Motorcycle Repair: softail oil pump issue, oil tank, question deals

Question
Hi Mike,
Thanks for offering your expertise (at no charge!!) to those of us with questions. My question deals with the oil pump (Evo motor)on my softail. The check ball in the pump is allowing the oil to drain from the oil tank to the bottom of the motor. Obviously I will need to have the problem taken care of but in the meantime, I'm wondering about starting the engine with a low oil level in the tank. I guess it boils down to whether the engine is lubricated from a pickup in the tank or one in the bottom of the engine. With oil draining from the tank, will the engine be starved for oil until it can be pumped to the tank or is that a non-issue?
Thanks,
Ron Olson

Answer
You bike is lubed from the oil tank, so starting it wont be a problem. If you have alot of oil in the bottom end of the bike, when you start it, it will dump some out the vent.
A fix for your oil pump. Get a new ball and spring. Take a punch, and tape the old ball to reseat it and then install the new ball and spring
Good luck and happy riding
Mike