Harley Tappet Oil Screen Cleaning

We get a lot of requests about the Evolution engine servicing and inspecting the tappet screen and the Tappet screen area. We're gonna take a few moments now and do that procedure again. It is a very critical area in the crane case of the Evolution motor, read your service manual, know the procedure you're going to perform before you perform it. If you cross this thread, you will destroy the evolution crane case and have to have it replaced. I'll start by covering any of the areas I'm working over. I can then use a drag link on a ratchet and lian the only plug. Now there's three plugs on Evolution Engine, one below the oil vent line, one that's visible at the top tower of the oil pump and one that stands alone behind the cam cover in the crank case. That is the access plug you wanna remove in order to get to the tap it screen. The reason this plug is called the Tappet screen plug is that this plug covers the passage that feeds the lifters or the tappets, as they're known on the Evolution engine with the plug loosened. I'll remove the plug which has an O ring again, check the condition of the O ring. They're cheap enough if the O ring does need to be replaced, do so, I don't like to use any type of seal in this area due to the fact that it covers many small passages in the crank case on the Evolution engine with the plug removed. I'll set it aside. I can now use a magnet and I can gently lift the spring and the tap at screen assembly out of the crank case together. This is a critical area to know direction and location of the components that you're removing. There will be a little oil, make sure you have a clean shop towel ready. You can see the tappet screen fits with the closed end pointing upward into the spring. This is also the ideal time to have a clean shop towel in your hand. You can see any debris that may come off the tappet screen, use your magnet, wipe it over the tapped screen, put your magnet down into the tepid screen passage, check it on your clean shop towel. There should be no debris, especially anything metallic in this passage on the T it screen or on the spring. It's not unusual to pick up a little. I don't know, we'll call it muddy looking debris, which is most likely just from worn out engine oil. But again, there should be no metallic pieces. If you are picking up metal in this TPI screen area. Chances are something metallic, whether it be aluminum, which would not stick to the magnet but would be visible in the screen or a steel chip type fragment on the screen. Chances are something is disintegrating in the engine. You shouldn't write it until it destroys itself. You should seek professional help, professional opinions, find out where the metal chips are coming from. Now, I'd like to go to the workbench with the screen in the spring separated. We can use a little break, clean, clean off the spring, wipe it dry and set it aside. I can do the same procedure being that the tap bit screen assembly has a closed end. I like to clean it from the top down. You can use the brake cleaner if you tip the brake clean can upside down. It gives you a nice source of compressed air without releasing any more brake fluid that again can help you in cleaning any of the used or burnt engine oil which may be captured in the tap at screen assembly. Make sure you wipe it dry. It's always a good idea when you're performing this procedure to use a lint free cloth, you don't want to leave any paper towel debris on the tappet screen. The same would apply for the tet screen plug, spray it with a little break clean in where the tap it screen goes and in the O ring area, wipe it, use your magnet up into the plug. This again, you're looking for anything metallic. You're also looking for any residual burnt oil with all these components clean. I can reinstall the tappet screen into the tappet screen spring, making sure the closed end heads upward. I can then reinstall them both the scream in the spring into the crane case. Tap it screen allocation. I'll also put the tappet screen plug with O ring on top of the crane case, push down on it because we've got a little spring pressure behind it. Start threading it in by hand. This of all the areas on the Evolution engine is probably the most critical not to cross thread. Make sure you start it by hand, make sure there's no road debris around the plug or in the thread before you remove it or attempt to reinstall it with the tap at screen plug started by hand. Are you tighten it down till it just contacts the crank case? At that point, the old ring will be touching the passage with the tap and screen plug drawn down hand tight to the Evolution crank case I can now torque it to factory specifications found in your Harley Davidson service manual. I'll make sure I clean up any of the areas that may have any residual oil from performing this procedure. And with any luck, we didn't find any heavy debris in any of these engines and we can continue with our riding