oil

[kparkfan]

Ok today i changed my oil and filter. Not the funnest task thanks to the p.o. I added 3200ml like itws says to on the bike and the level was between the full and low level , but after i took it for a ride it is showing way above full??? what can cause this to happen?

[Duro5341]

As oil heats up it expands, like any other liquid........

It's should only be 3200ml with out a filter change....should be more if the filter was changed

Duro

[tkent02]

Does your oil smell like gasoline now?

[kparkfan]

nope it smells normal. Just installed a new petcock on it also. and i have the little screw driver slot turned this way ---

[mottyl]

I have never checked how long it takes but mine looks too full when I first get off after a ride. Then come morning it is back to normal.

Chris

[kparkfan]

Well hopefully it will. going to go check it here in a minute to see if it has gone down any.

[TheCafeKid]

Did you let it drain all the way? Im mean leave the pan under it and walk away for a little while?? Was the motor pretty much cold when you did the change? If youd run it a lil bit earlier, likely there was still some oil up in the motor that didnt get drained. If it doesnt smell bad (gassy, and not gassy like TKent after a can o beans, but gassy like petrol) I wouldnt worry TOO much about it. Just be carefull its not OVER full, or it will be quick to show you where your weakest gaskets are...

[kparkfan]

It was cold when i did it. Hvent ran the bike since the clutch cable broke. It does smell a bit gassy but not much. I have the petcock in the on position and not the prime? what are the chances i could have gotten a faulty petcock?

[tkent02]

what are the chances i could have gotten a faulty petcock?

Possible, not likely.
Test it.

Also, not sure if it applied to your petcock, but on some if you go to PRI and then to the normal ON setting without any fuel flowing through it, it will not shut off.
There were a few threads about this in the past, not sure the details.

[kparkfan]

well when i first started the bike i needed to prime the carbs so i had it in the prime position and hit the start button a couple of times to get the prime working. I only left it on prime for a few seconds and then switched it to the on position.

[81gs1100]

Did you drain the oil with the bike on the side stand or the center stand?

I know a bunch will sit in the pan and not drain if you drained it on the side stand depending on how much the bike was leaning....

[kparkfan]

nope drained it on the center stand. let it sit and drain for half an hour till i got all the sealant the po put on the oil filter cover instead of changing the little gasket.

[kparkfan]

It was on the center stand.

[kparkfan]

Well i just went out and took the tank off to test the petcock. It is working as it should. So now i'm stumped as to why I have so much oil when i put in the amount specified. I let the bike sit on the center stand and drain for darn near 45 minutes while i cleaned up the po's mess on the filter cover. Before i took the bike out for a quick ride up the block the oil was reading inbetween the L and F marks. After the ride it is way full. Yes i did the oil change on a cold engine , hadnt been started in a week.

[tomcat24551]

My rules of thumb:

Only top up the oil level when the engine is full HOT and then be careful to stop short of the full mark.

On an oil and filter change, fill to the low mark then run the engine just long enough to fill the filter chamber and shut off. Refill to low mark. Ride bike gently long enough to reach full operating temperature and check again. My experience is that nine times out of ten, the oil level will be higher than the low mark. Add a little more if you want, but stop short of the full mark!

On an oil change without a filter change, omit the running of the engine to fill the filter chamber--the oil's already in there.

I've lived with two GS850s for 29 yrs (oldest one) and I've learned to check and top-up the oil level when the engine is hot--like when you've just returned from a ride.

A buddy with an '80 GS1100E confirms my experience.

Tomcat