Motor smart, oil stumped!!!

[chuck hahn]

You have to recheck because the filter will consume some oil as well as the well will hold some. Do the required steps and add if you need to, I like it just a tad below the F line. That gives me an eye to see if the air gap is getting less ..or gone...which may be an indication fuel is getting past the petcock and I do a sniff test at the cap.

[BillGS550LZ]

Hello all. Thanks for all the input. I need to find a way to get notified of new postings, I thought this post was dead, sorry for not replying sooner.

In my experience, and the reason for the post is that, I followed the instructions on the manual and found that I had added so much oil that my plugs were getting fouled.

Imagine, I had just refreshed my top end, suddenly the plugs look like crap, the bike lacked power and ran like poop. Some of you perhaps can relate, you think did I screw up the ring job or valve job, when ahead and synched and resynched the carbs, messed with iddle mixture screws, check coils, was about to pull the carbs when i realized I had poured too much oil in.

The "run for a few seconds and wait a minute" then check and add oil to full mark if necessary is down right stupid IMO. There are many things that come into play, specifically oil viscosity, outside temp (30 vs 70 degree big diff), oil and engine wear.

So after inputs from bonanzadave, koolaid_kid and others it hit me, it's no different than checking and changing a car's engine oil with the exception of the center stand bit and oil sight glass instead of dipstick.

If changing oil/filter
- Warm up engine/oil (go for a ride/after a ride or run at iddle)
- Bike on center stand (level ground)
- Drain oil
Below two steps can be skipped if changing oil only
- Remove filter, drain and clean filter housing
- Install new filter and gasket and replace housing cover
- Replace oil drain screw and crush washer (if needed)
- Add specified amount of oil (oil only versus oil and filter - as koolaid_kid confirmed the specified amount is enough to get oil between the "L" and "F" marks on sight glass, and as bonanzadave confirmed, enough oil to run engine safely.
- Warm up engine/oil (go for ride or run at idle)
If just checking oil or after oil/filter change (warm engine)
- Bike on center stand
- Let engine cool/oil settle 5-10 min (go grab a beer or two)
- Check oil and add to full mark if needed

I check my oil, and check for leaks almost every day before/after I ride (habit I developed after recent engine work).

This is the entire procedure and what works for me. In retrospect, nothing to it just another internal combustion engine, no mistery, no more wait one minute boohaha for me. Thanks again, have a great Sumer!

[tkent02]

I have never seen any bike or car for that matter where the amount of oil it takes is exactly what's cast on the engine. It always takes a little bit more. I didn't know anyone ever looked at it other than as a rough guideline. Put some in, ride it around the block or something, check it and fill it exactly to the line. A little bit over or under doesn't matter anyway, other than being exact gives you an accurate reference to see if it burns a little oil or if fuel is leaking into the crankcase.

[tkent02]

The "run for a few seconds and wait a minute" then check and add oil to full mark if necessary is down right stupid IMO. There are many things that come into play, specifically oil viscosity, outside temp (30 vs 70 degree big diff), oil and engine wear.

None of these will effect oil level. It's just not that critical.

Fill it to somewhere near the window and ride.

[mrbill5491]

IMO you always change the oil filter period! As I started before, filter cheap, engine not. I think of it this way, you take a shower and put clean underwear on right. Then why would take a shower and put soil undies back on?

Just doesn't make sense to me. Besides, I usually cut open my oil filter to check for any nasties it might have caught.

[tkent02]

I usually tear the old oil filters apart to look inside. They almost always look brand new, rarely have anything in them at all. Once in a while a little metal dust, never seen one anywhere near full, where it would actually impede oil flow. According to that I could leave them in a lot longer.

I change them anyway.

I wouldn't not do an oil change because I didn't have a filter at the moment, but other than that I change them every time.

[BillGS550LZ]

None of these will effect oil level. It's just not that critical.

Fill it to somewhere near the window and ride.

After running the engine there's a considerable amount of oil accumulated in the head, that oil has to gravity drip its way back to the case though the cam chain tunnel and through the very narrow space between the valve tappets and bores.

So oil viscosity, temperature and wear have no effect on how fast and how much of this oil gets to the bottom of the motor in "one minute". Very interesting.

[tkent02]

No, it's just not that critical.

A mm or two up or down doesn't matter at all.

[BillGS550LZ]

Warm the oil up to drain it when changing, yes. But not just to check the level. (What OP said he was doing.)

For me, following the same procedure regardless makes the most sense. Think about it, stop for gas (engine warm), check oil.

Wait too long and most if not all oil has drained into the case, so per the manual run engine for a few seconds then shut it off, wait a minute then check oil (I've never done this with a car and never had a problem but I guess it is the way these motors were designed).

So I see nothing wrong running the motor before checking oil, except I prefer to let engine warm up more than just a few seconds. To some of you living in Florida, Texas, etc., this may not be necessary, but for me in subzero temp my oil gets as thick as molasses and it takes a lot longer than a few seconds to get it flowing. I supposed I could follow a different process sumer vs winter but the thought gives me a headache.

[bwringer]

Call me a rebel...

I change oil cold because I don't like burned fingers.

As long as you're changing the stuff once in a while, it's not going to make a whole lot of difference in the amount of crudniks in the oil.

[BillGS550LZ]

Thank you all for sharing your collective wisdom and experience and for indulging the oil topic yet again.

Off topic but the weather man promises great northeast ridding weather tomorrow, 67 and sunny .