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#96462
papasmurf wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 11:01 am
Allanfox wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:47 am
Or maybe they printed the manual wrongly and I am putting too much oil in! :-)
The 2.25 litres is the first fill for a new engine or after an engine rebuild.
The nooks and crannies in the engine and cylinder head hold about 700cc which does not drain out at an oil change.
That is why I made the dipstick, which is for use on a cold engine. 1.3 litres at an oil change is sufficient.
There been a mass of comment on the forum about over filling Electra Xs.
Thankyou Tony and all makes sense, I did put 2.25 in as was a first fill post rebuild but then topped it up (mistake) , lesson learnt (finally!) and your homemade dipstick now being deployed! Again thankyou.
#96463
Allanfox wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 11:43 am

Thankyou Tony and all makes sense, I did put 2.25 in as was a first fill post rebuild but then topped it up (mistake) , lesson learnt (finally!) and your homemade dipstick now being deployed! Again thankyou.
Don't forget to change the air filter. The current one will be lagged with oil.
#96533
Adrian wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 11:29 am

I'm working on a spare set of Electra-X crankcases on and off at the moment and these didn't have the breather stub at all. What I have done is mill/finger file a flat where it would have been, and I shall drill and tap that ¼" BSP, for which any number of hose fittings are available for some decent breather plumbing.
Well that was easier than I thought it would be!!!
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#96534
Very good, Allan, you can fit a twin lead HT coil and use that to ignite any combustible gases building up in the oil tank! :D

Just remind me again what you're relying on for an engine breather now you've plugged the main breather hole, will it be our Hosts' filler neck extension/breather tower, but with BOTH pipes used for gases outwards?

Here's what I've managed to do with with my spare cases, they're just about thick enough at that point to take a worthwhile ¼" BSP thread.

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Several options among many:

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Of course, for those who want to keep the original tank breather hole, this is pretty much all you need.

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Finally Allan, I see your 14mm spark plug and raise you a ¼ BSP x ⅜" hose tail!

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A.
#96535
Well, the plan is to revert it all back to a earlier 90s breather system, what I am planning relies on two things:
  • Earlier bullets also had a drilling between the crankcase and the oil tank ( i think they did based on what has been discussed)
  • The oil tank top spigot hole only ever appeared as part of the environmental logic of using a catch can
So I plan to block off the top oil tank spigot (a Suzuki drain plug fits) and fit the Hitchcock kit as intended (as now have the crankcase breather y the engine number drilled out and working).

As I now have the oil tank collar off I can really look inside the oil tank while the engine is running, an amazing amount of turbulence and oil splashing about even when the level is below the bottom of the dipstick, the fact that the main breather is via the top spigot is just carrying too much oil with it as the force of the air is picking up the large globules of oil splashing about and carrying them up and out to wherever your breather pipe terminates. Appreciate the solution is to drop the oil level to a point that the globules are low enough not to get picked up and therefore stop the oil exiting via the top spigot, but to be honest it happens anyway and fills either the catch can or the air filer box.

I don't like this solution as doesn't feel like a good idea to reduce oil levels to compensate for a design flaw, the flaw being the crankcase drilling between the sump and oil tank is aligned to the top spigot so up and straight out! I did wonder what would happen if the hole was welded up and moved to the other crankcase half so the pressure blast hit the side of the oil tank and was not aligned to the spigot, but ain't about to split the cases again just now!!

So, to revert to the earlier model and use the Hitchcock's kit will allow any oil from the opened up crankcase breather to be returned to the oil tank and hopefully the oil tank will breath via the extension tower and onto the chain but with only a oil mist and not the large globules I am currently getting.

No harm done as if it doesn't work and the breather throws too much oil on the chain and all over me and the bike I can just revert to reducing the oil level until it stops and use the home made dipstick (or extending mine) to establish the optimum level.

Anyway parts ordered and will be testing this weekend!!
#96539
It's pretty close to the original site, though next time (!) you have the engine apart you could always block the drilled hole off and replicate the original. Apart from being slightly higher, the older hole is at an oblique angle, I wouldn't have thought it would have made a huge difference.

This does not mean I am now anticipating another 17 posts about the importance of the relative position, size and inclination of the internal breather, but hey, this is Forumland...

A.
#96542
Well now you mention that.......................... :-) but yes it is close and can't imagine it matters much.

Anyway, Hitchcock's kit fitted, quick blast round the block and success (so far) !!! Nice mist on chain, the slight white smoke I have had has gone (must have been the oil blowing into the airbox) and it does seem to run and pick up better. So, so far so good and now need to risk as longer run before relaxing!
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