01 flhtc oil pump

Check crank runout; that is the most common cause of oil pump failure.

see the problem is once the first one fails the metal left in the case works it way back to the new pump assembly . you must get all the debris out because the area in the pump housing is so small a few thousands of an inch starts to wear away very quick !and your back to were you started from and yes crank run out with these new pumps very unforgiving!

the way i set the pump up in my bike and i must say original 2001 pump and the motor is not stock. i set the pump on the crank with new oring make sure i feel and see that the pump gears are on the crank slot and that the wave washer pushes back toward my thumb as i press on them . make sure that both orings are intact and have oil on them when installing . slide my cam plate on hold it with pressure with my hand and start all bolts snug all bolts of cam plate except 4 pump bolts roll tire foward in fith gear as i snug in star pattern gently my pump bolts . then torque all bolts to spec. seems to work for me and all the bikes i have done including the last 5 late model pumps with billet plates .

Cowboy,
Your BIL should check crank runout; at lease confirm or elminate that as the offender.

Send an oil sample to Blackstone to confirm that there is no metal traveling in the oil. The filter should have caught most of the stuff you can't see from previous pump failures. You can cut the filter open and see what you find.

Are the pump gerotors breaking of is the pump simply loosing pressure? How long does a new pump last? If the gerotors are damaged, have the tech look at the damaged parts to try and determine is the scavenge (suction) side or the supply (pressure) side of the pump is damaged first. The pump is a two stage pump and if runout is not an issue, it would help to determine if the problem orginates on the scavenge side which is most likely.

Baggerpaul makes a good point. If there is metal traveling in the oil from the first failure, it doesn't take much to deteriorate the internal of the oil pump. An oil sample sent to Blackstone would confirm or elminate metal in the oil as the problem. Additionally, if there is metal traveling in the oil, the rings and pistons are not happy either. Google Blackstone, they will send you sample container, you mail it back and you can check the results online in about a week.

Bypass hose?? What is the tech talking about. The only bypass in the oil circulation system is the bypass port at the pressure relief valve that allows oil to re-route to the feed side when oil pressure exceeds the setting of the relief valve spring which is 35psi for the OEM spring. If the relief valve doesn't open or it opens and the passage is blocked, oil pressure should rise but I don't see how that damages the oil pump. The only other bypass in the system that I am aware of is at the filter; it allows oil to bypass the filter if the pressure in the filter exceeds the pressure of the filter bypass relief; usually about 8psi. That is not a good thing as it allows unfiltered oil to flow to the top and bottom of the engine but don't see how that damages the oil pump.

Seeing that four pumps have been damaged, our BIL might want to ask the tech some more questions. Did they replace the oil pump? Has your BIL seen the pumps that were previously damaged and replaced?

I could be missing something but I don't understand the tech's explanation.

Return side back to the pan , would leave the cases full causeing a chit load of oil puking out of the filter ! and the cases would be so full the motor would shake so bad cause the wheels would be swiming in oil . the oil pressure light would be on with in 10 seconds cause the pump would be sucking air ! thats not your brother in laws complaint correct? and my question would be were did that much debris come from and why did you not pull the pan and flush the cases to begin with ! four pumps thats a hell of an oil filter and flush system they are dealing with . seems to me every body is a wrench today . dam hacks ! if your gonna wrench on someones 20.000 dollar machine you better be educated this aint your daddys shovel or pan ! takes talent to work on these bikes and you cant teach some one how to wrench. you can teach them how the motor works out of a book but swinging wrenches and diagnostics either you got it or you dont. period! seems to me he had a check valve in the cam plate stuck because of debris still floting in the oil and the pump wont build any pressure in the valve is stuck open . it will be under 3 psi in that position .still the motor has been starved for oil way too many times at this point !

Don't disagree with the outcome should the return side be blocked but the tech used the term "bypass" hose. If the return pathway was blocked, the BIL would haved a whole other set of symptoms; as you pointed out, including over heating and very sluggish performance. Very easy to check as well by pulling the crank casd plug.

The hose connecting the cam chest with the oil pan could be blocked; that hose provides the pressure balance to facilitate oil circulation but it would take an awful lot of debris to block that hose.

I still don't uderstand, nor would I accept the tech's explanation. I would be sending an oil sample to Blackstone and start looking for another tech/shop; JMHO.

me either i just hate to see what the hacks in the industry are doing to qual;ified techs in the industry .automotive or bikes !you just dont put the bike in the wind after an oil pump fails ! replacing the pump is not the solution something caused it to fail . ls1 small blocks hacve a similar style pump . buicks have the same . we put 1300.hp to the ground on a stock ls1 pump that runs at 7100.rpm they dont fail unless something is failing . with my stock 2001 pump on the bagger with this new set up in the motor 106 hp 110 torque run the chit out of this bagger for hours on end on the dyno no failure . 100 of cam swaps at the shop no problems . when a bike comes in to the shop for a failure we got to get to the bottom of it . something caused it. tens - cam bearing - lack of maint? but it wont go out with the cases dirty . or a dirty oil pan -or dirty oil tank . so it fails again i dont get paid for come backs . and i only wrench on bikes for the love of the machine !

Get to the doc cowboy three days with a head ache is not good brother . I suffer from migranes so I know they hurt .

+1 On the headache SEE A DOC! :cussing: