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oil window?

  • Thread starter Thread starter shadowfist
  • Start date Start date
S

shadowfist

Guest
ok, so i changed my oil last night and i know that you are supposed to look through the window to tell if you have the right amount. but now comes my question... how does the window work? my window seems to have oil filled all the way to the top of the window even after draining the whole engine of oil. and after i filled it up with the proper amount it still looked like it was filled up compeletely:confused: i'm a bit baffled by it. also it seems like there is a peice of something up against the window... is this normal? or is there something wrong with it?

i will try and take a pic tomorrow with my phone once its daylight again outside.
 
Maybe you have something stuck in the sight. Or could just be foggy from age. It should be clear when there's no oil. Mine was foggy so I just replaced it with a new oem suzuki one.
 
One of my previous bikes had an oil glass that was filmed over with old oil. I ended up using a Q tip taped to the end of a stiff wire to physically remove the built up film. It came off without to much effort once I got the tip of the wire inside the window. Fun part was bending wire to fit in oil filler hole.

There is a thin sheet of metal inside the window that acts like a mirror to allow you to see the oil level.

Worst case scenario, you can remove cover and physically replace oil glass with new one. It would also be easy to clean then.
 
so, chances are i DON'T have an incredibly crucial engine component broken off and somehow stuck to the inside of the oil window? that will at any moment break free and cause my engine to EXPLODE?!?
 
You know, I was wondering the same thing not too long ago. I can't really see the oil level cause it seems like the window's all foggy.

Hm...now I wonder if there's actually the proper amount of oil in there after the previous owner did the change, really can't tell...

Should you be able to see the oil if you look into the compartment through the filler opening?

Sorry, not meaning to do any thread hijacking.:)
 
Overdrive said:
You know, I was wondering the same thing not too long ago. I can't really see the oil level cause it seems like the window's all foggy.

Hm...now I wonder if there's actually the proper amount of oil in there after the previous owner did the change, really can't tell...

Should you be able to see the oil if you look into the compartment through the filler opening?

Sorry, not meaning to do any thread hijacking.:)
Click to expand...

that is a good question.:)
 
Drain the oil. You should get something shy of a gallon. Replace the oil filter so you dont have to question the previous owners maintenance. Remove the clutch cover and replace that leaky gasket and those POS phillips screws with some stainless allan heads. Now, while the cover is off use a qtip to clean the oil level window. Put it back togather and add almost a gallon of your favorite GSR reccomended oil. There are about 100. With the bike level you should now be able to see the oil in the window.

100_4547.jpg
 
If you just dump in the recommended amount of oil, it's usually a little too much -- you can't get every bit of the old oil out. I suspect your bike is simply overfilled slightly and the oil is above the sight glass.

When you refill after an oil change, put in about half a quart (or liter) less than what you think it will need, then top up slowly until it's at the middle of the sight glass. Run the engine for about five minutes, give it a few minutes to settle, and top up again until the oil is in the middle of the sight glass.

You can also get a better idea of what you're looking at by comparing the way the oil looks in the sight glass with the bike on the centerstand (the correct position for checking the oil) and with the bike on the sidestand (no oil in the sight glass.)
 
bonanzadave said:
Drain the oil. You should get something shy of a gallon. Replace the oil filter so you dont have to question the previous owners maintenance. Remove the clutch cover and replace that leaky gasket and those POS phillips screws with some stainless allan heads. Now, while the cover is off use a qtip to clean the oil level window. Put it back togather and add almost a gallon of your favorite GSR reccomended oil. There are about 100. With the bike level you should now be able to see the oil in the window.

100_4547.jpg
Click to expand...

I had to use some ammonia household cleaner on the cotton bud to get the layer of dirt off the glass as you show above. It really sticks. The glass came out clear as new and a new gasket is not a waste of money at all.
 
bwringer said:
If you just dump in the recommended amount of oil, it's usually a little too much -- you can't get every bit of the old oil out. I suspect your bike is simply overfilled slightly and the oil is above the sight glass.

When you refill after an oil change, put in about half a quart (or liter) less than what you think it will need, then top up slowly until it's at the middle of the sight glass. Run the engine for about five minutes, give it a few minutes to settle, and top up again until the oil is in the middle of the sight glass.

You can also get a better idea of what you're looking at by comparing the way the oil looks in the sight glass with the bike on the centerstand (the correct position for checking the oil) and with the bike on the sidestand (no oil in the sight glass.)
Click to expand...

thats what i thought at first but after draining every last drop of oil it was still looking completely full.
after seing that picture of what it looks like on the inside i can tell that there is something inside that 'window cage' that shouldnt be there. im getting a 'magic 8-ball' effect as there is something definately smooshed up against the inside of that window.

so i guess i have to drain it and clear that thing out, I just changed the oil yesterday, is there any special way to drain oil that you don't want to get rid of and want to put back in the bike? also... where do i find a new gasket for the clutch cover?
 
place your bike on the side stand. Clean the oil sight glass with windex/naptha, etc. Get down, while watching the window, pull the bike toward you to level position. You should be able to see the oil level rise in the window. Good luck :-)
 
My guess is that you may have a piece of old gasket stuck in the window, because those gaskets have extra material and the older they get the more brittle they get, and possible to break off pieces. Not too likely, but possible. Floating gasket bits won't kill your engine, but may plug oil passageways, which will kill your engine. Pull the cover, spend 8 bucks or whatever on a new gasket, and live with the peace of mind that only comes when you know exactly what's going on because you did it, and no one else cares about your stuff as much as you do.

If you want to save your oil, clean off the drain plug and surrounding area, drain into a clean (SPOTLESS!!!) container, and when you're done, refill. Key here is cleanliness as you don't want any little rocks or chunks of metal scoring your piston walls. Really, how much is 3-1/2 quarts of oil anyway?
 
Not sure which model you own, but I can place bike on side stand and remove clutch cover without losing any oil. Makes for an easy clutch change.

I have made my own gasket from bulk gasket material from your favorite auto parts store. A little time with an utility knife and a clever hole punch will result in a perfectly acceptable gasket. I use an appropriately sized gun cartridge case (empty, 6mm Remington in my case) and a hammer for the bolt holes. Install gasket dry or use a little grease to hold in place, no silicone.
 
Pearson,

You got a 82 Katana? Would love to see some pics....
 
Seriously drain it into a clean container and you can get the gasket at a Suzuki dealer.
 
i had the same problem with my gs1000. the sight glass was badly tarnished and i couldnt see the level. a good friend of mine gave me a good tip...........
i replaced the sight glass with one from a kawasaki gpz305. it is a perfect fit and has no metal back plate. makes reading the oil level much easier and if it does get murky with age,is much easier to clean.
a lot cheaper than a genuine suzuki item too
 
here's a picture for reference, as you can see, there is definately something in there that shouldn't be, I will probably have a chance to clean it out this weekend sometime. I want to track down a new gasket first (local powersport store has to order one in) has anyone used the "liquid gaskets"?

IMAGE_304.jpg
 
wow, shadow, you weren't kidding. There is definitely some unwanted schmutz in there.

I have to say your window looks a hell of a lot cleaner than mine, unless you took that picture with an empty case. I can't even see that clearly into mine. Of course, as someone suggested, it could be that there's too much oil rather than it being a cloudy window, and I also (unfortunately) am lacking in the sidestand dept., so I'd have to have someone stand the bike for me or something while I check.

But when the bike is on the side stand and when it's upright the window's clarity does not change. Guess I'll just have to find out when I do my first oil change.
 
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