New Panhead Leaks

WHEN I saw on the internet the S&S replica motors from yesteryear, I thought bloody great — someone is finally bringing back what Harleys were all about. So, having a 1997 Heritage Springer that is based on 1949/51 Panhead Springer, I decided to buy a Panhead motor from S&S.

The Panhead engine bolted straight in with no problems. It looked fuckin’ great too.

I set off for Warrick via the Tenterfield Ranges and then to Brisbane; it was a easy trip. Arriving home I noticed I had a friggen oil leak. With closer inspection, I noticed the oil was leaking from the rocker boxes.

“It’s a brand new engine; it can’t be leaking oil!” I said.

I could not work on the motor while it was still in the frame — it had to be removed to change the gaskets!

After replacing the cork gaskets and putting it all back in the frame, the fuckin’ thing started leaking oil again! Seems after lock-tighting all the bolts on the rocker covers, they still vibrated loose.

Well it just goes to show you how fuckin’ brainy S&S engineers are, because the feedback was, now get this, they designed the engine to weep oil and for all the bolts to vibrate loose because, in their great wisdom, this is what happened with Panhead motors in the old days.

Fuckin’ smart move.

GORDON ARTHUR ROWE