Bobber Rebuild: Panhead Oil Lines

With the oil tank correctly positioned and secured in the frame, Kevin is ready to install a new set of Panhead oil lines. The stock Panhead oil lines would have been solid steel lines with a chrome plated finish. The replacement Panhead oil lines are steel braided. The oil line ends are solid with a flared end and a securing nut. These steel braided lines are flexible and much more friendly to work with; especially when plumbing a custom application.

There are only three Panhead oil lines needed on this Harley Davidson Panhead. There is the feed line, the return line, and the vent. The feed line supplies oil to the oil pump. On this Panhead, the feed line runs from the bottom, rear of the oil tank and terminates at the lower fitting of the oil pump. This is the oil pump’s input fitting. For most Harley Davidson oil tanks, the feed output is the fitting at the lowest point of the oil tank.

The return Panhead oil line runs from the upper fitting on this oil pump and ends at the front, outside fitting on the oil tank. The vent line runs between the front, inner oil tank fitting and the fitting on the crankcase next to the oil pump.

When final tightening the fittings, it is important to take extra care when positioning the line end. Kevin scrutinizes over final tightening of the line ends. The vent and return lines need to be directed away from the rear exhaust pipe. Upon final tightening, the flared line ends will seal against the opposing Panhead oil line fittings. It is extremely important that the Panhead oil lines are correctly installed. If unsure of correct routing, refer to a factory service manual. Also, refer to oil pump instructions if the pump being used is not stock Harley Davidson.

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