[Mongoman]

Hi All,

I have a 08 Electra which has now done 4500km.  Last week I took it on a 700km ride and I'm concerned about the oil that it is using.  Before I left oil was at just above half-way on the dipstick and at 350km of the trip it was almost completely empty. 

To me this seems very thirsty on oil.  It was running at higher rpm but not constant.  I'm using a 15w-50.  Can anyone shed some light to let me know if this consumption is normal.

Also, as I was returning I went to check the oil again and had found the the actual dipstick has fallen into the sump.  Any ideas on how to retrieve this?

Thanks

[The Garbone]

My dipstick fell off a few months back.  Get one of those little telescoping pen magnets and it should fish out of fairly easy.  I put some blue locktite on mine and have not had a repeat.                   

As far as oil usage, think there is a method of checking an AVL only after it has run for a minute or so to get a true feel of the oil level.   I am not sure as I have an iron barrel.   

[PhilJ]

When you say that when starting out the oil was at half on the dip stick, was this check on a cold un-started bike? On my AVL cold, before starting the oil is lower than that. Have you checked in your air filter box for oil? On the AVL, the oil catch-can can overfill and drain into the air filter box.

The best way to check oil level is after a ride, where the bike gets warmed up thoroughly. Then wait at least a minute to five and check. It should be at or, preferably, below the high mark.

[clamp]

There is nothing you can do about it at the moment unless it is leaking it.

       You cant stop putting it in.

    Check maticulously your oil usage.

     Check oil on the centre stand after a run and a minute or two standing --as mentioned.

      It is fully run in now so give it some stick and load it, not rev it ,--load it.

      Im doing that now on 1300 Km.   I don't want a smokie jo.

     
     

[Joe28]

All the post here are good ones, (as always).
If'n you using oil at that rate, you should be able to see it out the pipe when you start, shift, "wind-er-up", an oily garage of frame.
I'd pull the plug and see if it's oil fouled, (shiny black)
If it's not, then you good to go, just need to get the knack of how and when to check it.
If it's shiny black, (OH NO! )
Warm the engine up, pull a compression test, squirt some oil in the cylinder, (this seals the rings), do a compression test again and if there is a bit of a difference, you have the problem!
Keep us posted!
Just my 2 cents
Joe
Wait! It's working great??  Let me get my tools!

[Spitting Bull]

I don't have an Electra so there may be something I'm missing here.

 But, isn't it safer to check your oil before you ride away, rather then after you have come back? 

In the event of your oil being low, surely the best time to find out is before you set off, before you cause any damage? (I acknowledge that if you always check at the end of each ride and top up as necessary,  then there should always be enough oil for the next ride).

Tom

[The Garbone]

I don't have an Electra so there may be something I'm missing here.

 But, isn't it safer to check your oil before you ride away, rather then after you have come back? 

In the event of your oil being low, surely the best time to find out is before you set off, before you cause any damage? (I acknowledge that if you always check at the end of each ride and top up as necessary,  then there should always be enough oil for the next ride).

Tom

Ahh ,  a conundrum...

[t120rbullet]

I don't have an Electra so there may be something I'm missing here.

 But, isn't it safer to check your oil before you ride away, rather then after you have come back? 

I don't have an Electra either but the theory is the same.
When oil gets hot it expands and will read higher than it does when it is cold.
When your bike sits sometimes it will "wet sump" meaning some of the oil will get into the crankcase and pool up in there.
Then you check it and it's low. You add some and when it gets hot and the return pump sucks the crank out and now the oil level is too high.
It then pumps it out the breather, plugs up your air filter and leaks all over the place.
Take it out for a ride and get it good and hot (takes a long time to get that oil hot) and then check it. I keep mine about 1/4 inch below the full mark when hot.
CJ



 

[clamp]

 it is a debatable point. I would suggest you do as I do and that is make sure there is some in before starting. I check carefully after a minute or two.

[UncleErnie]

I can't get a reading after warm-up.  My engine is still new and the oil hasn't gottn dirty enough to read yet.  I try to make sure the oil shows about 1/4 to 1/4 on the stick when cold, then I go by faith.  They should do like kerosine and put a colouring in oil so it would be easier to see.
Maybe I should put a little graphite in there?

[Mongoman]

Thanks all for your excellent posts.

Managed to retrieve the dipstick with a telescopic magnet without a problem.

I've pulled the plug and thankfully it's not fouled and there is no oil within the air filter or box.  Not sure where the oil is going as it's not coming out the exhaust (some black/white smoke appears on start up) and it's not on my garage floor.

I think that it is finding a fine balance of having the engine warm enough and playing around with adding the right amount of oil as not to overfill. 

By the way, I check the level before and after going for a ride.  Before going for a ride I let her warm up for about five minutes on the centre stand and then check.

Thanks again.

[clamp]

I can't get a reading after warm-up.  My engine is still new and the oil hasn't gottn dirty enough to read yet.  I try to make sure the oil shows about 1/4 to 1/4 on the stick when cold, then I go by faith.  They should do like kerosine and put a colouring in oil so it would be easier to see.
Maybe I should put a little graphite in there?

  Spray the dipstick matt black.

[Joe28]

Good to hear your motor is still tip-top!
(I kinda figured it was OK, these motors are, well, built like a bullet)! (Hey! What a slogan, think they'd buy it?)
A few years ago I was teaching my 2 boys about oil, (we run mostly 2 stoke off road bikes, so crank case oil is new to them), I explained how the oil expands, yadda, yadda.
So, I had them dump the oil inmy bike, (it happened at the time to be a '99 R.E. with the trials kit), swap out the filter, make sure all the oil was out.
Then the EXACT amount the owners manual said, new filter.
Started it up, ran it like 30 seconds to get the filter filled.
Shut 'er down, checked the oil.
Fired it again let it run like 3-4 minutes, rechecked it.
There was their 2 oil check marks! Cold-hot.
Rule of thumb I use, split the difference between high and low marks.
To this day they do that.
Worked for them............
Joe
What ya mean it's running great? Ge tit in here and let's see what we can do!

[Tiny Tim]

The "I can't see my oil on the dipstick as it's too clean" problem has two solutions:

1. Remove the dipstick and lay it along a small piece of newspaper.

2. Ride the damn thing and get the oil dirty

Finally, when doing an oil change, it's unlikely that you will be able to drain all of the old oil out of the engine. Measure how much was removed and replace it with exactly this amount of clean oil. Then, after running for a few minutes and letting it stand on level ground on the centre stand, re-check and top up as required.

Remember, too much is almost as bad as too little!

REgards

TT

[indian48]

To the built like a bullet slogan comment, the slogan used by RE a few decades ago actually was - made like a gun, goes like a bullet!. I am guessing that RE and the firm that made the Enfield 303 rifles were connected to each other in some way....