How much Hypoid oil?

[Anonymous]

After a terrible 10mph crash I had to replace my 1981 GS850G's cover that's right beside the crankcase cover and covers a couple gears (the starter gear and ??) I see written on the block "Use Hypoid Gear SAE90", but doesn't say how much. Anyone know? And while I'm asking, how much regular oil does the bike hold? Someone had told me 2 quarts, but that doesn't seem right since I can't see the oil level in the window at 2 quarts...

[Wingnut]

Let me see if I get this right.

If you replaced the cover that has the engine decal on it, the one that covers the starter and rotor gear, then you do not need to add hypoid oil. The hypoid, or 90 weight oil goes behind the cover that is behind, or to the rear of the one you changed.

The engine holds 4 quarts of oil with a filter change.

To check the level of the 90 weight oil in the transmission final drive;
Look just above ( 3 or 4 inches) and to the rear of the shifting lever. You will find a 10 MM bolt screwed into the transmission. If you remove this bolt, with the bike on the main stand, and a little oil runs out it is full. If no oil runs out, you will find a filler plug just above the "check level bolt" we just mentioned. It will be on the top of the housing. Add 90 weight until it runs out of the small plug on the side. Reinstall both plugs.

Order a manual for your bike. Read it thoroughly. It will save you alot of headaches and money. What I am trying to describe, will be shown in a simple picture.

[bwringer]

This ought to clarify things. In this photo of a GS850 engine, the stator cover on the left is removed and the gearbox cover is also removed:


Ignore the yellow circles -- they were added for a different discussion.

To change the hearbox oil, remove the drain plug and remove the fill plug so air can get in. Allow it to drain for half an hour or so -- the 90W gear oil is pretty thick.

To refill, replace the drain plug and remove the oil level plug. SLOWLY squirt in gear oil (85-90W from Wal*Mart is perfectly fine, or you can get 90W from a motorcycle shop) through the fill plug, a few ounces at a time. Give the oil level a moment to settle before the next squirt.

When the oil starts to run out the level hole, let it run out for a few more minutes to make sure it's done, then replace the oil level plug and the fill plug. Yes, this is messy and the gear oil is smelly.

The amount of gear oil needed is less than a pint, so go slowly when filling.

Don't forget to change the gear oil in the gearbox at the rear wheel. That's one's pretty easy - just remove the drain plug and the fill plug, drain, replace the drain plug, then fill slowly until oil just starts to run out the bottom of the fill hole.

A quart container will be plenty -- even with overflow and spillage, you won't even use 2/3 of a quart bottle of gear oil total.

Do this once a year, and wave as you pass by all the poor saps lubing and replacing those expensive chains and sprockets.

[Anonymous]

thanks, guys, you cleared a lot up!

[argonsagas]

Additional small, but very important point:


Be sure to put the bike on its centrestand, NOT on the sidestand.