Scottoiler advice

[Feasty]

Hi
I've recently been given a 2nd hand Scottoiler and added it to my FZS600. I had one previously I bought for a different bike so I know how they're fitted and supposed to work, and it was excellent.

But this one is being a pain and I'm wondering if it's faulty.
When I've filled it up and got the engine running, the oil doesn't move down the tubes unless I turn the dial to 'Prime', then it moves really quickly and there's loads of air bubbles in the pipe. If I turn the dial down to hardly anything the oil still speeds through the system full of air bubbles, and then turning the engine off it continues to feed oil through and I get a big patch on the floor.
Eventually it will stop, but then the same happens again next time and it's very quickly empty.
Any ideas please?
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[jeffyjeff]

Dear Feasty, Your post just cries out for a crass wisecrack. I can think of several, but your well-intentioned post seeks a thoughtful, sincere response. I'll do my best to answer in kind: since you asked, here are my thoughts.

Your Scottoiler is broken. That's probably the reason you were given it free second hand. You should gift it to somebody else and replace it with a functional unit. That's probably what the first guy did. You knew that already, didn't you?
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[Zen Dog]

As jeffyjeff says, it's difficult to avoid sarcasm. Clearly, it is faulty. The real questions are -

Why is it faulty?
Can it be fixed?
Can you be arsed?

From the description, it sounds to me like the unit isn't sealing properly. Assuming its a vacuum pressure one (I haven't tried the electronic ones), is the diaphragm lifting when you start the engine? If there are bubbles in the delivery tube, there has to be a leak between the reservoir and the delivery point I think. Might be worth seeing if Scottoiler sell a replacement seal kit for the unit.
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Current - '94 VFR750FR (Dead), '00 VFR800FI, 2011 CBF125 Previous - '10 Street Triple R, '92 MZ ETZ301, '05 TTR250, NSR125R, KMX125, "Honda" Win (chinese copy of an old Honda design with a C90 engine)
My bike trip around S.E. Asia 2010/2011

[jeffyjeff]

[steve the grease]

I had some similar problems. Try filling the reservoir with paraffin or some very light oil like white spirit . Suck or use use a vacuum device on the vacuum line until you can get the plunger to open and c lose reliably and the oil flow to switch on and off reliably. Mine had some grit or other crap that was making the plunger stick and either drip constantly - or never drip at all. Seems to work OK now.
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All the above is my personal opinion, you can see my lips move, but I'm talking out of my arse.
I've been riding, and fixing , bikes for 50 years, in that time the more I learn, the less I am absolutely sure of.....

[stinkwheel]

They are stupidly simple. You have a reservoir full of oil with a needle valve at the bottom then a pipe leading to the chain.

When it's off, the needle valve is closed and oil can't run out of the reservoir. Oil can't drip out of the tube because it's a column of oil in a tube which is sealed at one end by the valve. When it's on, the engine vacuum sucks a diaphragm open which is attached to the needle valve by an x-shaped plastic rod running the length of the reservoir. Oil runs out under gravity. The volume control sets how far it's opened.

If you have primed it, the reservoir is full and facing at least slightly downhill so the valve is covered in oil and are finding air bubbles in the pipe, there is ONLY one way that can be happening. You have an air leak in the deliver hose, either a pinhole in the hose itself or a poor fit round the bottom of the reservoir.

This will be why it is emptying when off too. The other reson for one emptying when off is if the needle valve isn't closing properly, either due to being held open for some reason or having muck or damage on the tapered needle seat. The latter would not cause air bubbles to appear in the hose though.

TL;DR, you have an air leak in the delivery hose. Either a pinhole in the hose itself or a poor fit at the base of the reservoir.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

A Heath Robinson device. Bin it.

HTH.

[DJP]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

It's actually pretty easy to live without it, and what's more, the time it takes to fit one would take a fair few months and perhaps even years to clock up fitting time

I've got 60k on my current chain and sprockets - I just hoik it up on the paddock stand before each ride and oil w/ ep90 - takes about 30 seconds

(every fortnight I spray some WD on, and grab it off with kitchen roll - again, that takes about 30 seconds)

if it saw a lot of rain it wouldn't last like that - but, even though i do ride all year round, I manage to avoid riding when it's p1ssing down

i will admit though that i do get fling on the back wheel, which although isn't *that* big (180 section tyres), it's a bit of a faff to clean it every few weeks or so - but if you've got black wheels it's not so bad
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Ste]

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

Yes but “before each ride,” really? Unnecessary.

[MCN]

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

[Feasty]

Wot he said.

I've had bikes with and without Scottoilers, I'd go with every time. The regular maintenance of lubing the chain isn't so bad, but I've got red wheels and they look crap after 2 mins of riding after I've re-lubed the chain. Then it takes ages to clean off.
Never had that problem once the prime and set has been done on a Scottoiler, just leave it to it topping up occasionally and chains have lasted ages without needing changing or adjusting.

Thanks for the tips, I'll need to spend some time taking it all apart, cleaning and refitting whilst making sure there's no air leaks.
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[to v or not to v]

do these oilers need specific oil? can you put used engine oil in them?
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current bike Yamaha Thunderace.
Moto Guzzi V7.

[Nobby the Bastard]

I put cheap chainsaw oil in mine.


Not quite sure why you take oil out of an engine because its worn out and doesn't do the job any more and then stick on another moving part that needs lubrication.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[stinkwheel]

[Zen Dog]

[xX-Alex-Xx]

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

[UncleFester]

Cursory inspection of chain / sprockets and visual check on oil reservoir every now and then - you can keep any other form of chain maintenance.

Irritation of said recent issue aside ( caused by user anyway) I can't imagine going back to some kind of manual routine and all the faff / mess that entails.
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2017 Z1000SX

[Nobby the Bastard]

Plus with o ring chains you lube the interface between the chain and sprocket to limit the wear there and not the links.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[Zen Dog]

I do like the scottoiler, but only really because it was free. It is less hassle, but it's not £120 less hassle, to me at least. Also having to have a vacuum line or wiring to operate it does seem unnecessarily complex. I'm tempted to try some of the alternatives next time.

Loobman is super cheap - https://www.loobman.co.uk/

I like the idea of the Tutoro "jiggle" system, but it's only slightly cheaper than a scottoiler. - https://www.tutorochainoiler.com/
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Current - '94 VFR750FR (Dead), '00 VFR800FI, 2011 CBF125 Previous - '10 Street Triple R, '92 MZ ETZ301, '05 TTR250, NSR125R, KMX125, "Honda" Win (chinese copy of an old Honda design with a C90 engine)
My bike trip around S.E. Asia 2010/2011