HELP! A small screw MIGHT have fallen into the oil filler hole on my 2010 FLHX Glide

S

Shimmy in 2012

New member
Okay...so I bought an inspection scope. Yeah...not so easy as one might think. :-) The inside of that oil pan is like a maze in a corn field. It's practically impossible to get the scope to go around corners down there as the scope has to be bent/contoured into shape. I could only see part of the inside of the pan. I looked up the bottom drain hole and through the top oil filler. Here is what I did discover...the inside of that pan is very clean and as smooth as polished glass. Since the motorcle only has 3,600 miles it appears to have NO sludge whatsoever. So, that being said, if that screw was in there I would think that my flushing, tilting and shaking would have moved it around in there because it would have nothing to be stuck in/on?

Valve Stem and Slack...regarding the kerosene, I think that will be my last effort before calling it good and conceeding that the screw is not in there. My question is this...after I pour the kerosene down there do I need to do anything else prior to filling it back up with oil? How do I get the remaining kerosene out of there? Does it eventually just evaporate or dry up? Just want to make sure it doesn't pollute the oil.

I'm beginning to lean more towards it NOT being in that pan...sure hope I am right!

Thanks again all...
 
I have done that to auto engines several times. Let it drain, shake it around, go drink a beer, or two, then put the plug in and fill the oil up. It won't hurt a thing.

The screw won't either. They are made of soft metal, and will simply be ground to nothing without damage. IF it gets ground up, the oil filter will catch it.


I am betting that screw is no where near the bike.

Good luck. RD
 
You never have peace of mind if you do not find that screw. Sweep the area where you were working on the bike some times you will find the screw in the dirt and cr*p that
 
You already started and road the bike; after six miles I would think if it was in the engine it would have done any damage it was going to do by now. If it were mine I would drop the oil and filter again as a precuation, ride it, keep an eye on the oil pressure for a few days and then drop the filter again.

But, if it was mine I wouldn't be able to sleep worrying over it. Good luck.
 
Chances are if you did drop that screw into the filler hole, the magnet on the drain plug will catch it. The oil pump has a screen on it, hell I dropped a 1/2 bolt in the valve cover fill hole of a 65 ford one time and drove the thing 50,000 miles and never hurt it. Drain the oil a few times and if its in there, which I doubt, the magnet will catch it...
 
In answer to the the kerosene after a flush, it will all drain out as fluid would, the residual left will not harm the engine or oil. As I said in my original post this was standard procedure in my 1990 Softail in the service manual. This was done to cut any sludge etc. that may have settled in the oil tank. You can pour as much as you can get down the oil filler neck, and with a drain pan underneath and the oil drain plug out, anything in there would likely get washed out.
 
THIS JUST IN: Your good. I ran outside to the garage and found the screw in my oil pan! Sorry...anyhow the sump uses an oil pick-up with a screen..I cant imagine the screw landed in your oil from the other side of the bike..maybe just get a new screw and enjoy your Harley. Its all gonna be good.
 
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