[African Boy]

 Decided put some oil in the engine as I getting near to running it . I read that it holds 2.25 litres , however I put 2.25 litres and oil started coming out of bottom of the engine between the chain case and the crank case . Have I put too much in or could there be a gasket missing as the engine had no oil in when I got it ?

[Raymond]

From your description, sounds like a missing gasket.

[Adrian II]

Did you dip right to the bottom of the oil tank or just find none on the screw in dip stick?

A.

[African Boy]

No there wasn't any on the dipstick ? If I overfilled it would it leak out some where ?

[Raymond]

If you overfilled, I think the problem would manifest when your start the engine and it would begin blowing oil out of the breather and possibly other places like the hose at l/h cylinder base.

[AzCal Retred]

I believe the AVL has an internal vent from the oil tank to "up high" on the crankcase. If so that would explain the oil in the crankcase you running out the seal and past the gasket as the crankcase was full up. However, the leaking crank seal and gasket are both suspect, so the primary cover should come off for a look-see. If they didn't leak, you might have just gotten a hydraulic lock when you tried to start up. The only other way oil accesses the crankcase in an extra curricular manner is to wet sump thru the timing cover crank seal or backwards thru the oil pump if the crankpin was at BDC. I'll bet when you did get it started later there was a low-hanging white cloud in the neighborhood...

[Adrian II]

No there wasn't any on the dipstick ? If I overfilled it would it leak out some where ?

I think you missed my point.

There can still quite a lot of oil in the tank BELOW the bottom of the dipstick, whic doesn't go all the way to the actual bottom of the tank. If you added a full amount of oil ON TOP of that you will definitely have overfilled. Don't forget there will also be some oil in the timing chest under the timing cover, although the Electra-X doesn't have an oil seal on the crankshaft like the (later) iron barrel Bullets, so some of it will end up in the sump.

A.

[Steelaway]

Will this help?

[African Boy]

Thanks guys for your advice and help .
I think a possible cause is that the bike doesn't have a centre stand and putting 2.25 litres in and if it already had some oil below the dipstick then I did notice some oil came out of the union breather on top of the crankcase . The bike being on a angle caused the  oil to run down between the crankcase and the chain case and was dripping off the bottom of the chain case . I shall stand the bike level and refill slowly and will check the level with the dip stick.

[African Boy]

 UPDATE

  I placed the bike in a upright position and filled it slowly checking the level on the dipstick . It took one and a quarter litres nearly the top of dipstick . No oil leaking from the bike . There must have been oil in the sump the first time I filled it , but not showing on the dipstick .

[Adrian II]

Like I said, the dipstick stops well short of the bottom of the oil tank. Please note that oil tank (on the right in this picture) is a separate compartment from the sump (on the left), despite them being two parts of the same casting, this is what's known as a dry sump engine. That is not always the case where oil can leak in from the timing chest with the bike parked up, but with the engine running the scavenge pump should be keeping the sump constantly drained.



A.

[Steelaway]

Like I said, the dipstick stops well short of the bottom of the oil tank. Please note that oil tank (on the right in this picture) is a separate compartment from the sump (on the left), despite them being two parts of the same casting, this is what's known as a dry sump engine. That is not always the case where oil can leak in from the timing chest with the bike parked up, but with the engine running the scavenge pump should be keeping the sump constantly drained.



A.

How do you measure the oil level?
With the stick screwed in or just sat on top?
The difference is probably the top and bottom reading on the stick

[tooseevee]

How do you measure the oil level?
With the stick screwed in or just sat on top?
The difference is probably the top and bottom reading on the stick

           How ever you decide to check your oil, you've got to just do it the same way each time. You can get two different readings if you vary your method by two minutes.

           The dipstick on my '08 AVL has hashmarks between the Hi & the Lo. Very easy to rub a little chalk into & see the level even with brand new clean oil. Screwing it in or not screwing it in is a very small dimension on the dipstick.

           My engine likes to be checked about two minutes after being shut down. I like it right around the 1/2way or just a hair more on the hashmarks. I get VERY little ever out of the CC Breather which ends (with a duck bill) in an old DryGas bottle sprayed black & hidden right in between the frame tube & the front of the rear plastic mudguard. It's barely even noticeable.

           If I go down right now early AM & check the oil without running it, there will be NO oil showing on the dipstick.

[allanfox]

           How ever you decide to check your oil, you've got to just do it the same way each time. You can get two different readings if you vary your method by two minutes.

           The dipstick on my '08 AVL has hashmarks between the Hi & the Lo. Very easy to rub a little chalk into & see the level even with brand new clean oil. Screwing it in or not screwing it in is a very small dimension on the dipstick.

           My engine likes to be checked about two minutes after being shut down. I like it right around the 1/2way or just a hair more on the hashmarks. I get VERY little ever out of the CC Breather which ends (with a duck bill) in an old DryGas bottle sprayed black & hidden right in between the frame tube & the front of the rear plastic mudguard. It's barely even noticeable.

           If I go down right now early AM & check the oil without running it, there will be NO oil showing on the dipstick.

Likewise, a few minutes after a ride or at least the engine running for a few minutes, I keep mine the same as you on middle to low and have no oil coming out of breathers, well maybe a mist onto the chain, took a bit of messing about to get it right but seems right now, I don't have a catch can either! 

Well maybe i do as I have the Hitchcocks oil tower so any oil goes back into the tank and it works!

[Adrian II]

How do you measure the oil level?

A very long stick which reaches all the way to the bottom of the tank!

A.