Leaking pushrod tubes after S&S easy start cams installed

[s61doc]

Man I hope I can get some advice on this!

Bought a 2008 SG off a buddy who upgraded to a 2017. The bike had the 103 kit installed before he bought it, and he had a lot of problems with starters and ring gear getting eaten up, guessing due to higher compression ratio? All I can figure, so I did some online research and decided to install the easy start cams from S&S, with the quickee pushrods and tubes. Installation went well once I picked up a blind bearing removal tool, and everything seemed good until I went for a trip the next day. After a ride of a couple hours, stopped for gas and what the hell? Tubes were leaking and oil was blown all over the air cleaner and back. Not happy.

To make a long story short, I have had these things out half a dozen times making sure every o-ring was clean and seated properly, and the new pushrod passages were clear internally, and they still leak. I've been fixing helicopters for 30 years so attention to detail is not a problem, so this is really starting to frost my balls.

Anybody else gone through this?

If so, what was the solution? New springs for the tubes? A couple of mine seem to be easier to turn once installed...

Thanks all, looking forward to a clean, dry engine again!

Cheers
S61Doc

 

[hulkss]

Was it leaking before you worked on it?

 

[BluesBelly]

Sounds like the S&S tubes might be the culprit if it was not leaking before the cam swap as hulkss asked. Contact S&S with your concern. I assume the S&S tubes are sized to fit their quick change pushrods and it is not possible reinstall the stock tubes to compare.

 

[s61doc]

Nope, tight as a frog's ass.

 

[s61doc]

Quickee rods came with new tubes and o-rings, but springs and washers had to be re-used. Next step will be getting more of the washers and shimming up some new springs for a tighter fit. Damn frustrating when it used to be bone dry. And yes, the new tubes are different.

 

[Malx]

Oil other than where it should be is a drag. I'm looking at doing a cam swap soon. Curious if the covers you got are the shorter ones to make the pushrod adjusters easier to get at.

 

[hulkss]

I installed the breather umbrella valves in the heads upside-down once. The engine would build pressure inside and the spring loaded push rod tubes acted like pressure relief valves letting out air and oil all over the engine.

Is your breather system obstructed somewhere?

 

[s61doc]

Oil other than where it should be is a drag. I'm looking at doing a cam swap soon. Curious if the covers you got are the shorter ones to make the pushrod adjusters easier to get at.

Covers came with the quickee rods, minus a couple of items you have to re-use. Have to use the new covers, as you guessed, stock ones are too long to access adjusters.

 

[s61doc]

I installed the breather umbrella valves in the heads upside-down once. The engine would build pressure inside and the spring loaded push rod tubes acted like pressure relief valves letting out air and oil all over the engine.

Is your breather system obstructed somewhere?

I don't think so, nothing in the breather system was disrupted, bolts are clear, rubber tubes into the A/C are clear.

I was able to get two new springs for the tubes from the local dealer, installed them in the front tubes and the leak got better but not cured completely. Next attempt was to buy an appropriate I.D. piece of thin walled pipe (shower curtain rod was close enough for a test) and made some new clips 1/4" longer than stock, to put more pressure on the springs.

BINGO! The two front tubes with the new springs are cured, about to finish the back two tubes with new springs. I'll be sourcing out some better material for the clips as these are pretty thin and cheap steel, and don't seat as well as I'd like.

If all goes well, I'll be one happy goddamn camper.

Now if I could only get my FuelPak3 to autotune properly... and yes, I have read the 34 page sticky. New O2 sensors may be my next purchase.

Cheers all, and thanks for your input.

 

[s61doc]

Update: New springs and longer clips were a success on all four tubes.

 

[Timcza]

good stuff, thank you for sharing. thinking of a cam upgrade myself.