Changing oil and oil level check

[danbouck]

OK I just bought an 83 GS 750 E. It's my first time owning a bike. I havn't been able to find a manual for it. But I need to know how to check the oil and change it. It may sound dumb but I know cars very well but as I said this is my first bike. Any help would be great thanks. Dan

[Redman]

Welcome to GSR.

- Maybe by now the first thing you have noticed aout the oil is that there isnt a dip stick, but is a sight glass little window in crank case. And the H and L marks for High and Low. Check level on center stand. (after a while you get the know the differernce in the level between center stand and flat on ground, so can make quick check without putting on center stand). Maybe on the engine caes is something like "2900ML", thats how much oil in millileter.

- Oil filter element is behind the cover on front-center of engine.

- Drain plug on bottom underneath engine towards back. Maybe hard to see because is kind inset.

[marvinsc]

Be Very Gentle with the Nuts holding the Oil filter on, they are very easy to Strip. Also Never Overfill with Oil. They carry the Proper Filter (Which includes the O-Ring Gasket) at Advance Auto Parts. You got a Great Bike, Enjoy!

[gsBert]

you have to check the oil on the centerstand????

my bikes had the stad removed....

what's the difference? should i go lower than level without the stand (sicne my rear tire is still on the ground)?


why is it bad to overfill? i top it off so its at H but i level it with both wheels on the ground, im guessing that's too full, enough to make a difference?

[marvinsc]

Have a Friend hold it up Level, then put it on the side stand to gauge the Level. My 850 doesn't show anything in the Sight Glass on the side stand but is at 3/4 on the center stand. Overfilling can cause many issues, worst case, blown Seals, best case, Blowing Excess Oil out the vent all over the Engine (Or You)

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Be sure you warm up the oil completely before checking the level.
Running it a couple of minutes like some manuals say may allow too much oil to stay in the cam/valve area and give you a false read. The not hot enough oil won't drain down enough to give an accurate read and you'll think it's a little low and add more oil, maybe too much.
Always have the bike on the centerstand before shutting the hot motor off too. This will give the most accurate read. Turning the bike off and then moving the bike around before putting it on the centerstand will allow more oil to drain than "normal" from the cam/valve area and you'll see a false "high" level that may cause you to run too little oil.
So in other words, for accurate reads, I believe the levels should only be checked with a hot engine and turned off already on the centerstand/level.
Always use the centerstand if you have it. If not, have someone hold it.

[focus frenzy]

you have to check the oil on the centerstand????

my bikes had the stad removed....

what's the difference? should i go lower than level without the stand (sicne my rear tire is still on the ground)?


why is it bad to overfill? i top it off so its at H but i level it with both wheels on the ground, im guessing that's too full, enough to make a difference?

actualy Bert, your oil level is low, Suzuki calls for the level to be checked on the centerstand.
on the centerstand the back wheel is off the ground so the engine is tilted foward a bit, with the sight glass to the rear of the engine the level will be above the sight glass when the bike is not on the centerstand.

with to much oil it is possible for the crank shaft to splash the oil, when it does this it whips the oil up into a foamy froth. when that happens foam is what the oil pump picks up and you loose oil pressure.

also a high oil level often results in excess oil being blown out the oil breather into the air box.

[sisu1970]

My 82 750E (tscc) motor calls for (4) quarts with oil filter change or (3.4) with out filter change. My drain plug is 21mm.


82 750E Slingshots,Pods,4into1

[danbouck]

Changing Oil

Thanks a lot everyone. You told me everything that I should know, thanks

[DaveDanger]

Keith, I'll happily admit to you probably having forgotten more about these GS's than I'll ever know, but I'll argue with you a tiny bit about the method of checking oil. I agree that it needs to be hot, and that it needs to be on the center stand, or at least held upright on the tires if not on either stand. But I feel that the best oil level check is after the engine has sat long enough that as much oil as possible has drained back into the case. I don't think that you want to check it too quickly. Consider that regardless of how quickly or slowly you check the level, the amount of oil that is in the engine will sooner or later drain into the case, and that resulting total is what has to be more or less accurately measured. For instance, you check the level say 3 or 4 minutes after shutdown, and see that its a little bit low, and add enough to put it back at the high mark. When you come back out 30 minutes later, glance at it again and you'll note that the residual oil that was up in the cams and passages has now all drained down, and the level is well above the high mark. You have too much oil now. I don't know how much, is too much when you're talking about blowing out seals and gaskets and such, but I'd think that if that is a concern, then you'd want that level as accurate as you can possibly get it. Personally... I wait about 10 minutes to check mine.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Keith, I'll happily admit to you probably having forgotten more about these GS's than I'll ever know, but I'll argue with you a tiny bit about the method of checking oil. I agree that it needs to be hot, and that it needs to be on the center stand, or at least held upright on the tires if not on either stand. But I feel that the best oil level check is after the engine has sat long enough that as much oil as possible has drained back into the case. I don't think that you want to check it too quickly. Consider that regardless of how quickly or slowly you check the level, the amount of oil that is in the engine will sooner or later drain into the case, and that resulting total is what has to be more or less accurately measured. For instance, you check the level say 3 or 4 minutes after shutdown, and see that its a little bit low, and add enough to put it back at the high mark. When you come back out 30 minutes later, glance at it again and you'll note that the residual oil that was up in the cams and passages has now all drained down, and the level is well above the high mark. You have too much oil now. I don't know how much, is too much when you're talking about blowing out seals and gaskets and such, but I'd think that if that is a concern, then you'd want that level as accurate as you can possibly get it. Personally... I wait about 10 minutes to check mine.

I never said how long to wait after the motor's shut off. I simply forgot to actually.
I usually wait about 15 minutes or so. I do this on the cars too.
I don't really know how much oil returns, but many years ago I noticed that the oil was high enough in the valve area to leak as I took off the cover to adjust valves. The bike was turned off with hot oil and the bike on the centerstand before turn off. This is after the bike has sat overnight of course because the valves must be stone cold.
Since then I've always leaned the bike over as far as I can both sides before this job. Then the oil left in the valve area is much less (though still some in there) and the job a little cleaner to do.

[DaveDanger]

I went back and re-read your first post Keith... and you're correct. (I know that you appreciate my validating your existence ) You were speaking more along the line of "not warm enough oil" not draining down properly. For some reason, I read that as "Get it warm, and check it quickly". (sigh) Does anyone have a wet noodle to flail me with?

[dpep]

If you don't have a centerstand you have to check the level while holding the bike vertical. Get a small handheld mirror (an old bike mirror or a small cosmetic mirror will do) and hold it down to reflect the sight glass. You must have sufficient light on the glass obviously; the shorter your arms, the longer the handle on the mirror needs to be.

I have found about a 1/2 sight glass difference in the levels. The same amount of oil shows higher up on the glass when it is sitting on both tires than it does when it is on the centerstand. If it shows in the middle while on the centerstand, it will be at the top sitting on the ground. If you can't see the top of the oil with the bike on both tires, lean the bike a little to the left to see if the oil line comes into view. If it is a very slight lean, you are probably okay. If you have to lean it left a lot before the line becomes visible in the sight glass, you may be overfilled.

These levels I have found to be the case for my 850. I suspect there would be roughly the same difference in the two levels for other models, but I haven't actually done the checking. You can't check the level on the sidestand. If it looks right on the sidestand it is overfilled. Even if you could define a lower level that marks the correct amount, the amount of lean allowed by the sidestand can increase over time.

[focus frenzy]

for some odd reason, (they probably were bored) Suzuki put a dip stick on the twins.

[ddaum]

I'd like to add a question to this thread. I'm a new rider with my first bike, 80 GS550L. I check my oil on a level surface and on the center stand and the level is good. My questuion is: Is it normal to see no visable oil in the sight glass when the bike is running? Sometimes I let it warm up or idle on the center stand and I noticed this.