Top-End Oiling Kit

[Commodus]

Hi, i need to put together a top-end oiling kit that doesn't look like crap for my GS750.

Where should I go for the fittings? I'll probably buy HEL oil lines, but I'm not too sure where to go for the fittings, Neither Russell nor HEL seem to make a little doohicky that screws into the tapped fitting, and then branches off into four lines somehow...

I have one made up out of brass industrial fittings, but it looks like poo. Maybe I'll post a picture to make it clear what I'm talking about.

Oh and keep in mind the 1100 kits don't work. The 750s don't have that rear oil gallery. Oh how I wish I could just buy one of those from APE.

[tfb]

Now I'm probably going to be corrected by a barrage of folks who know their stuff better than I do -- so be it!

But those top-end oiling kits have always looked nice, but I wonder what they actually do. Because the fact is, in a stock standard setup, the oil goes straight from that main oil gallery, up to the camshafts etc.

Whereas when you bolt on a top-end oiling kit, all it does it take the oil straight from, err, the main oil gallery up to the camshafts.

In other words, it doesn't, it can't, it won't, do anything more than already takes place with the standard lubrication pathways.

Am I right, or hopelessly wrong? Let the debate begin...

[Footy.]

Now I'm probably going to be corrected by a barrage of folks who know their stuff better than I do -- so be it!

But those top-end oiling kits have always looked nice, but I wonder what they actually do. Because the fact is, in a stock standard setup, the oil goes straight from that main oil gallery, up to the camshafts etc.

Whereas when you bolt on a top-end oiling kit, all it does it take the oil straight from, err, the main oil gallery up to the camshafts.

In other words, it doesn't, it can't, it won't, do anything more than already takes place with the standard lubrication pathways.

Am I right, or hopelessly wrong? Let the debate begin...

I think the idea is to feed cooler oil to the head, so helping to cool the hottest part of the engine.

The normal feed runs oil through the hot cylinder casting, where the external feed doesn't pre-heat the oil as much.

Footy.

[Commodus]

Now I'm probably going to be corrected by a barrage of folks who know their stuff better than I do -- so be it!

But those top-end oiling kits have always looked nice, but I wonder what they actually do. Because the fact is, in a stock standard setup, the oil goes straight from that main oil gallery, up to the camshafts etc.

Whereas when you bolt on a top-end oiling kit, all it does it take the oil straight from, err, the main oil gallery up to the camshafts.

In other words, it doesn't, it can't, it won't, do anything more than already takes place with the standard lubrication pathways.

Am I right, or hopelessly wrong? Let the debate begin...

Ah, I love your website and your bike so much. That bit about sitting and looking at the exploded view of the GS motor is great.

You are 100% correct (at least in my estimation), if I felt I could rely on the standard oil passages I would have no need of such a kit. However, my somewhat ham-fisted (but dearly loved) bike mechanic has committed the cardinal sin of the rookie engine builder (though he hasn't been a rookie for more than two decades), and over used the case sealant.

Now, I have little bits of it floating about in my oil supply and intermittently plugging the oil jets and leading to squeakily suicidal cams.

In lieu of stripping the engine and resealing it, I've decided to simply fit an oiling kit. And I have and it works! But it looks like crap. I'll post pictures and I think it'll become clear.

[tfb]

G'day Commodus,

Cripes, you must have a very generous spirit, if your bike mechanic does that and you can still call him "dearly loved"!!! With more people like you in the world, this 'peace' thing might actually stand a chance! Well done.

Well, the problematic oil ways have been circumvented, for now. But aren't you kind of worried that oil may not get through to other critical areas of the engine, if all those silicon (or whatever) are floating around? The sooner you can pull that head and cylinder block off, and clear it all out, the better, surely?

But I've got to say, you have me curious about your "crap"-looking top-end oiling kit! I'm sure it will be a glowing testimony to your fabrication skills. :-D

Footy, you have a very good point. In fact, the cylinder block would have to be the best oil heating part of the engine, eh, and we're pumping our oil straight through it. Hmm, now it dawns on me why many later models had all that external piping for taking the oil up to the head...

Cheers guys,
Mike.