Forum

[jefrs]

According to the spirit level, the shed floor is as level as a billiards table. On the centre stand both wheels (C5) touch the floor; the bike is level. Using the procedure in the manual the oil level is now just touching the lower mark but leaving it overnight will rise to just above the middle. The oil level is correct. Problem is adding top up oil does not go straight down to the sight glass. It seems to need the motor to circulate the oil and then drop it down to the sight glass, the route from filler hole to sight glass is convoluted.



On draining and replenishing the oil with 1 litre to a little over half full, I observed that that there was no oil in the sight glass as expected but on running the motor oil surged into it. Gradually adding oil the sound of the pumps changed note as they acquired oil to suck; I estimate this was around the 2 litre mark. The engine holds a total of 2.75 litres but I reckon I added no more than 2 litres of fresh oil by repeatedly running the motor, stopping to observe the glass and adding a couple of eggcups of more oil until it rose to the bottom of the sight glass.



I had done the second oil change with filter (post running in), maybe superfluous, but had inadvertently overfilled with oil which was then spat out of the breather (which then makes a mess in clean side of the air filter). Having bought too much oil I decided to thoroughly drain and refill (third change) with the existing filters but this time get the level correct. Conclusion, the motor retains at least 600ml to 1 litre of oil depending on how well you can manage to drain it out of both holes by tipping the bike.



The sight glass appears to be gloriously inaccurate yet given the propensity of the motor to retain a random quantity of old oil, it is the only way to gauge the correct amount. Relying on being between the two marks on the sight glass can lead to over filling and over filling it seems to send any excess up the breather and thence through the throttle body.

[Beezabryan]

What an incredible performance! And all for the want of an old fashioned dipstick.

[papasmurf]

Beezabryan, I stopped faffing about with checking the oil level on my Electra X, I made a dipstick which reaches the bottom of the tank and as long as there is over 4 inches showing on a cold engine that appears to be fine. (It not a replacement dipstick it is for checking only it does not stay on the bike.)
If I use the long winded checking method as described on the bit of paper attached to the owners manual. The 4 inches on the home made dipstick is half way between the low and high marks on the dipstick fitted to the bike.

[Revband]

Perhaps the dipstick designed the bike.

[jefrs]

Papasmurf, what bike was that dipstick for?

I tried dropping a stick own the filler of the C5 but there is some plate below the hole that stops the probe going in.



Agree not a good deign. I would have liked to see an oil level plug. One you remove and the oil drains down to the correct level. Old school, simple.

[Revband]

Oil level plugs in gearboxes and primary chaincase, but I have yet to find one for engine oil.

[papasmurf]

jefrs, and Electra X as stated. I and the mechanic who services the bike both lost the will to live getting the level on the dipstick on the bike so I made on that drops into the same hole but is not a replacement for the one supplied.
It is specifically for checking the level with the engine cold and not started for 24 hours.
The near instantaneous wet sumping makes the supplied dipstick as much use as a chocolate spanner.

[jefrs]

If memory serves the D14/4 Bantam had a single oil level plug for the entire engine but that is a 2-stroke, no valves.



A thought, on the EFI engine only, if the sight glass (which is held in by a circlip) were replaced by an oil level plug - but NB the oil has to be circulated to get the the sight glass. Now I have not removed the thing but have seen it fill, from the top, and it seems to me to be like the tube thing you might have on a kettle.



The EFI does have a number of plugs on the cases. I do not know what they are for and I'm not about to pull them out to find out. Is one a blanked-off dipstick hole?

[jefrs]

Papasmurf, on the EFI which is what Nigelphoto has - an EFI CGT-535, I cannot poke anything down the filler hole because there is a casting or plate below the hole that one can feel with a finger. The Electra X may be an UCE but it is not the later EFI motor, there are several differences not least of which is the oil pumps at something like twice the rate. A dipstick would be useful, the sight glass is also a chocolate teapot which requires grovelling on the ground to see and tells a different story each time.



Imo if the sight glass is full and shows no air bubble it is over-filled and if there is oil showing at the bottom of the glass below the low mark then there is enough in there and /do not/ top up because the next time you look at it it will be up at the top mark. It only does it to annoy because it knows it teases.

[Rattlebattle]

Hagis: Not all UK CGTs have km speedos. Whilst the one I test rode did, another one in the showroom had the main display in mph. Not what determines which clock you get, but they do differ. No excuse though, really.