Oil Capacity

Factory Service manual indicates:

Dry: 3000 cm3
Drain with oil filter change: 2800 cm3
Drain: 2500 cm3

What is the difference between dry & Drain with oil filter change....???

If you drain it & are putting on a new oil filter, haven't you removed all oil.....basically dry.....

I guess the other 200 cm3 is up in the motor, heads & elsewhere....

 

Yep. And in the oil pump, etc. That's why you have to "prime" the oil system when you've had one of these motors torn down.

Now, look on your clutch housing. See the little number cast there? That's the oil capacity. (Doesn't always match the book although yours does.) When doing an oil change, you'll need that much oil plus about 200CC ~ 300CC to put your level up to the top of the window (with just a bubble showing at the top.) You want to run with a slight overfill to keep the level sensor happy during hard acceleration.

Just a bit of trivia: ever notice the little number cast on the filter housing right above the bolt? That's the torque spec for the filter bolt, expressed as 1.5kg-m which is an oddball metric torque measurement. (It converts to 10.84 ft/lb.)

 

Yes.....my clutch cover indicates 2500cm3......& oil filter housing indicates 1.5kg-m.....some people over torque this bolt & then wonder why they strip it the next time they do an oil change....

I have heard nightmares here of owners trying to get this bolt off....

 

fiveofakind, I had that kind of nightmare... but in the end there not a lot that powertools can't fix.

 

I just put in 3 qts of oil into the bike after doing a clutch job......I have no oil even showing in the window.....what is up with that....

3qts = 96 oz = 2839 cm3.......

The factory service manual indicates 2800 for oil change with new filter....

 

Are you measuring while the bike is on center stand? You won't get the proper level otherwise...

 

yes...bike was on centerstand......I still should see some oil....

 

Five this maybe a stupid question but were able to see oil the out of the sight glass before you started the restoration????
I have heard of them becoming foggy and needed to be replaced.
Just taking a break from my fuel levels. Thought I might throw something out there. Unless it all leaked out... It is still in there.
Good luck.
Jim.

 

I just replaced my clutch.....so I had the pleasure of cleaning up the oil window so that I can see into it.....I just cant see any oil yet.

Maybe the bike needs to be started up & circulate the oil around some.....

 

That's what I forgot to add. And was thinking the same thing.

 

Try leaning the bike over some just to see if something changes. Off the center stand and with someone holding the bike so I doesn't fall on you. You should see something. Sounds like your doing a good job restoring the bike. Cleaning that glass... Very detailed... It's a hell of a lot better than what I'm doing. I'm just trying to get it run right... And have absolutely no problem taking it all apart again and polishing it after it's running.

 

Well, there is 3 qts in there...so I such be fine......Several weekends away from getting this beast started.....

 

Fill it till you see something.
Some oil is better than no oil.

 

SLKid...that 3 qts just didnt disappear....don't want to overfill either.....but if I do, I can always drain off.....

 

Did you put the clutch in dry. Thought I saw that. Not sure but maybe some oil got soaked up.

+1 on adding more oil

Not to much or it will start coming out of where your filling it. Lol

but if you tilt the bike something should show up.

 

No, the clutch friction plates were soaked for well over 2 hours.....followed Fitz's write-up......yes new friction plates will absorb some oil....I will check tomorrow.....

 

STOP.

Bike on centerstand, OFF for at least 10 minutes, 3QTs of brand new oil and a freshly cleaned sight glass window and you can't see any oil?

Sure you can. You're looking right through it. It's slightly overfilled beyond the window and everything is SO clean it looks like there's nothing in there.

Test my theory. Put the bike on the sidestand. Then have an assistant slowly bring it up to vertical while you watch the oil window. I'll bet you see the oil come up and go right on past the top.

I did this to myself before and it really doesn't look like there's anything in there.

 

Fitz is absolutely right.....Once again my old age must be catching up with me, I had to look in the trash can to make sure there was 3 empty qts....confirmed....

So down off center stand to side stand for 10 minutes...had wife sit on bike, side stand up & back to center while I was on ground watching oil window & watching it fill up.....

So, I was actually looking right thru the oil before....duh

May be slightly overfilled as I can not see the oil level at the top of window.....must be slightly above window....

All is well...

Thanks Fitz...once again , you are the man......

 

It's overfilled enough to cause foaming. Use a length of vinyl hose to siphon off the amount of oil that you overfilled by.

 

Over the years, with the 900 as my Daily Rider, I kept the Bike well-oiled.
Do to taking Freeway stretches that would zip-along at 75-85mph or times when movement would completely stop; I added extra Oil to the Sump for safety.

The Bike would get pushed on Boston's two Loop Roads; and inch-along getting-in to The Hub. I'd leave a BB-sized Bubble at the Sight-glass. I needed the extra dribbled-in, watching the Glass, 'til it nearly filled, for the sustained high-revs during the race and cooling crawling in traffic.

Thousands of Miles.
Over 75mph for most of the commute. There were days when High-end Sedans set the pace like a Checkered Flag got waved for everybody at The Boston Garden.

I miss Castrol GTX 20/50.

 

Experience. We learn a lot more from our mistakes than we do from our successes.

You should be able to tell by the "rate of rise" when you stand the bike up how overfilled it is. You may want to suction out 100CC's or so, you don't want to blow a whole bunch up the breather and foul the air filter.

 

Instead of suctioning it out, can't I just open the drain plug a little to release some....?

 

Sure - but that's the "messy" way of doing it.
Start a siphon with clear 1/4 " tubing and watch the window.

 

... put it in the oil fill hole and jiggle it past the clutch, blow in the tube you'll here bubbles when it's in the oil..

 

I will drain off enough to where I can the level at the top of the window.....

Not sure what blowing bubbles back into the oil will do.....as the level is too high now & is above the sight glass.....so what is the purpose of this....don't understand....

Please elaborate.....

 

Just so you know the tube is in oil coz it can take a bit of jiggling the tube to get it to go down far enough to be in oil, i presume it's not brim full.