Oh What have I done!
I built this engine some years ago and as yet haven't run it but I have since learnt that this engine shouldn't have an oil filter gasket and that there is a measurement for the distance of the oil filter tube and the cover mating face to check so tonight I took the cover off again and look what I saw -
I've fitted the sump with screws that were too long and damaged the oil filter tube !!!!
I can presume that replacement of the tube is the only answer - my question is how?
Can you try and tease that dent out? Heat it with a torch until it's red hot and push/tap the cover or a suitable piece of pipe/tubing into position. That may take it out. How does the gasket fit on the tube. Internal or on the lip?
My /6 doesn't use any gaskets, o-rings or shims. Why they "improved" the filter housing and added all that stuff is beyond me.
Removing the tube is a can of worms that someone else may have good knowledge about.
sockets are one of my favorite expanders, I have a 30mm that fits a k75 pipe like it was made for it! look around , I bet you can find something that fits !
I think I'd do what the others suggest. Warm it up, and use something of similar radius to push the shape back. The shim will still mate to the o-ring regardless, and it seats this side of the cannister. As long as the filter can fit back in, and you can get it back to a semblance of the correct shape, I'm thinking it'll be ok.
Yes - The damage is worse than the picture shows - it hasn't just buckled the tube but made almost bubble like deformity pulling the sealing lip in and I would be afraid that the shim would not seal up to it as it is now not a flat surface.
Hmmm ok. I guess you have a choice. Give it a shot at reshaping and see if it works, or remove and replace the cannister. Replacing is possible, as I've read of people doing that, but it isn't straight forward.
I think it's worth a try fixing it first.
There is no way I can repair this tube whilst it's in the engine - it will have to come out and be replaced. The tube would have to come out if I were lucky enough to have one of those Motoren Israel sump extensions with the spin on oil filter- so it can be done - I just need to know how? Cheers
If I had to take my filter tube out, I would take the oil pan off and lay the bike over on the left cylinder so I could get to the bottom end. I would use a heat gun or 500 watt flood light to heat the block in the area where the tube in being held. I will take a while but aluminum expands a lot more than the steel tube so you should be able to wiggle it loose and get it out. You could tack weld a long rod or bolt to the tube and attach a slide hammer to assist the extraction.
Smile it's contagious!
'74 R90S, '67 /2 Conv w/sc, '66 R50/2
'74 Harley FXE, '72 Harley FLH w/HD sc
'69 BSA 441 Victor Special, '74 R90/6 Basket case
'85 R80RT wreck for parts
Well I took the Bull by the Horns and removed it, As George suggested I welded a 1/2" threaded bar to the inside of the tube and used it as a slide hammer whilst applying heat with a hot air gun to the crank case - it came out with very little fuss, I shall now buy one of the later Tubes (canisters) with a lip on it and shim it out so that it doesn't move inwards as it appears to have done on my '89 R100. I don't suppose they would of used heat at the factory to put the tubes in - maybe a little Liquid Nitrogen? Thanks for all of your replies. Cheers
