Shafty Secondary Gear oil Q&A

[Guest]

Ok so I KNOW the secondary box is only supposed to be filled to the weep screw hole level. I pulled my screw out, and its pouring out. Can having it over full have negative effects at all? If so, I will remove the excess, but i was simply wondering what the effects would be.

[BassCliff]

I used to ovefill

Hi Mr. TCK,

According to Mr. bwringer (and I believe him) the secondary gear case has a breather circuit. IIRC, when overfilled the breather circuit doesn't work right, the oil can get frothy, over heated, and be a less effective lubricant.

I ran my gearcase overfilled for a few months. When I finally got around to changing it and filling it to the proper level, it really seemed to make a difference. It seemed less noisy, shifted easier, and revved up quicker through the gears. Of course, it could've been my imagination and your mileage may vary. But I figure if Suzuki built these machines, they may know a thing or two about how to maintain them.

That reminds me, I should edit the guide on my site.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Junkie]

I can't imagine it making a difference in shifting quality. I can certainly imagine changes in noise and drag, though.

[psyguy]

yup, i read the comment from bwringer and it made a lot of sense, so i keep the oil level as recomended

[TheCafeKid]

Cool, that might explain that whine i keep hearing from my secondary when the bike gets warm. I'll drain it down till it stops leaking and see if it makes a difference. The fluid in it is brand new, so i wouldnt think i need to change it.

[Zooks]

Hi Mr. TCK,

the oil can get frothy, over heated,

Capuccino anyone??

[bwringer]

Just walk away and let it ooze from that level plug for a half hour or so -- you'll have to rig up some sort of funnel with aluminum foil or something. Gear oil is thick stuff, so it takes a while to get to the right level.


Getting this right will also give you whiter teeth and fresher breath...