Hitchcocks Forum

I apologize for the double post here. I shared this question in another topic on the forum and became concerned that perhaps it might be overlooked, so I figured I'd start a new one. When cold, my oil level doesn't register on the dipstick at all. After a brief run and shutdown -allowing the engine to cool for 5 minutes or so- the oil appears to be about halfway (perhaps even 3/4) to the top fill mark. Is this normal? I'd expect to see a slight difference in the cold/hot readings, but surely not that extreme, right? I'm diligent about setting the piston at TDC each and every time I park the bike. I've got quite a bit of oil leaking past the timing gasket (need to fix that!) on my rides and collecting on top of the crankcase, so I'm fairly confident the level's sufficiently full when warm.

I had same question few months ago .. you can check oil only while the engine is hot. Dipstick was all dry while the engine is cold .. this normal for these bullets

That's about right. Even with the crank at tdc some of these engines will wet-sump pretty quickly. As enfield-trials says, check it hot, a minute or so after stopping the engine so the oil has time to drain from the head. Half way on the dipstick is about right when hot. Any more and they wet-sump even worse. If it it wet-sump REALLY badly the oil might be getting through the crank seal.

This advice seems odd. The dipstick indicates oil level in the oil tank – not the sump. Why would a hot engine have more oil in the oil tank than a cold engine? If there is no substantial leak from the oil tank then a cold engine that is not running will have no less oil than a hot engine that is not running. Oil does not drain from the oil tank unless there is a leak from between the crankcase joints or a gravity drain through the oil pumps. To avoid the latter is the reason why the piston may be left at TDC in a stationary engine. Provided the engine is not running and circulating oil a hot engine will have no more or no less oil in the oil tank than a cold engine. If the oil is not in the oil tank then the only place a significant quantity can escape is into the sump. If the correct amount of oil was in the engine to start with and it has dropped below the low mark on the dip stick there must be a huge quantity of oil in the sump – wet sumping indeed! I’ve just checked oil level in 3 bikes I have here that I know have not been run for weeks if not months. Oil level on dip stick was good in each case.

Sounds right Presto.Had me worried there just topped up oil in a cold engine to the full mark on the dipstick.

Just checked my original Enfield bullet workshop manual and it says top up to H mark.No mention at all of engine needing to be hot.

You make a good point, Presto; however, I have no symptoms of wet-sumping whatsoever. I removed the oil quill bushing this morning and found the top of it was separating, so perhaps this might play a role in my oil level woes, though I'll be damned if I know how.

It begs the question tonupboy, that approximate pint of oil that should lie between the H and L level,if it's not in the sump where has it gone.I would have thought either there's not enough there or you have a serious leak problem.

It sure does, Jamesy. I've been doing quite a bit of theorizing here. I've got a fairly substantial contact breaker gasket leak, and I'm wondering if perhaps the oil that is moved to the oil tank from the timing chest when the bike is hot then settles in the timing chest when the bike is cold, hence the low reading. Does this sound logical?

Another bit of theorizing.
Perhaps when hot there is still a certain amount of air whisked up in the oil?