple on the tank with a hose that has a special plug in it. You at a perfect place to fix this.Take your tank out put a bung in it or get a new tank.

[Sky]

So much more to waking an engine after a long slumber....

Pull the spark plugs and squirt some oil in the chamber first!
Before even attempting to kick or crank it over!!!
Now is the time to do a compression check.
No point in wasting efforts. if it needs a rebuild, it needs a rebuild.
Good idea to sort out a good battery beforehand, if needed.
Carb should be cleaned as well. Fresh gas is paramount!
Unless you just wanna see "if" she'll run first.
Then starting fluid will work. Even without a carb.
But that won't run long enough for a full oil change.

In your specific case, drain what's left in the tank by pulling the feed line at the oil pump.
It's the line at the bottom of the pump, facing straight back.
The oil pump is under and behind the cam cover.
Drain, put the hose back on, put one quart of fresh 50W in the tank.
Purge the pump by pulling the oil press sending unit...
Drain the crank case if you can. There should be an Allen pipe plug under there.
Wet sumping past the checkvalve will have filled the crank by now. This is normal.
Reinstall plug.
Drain the primary/trans. Wet sumping will from the crank past the "flutter" valve and/or crank seal.
This would be a good time to disassemble and clean/inspect the clutches. The clutch plates are probably stuck together at this point...
Reistall plug and fill with proper trans/primary oil.
You can always just change the oil and do a burn out to try and unstick the clutch...
If you're feeling lucky, punk.
Spark plugs out, kick, crank it over till pump is purged.
Reinstall sending unit.
Pulling the return line and running till you see clean oil ain't a bad idea.
Fresh spark plugs in, start that bitch!
Watch oil light/gauge and retun.
Make sure the oil tank has enough oil !!!
Reinstall return line. Warm up the beast.
Then dump that one or two initial quarts...
That oil is now full of old sludge.
Fill tank,with fresh, to capacity and rock on.

[Dougtheinternetannoyance123]

So much more to waking an engine after a long slumber....

Pull the spark plugs and squirt some oil in the chamber first!
Before even attempting to kick or crank it over!!!
Now is the time to do a compression check.
No point in wasting efforts. if it needs a rebuild, it needs a rebuild.
Good idea to sort out a good battery beforehand, if needed.
Carb should be cleaned as well. Fresh gas is paramount!
Unless you just wanna see "if" she'll run first.
Then starting fluid will work. Even without a carb.
But that won't run long enough for a full oil change.

In your specific case, drain what's left in the tank by pulling the feed line at the oil pump.
It's the line at the bottom of the pump, facing straight back.
The oil pump is under and behind the cam cover.
Drain, put the hose back on, put one quart of fresh 50W in the tank.
Purge the pump by pulling the oil press sending unit...
Drain the crank case if you can. There should be an Allen pipe plug under there.
Wet sumping past the checkvalve will have filled the crank by now. This is normal.
Reinstall plug.
Drain the primary/trans. Wet sumping will from the crank past the "flutter" valve and/or crank seal.
This would be a good time to disassemble and clean/inspect the clutches. The clutch plates are probably stuck together at this point...
Reistall plug and fill with proper trans/primary oil.
You can always just change the oil and do a burn out to try and unstick the clutch...
If you're feeling lucky, punk.
Spark plugs out, kick, crank it over till pump is purged.
Reinstall sending unit.
Pulling the return line and running till you see clean oil ain't a bad idea.
Fresh spark plugs in, start that bitch!
Watch oil light/gauge and retun.
Make sure the oil tank has enough oil !!!
Reinstall return line. Warm up the beast.
Then dump that one or two initial quarts...
That oil is now full of old sludge.
Fill tank,with fresh, to capacity and rock on.

All joking aside,,,,,,,,Skys is spot on. ^^^^^^

At least on this bike you dont have a sludge trap like British bikes often do (Inside the crank)
and it always amazes me how many people will take an old motor thats been sitting for years or decades and think its perfectly fine to just awaken from slumber and ride it across 3 states or some impossibly long trip. (Likely wont make it)

On this motor, you might have a chance of doing so if you sensibly do the above and some preventative maintenance.

Nothing wrong with a fire up and testing for proof of life, but I am always leery of a motor thats been idle for years or an alleged rebuild when Reagan was president. I look at it as simple tear down and if all is good you are only out gaskets, seals, and time, If things are BAD internally you avoid a lot of grief by averting a costly blowup.

The problem of course with this sporty motor in my opinion is 2 issues:

#1) An old motor has OLD seals and gaskets, so gonna be a leaker if not addressed

#2) Depends on what oil it had in there before, but many straight grades and older oils do not have the additives needed. They drain off and dont cling, so exposed parts rust. Cyl walls, valve faces, seats, bearing surfaces etc. In some cases, especially with cast iron,, the rings might or might not survive but most everything else is pretty screwed with tolerance parts running against each other with rust abraiding. I have heard from many Sportster gurus something that makes sense to me,,
The needle bearings that the cams run in can rust when sitting, this often destroys the oil pump and the cams themselves and sometimes the cases. I have seen the results of this myself and told by very experienced shop guys this detail alone kills a LOT of sporty engines.

That alone makes me paranoid enough that I would at least tear into the timing side to check,, However YRMV.