harleyKmodel

Well guys going by this I would say I have the valve in backwards. Tom, I have the tube pointing about the 630 position. I don't think it will fit in the 11 o'clock position.

For reference the oil transfer valve I'm talking about is the 25075-55 one. The Factory started using it after 55KH1300.

Thanks guys! And yes Tom if it goes that far I will be contacting you for your modified cover.

Well guys I turned the valve around and went for a 5 mile ride. Success! No oil escaping the primary plug. However it's leaking from the cam cover ect. So that's the next step as well as checking the breather timing.

The 1952, 1953, 1954, and 1955 before 55KH1300 use the 25100-53A Crankcase oil syphon tube cpt.

Where does it go and how does it mount?

It goes in the lower hole in the case for the chain adjuster, and it points at about 7:30

Well guys thanks for all the replies and opinions. I'm going with the diagram for now. Tom I will be contacting you at a later date when I have the pump pulled on my '59 XL, maybe we can do business.

Here is a photo of a siphon tube installed

Say Dave, is your chain adjuster sans nylon pad? I've got one if you need it. Looks like yours all metal. That will throw metal...

Erik,

I've gone through the Spare Parts Catalogs (SPC) and tried to categorize the different chain tensioners through the years/models, as presented by the SPCs.



The SPCs don't always tell the whole story. For some reason I thought the early (pre-1958) tensioners were made of Stellite, a really hard steel alloy.

Then in 1958, with the introduction of the XLCH, the tensioners changed to a plastic material, with a plain steel substrate. The XL/XLHs retained the two-part bracket system, while the XLCH used a one-part bracket system. Both had some modifications over the years.


Help us out here. What really happened with Harley-Davidson's production of chain tensioners? My value-added to this website is digging through 60-year-old factory documentation. Unfortunately, that comes with scant factual knowledge. So, as Blanche DuBois said, "Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers" to explain the intricacies of the Ks and early XLs.

Dave

Ah, very interesting. Yeah Stellite is hard! I tookalook and 58 does start with the nylon insert. I have some with nylon, no extra support, with nylon and extra support to keep shoe from bending. And have the Stellite Shoe type. Also have chains worn down a bunch on the outside, OD, probably from the hard shoe. I'll gather up my collection. Everything is home now. That is going to be so nice, but still unpacking, fixing up small shop, etc... so my early tensioner with plastic may be repop, or could the nylon shoe be retrofitted? I'll check back after I conglomerate these. Erik