changing the oil

An engineer colleague of mine was working on theoretical failure probability. He said one day that the probability of engine failure through leaving out the sump plug after an oil change was greater than if you simply did not change the oil. How we laughed! Until he sold his car to a friend, and it promptly seized up on the M4.

I change the oil, refit the sump plug but leave the filter off.  I then run the engine with cardboard between the filter housing and the swinging arm, and allow the old oil to carry on running through the engine and into the tray under the filter housing.  It will run for around a minute before the clean oil starts to come through.  Then I stop the engine and fit the filter.  This is a little messy, but it results in clean oil through the whole system. 

Or change the oil more often?!

Hi Robert,

The basics have already been covered in this thread with at least one important issue missing.

Most of my tanks, regardless of oil changes accumulate sludge in the bottom, I put this down to infrequent use and possibly the use of non detergent oil.

Ideally, one would remove the tank and wash it out but with the number of Norton's I have, this would be a pain. What I do is use a pack of fiber cloths from a supermarket and with the tank empty, using a long screwdriver I use a whole cloth and go around the inside of the tank. I keep doing this until the whole cloth comes out clean.

Use the whole cloth and check the cloth is complete before discarding it. This method usually requires a whole pack.. Surprising how much sludge accumulates in a year, though some tanks start out cleaner than others.

Obviously, give the bike a run before you start to make the sludge run out more easily. 

Alternatively, remove the oil tank and use a chemical:

I had for a few miles (20K) a 1985 850 Motoguzzi. Wet sump with oil filter inside the sump! Sounds dreadful-but no. You need to change the filter every two years, so no big issue and the oil was always 'clean' such that even at an oil change you wondered why you was changing it? Ie the Guzzi always seemed to have clean oil, didn't leak or hardly use it. So the way the engine 'uses' oil is impressive. Not so the Nortons.

Clean oil? What's that? Whenever I put clean oil in my '55 ES2 then do a 10 or 12 mile run it comes out black.

George

I had black oil very quickly on my 16H.

Problem was the oil control ring.  Fine now.

Very interesting about the need to lube the outer part of the gearbox, I did'nt spot the need for that (although it is clean and wet with oil so far ). Strikes me it might be an idea to fill the outer up from time to time , then drain it back out with my big syringe ?

Also, references above to a filter - is that one of those added into the return line ?, would be good to add one if the return system on a '99 is OK with one. I have an old T100 and many club members advised against one as it restricted return flow. I fitted one anyway and the return is instant and un-changed. Is there a best kit for the 99 anyone ?

Regards all

Terry.

I think there are far too many syringes in society today. (God help us) Why not use the gearbox level plug and job done.......

Quite right about no need for a syringe, to have the outside case go dry and rusty  (as I had read earlier )  I assumed the outer was dry, like the Vincent I had. It's obvious from where the level plug is it is well oiled. 

Put it down to a senior moment please , rather than being a bit dim !

So that's it, thanks Robert for filling in the background to this, so a full 'dunk' would'nt  go  amiss every now and then !  I'll shall make sure there is a breather on my gearbox.

Dave Cormeau did an article showing no need for the breather (running without allegedly pushes gearbox oil down the centre of the mainsheet into the clutch/ primary case). He found that it was impossible to pressurise as the clutch cable isn't sealed and it vents from there instead. The gearbox will never get hot enough to remove moisture from within during normal running so to me, it is better not to have the cover vent as that blocks at least one entry point. Water running down clutch cable? You can always put a rubber 'boot' over the cable end  to stop water going in if you want.

I agree with Robert in that the change linkage, especially the pawl spring rusts as it is both above the oil level and the outer part of the box doesn't see much oil movement to coat it as nothing really happens in there to fling the oil about unless your bike needs 20 kicks to get started!

Regards, George.

Boot on before putting the cable into the gearbox! It is a teeny weeny nipple at the gearbox end! Goes through the top if the boot easily!

Never realised it was this complicated. I usually drain crankcase (and look at filter gauze), drain oil tank with the handy drain bolt, bolts back in and fill with oil.

 HI Robert, 

I built my clutch cable myself from a kit of bits so it is easy to put things like that on first.

As yours is already built, you could use a short length of heat shrink -it should fit over the adjuster and when shrunk down will do the same job of stopping moisture going in.

Regards, George