4 stroke oil change.

[HardDriver]

Hi. Need some information. In bike is a dipstick, so how much should it be? Between min or max, or 3/4? AND how to measure? Or I should just put the dipstick or screw him fully into engine? Also, should bike be on central stand or without stand at all? How more accuracy? Thanks.

[doggone]

Should read the manual really, the exact procedure varies as some designs say run the bike for a minute then let oil settle before dipping. (some oil will be retained around the engine, pump and filters).

In practice doing it from cold on centre stand or held roughly level is probably OK and mainly you should to do it the same way each time so you can note any change.
You should pull it out and wipe it, then dip in all the way and straight out again to read the level.

The exact level is not that important but below minimum mark or above maximum are both potentially damaging.
If it's in the middle or towards the top level you are fine.
Checking it regularly you will should soon get a picture if it is tends to go down and need a small top up`after a few weeks.

Light oil use is not unusual or a sign anything is wrong, but a sudden change is more concerning.

[HardDriver]

[prawny1]

Some bikes will need the dipstick screwed back in some will need it just rested on the threads, the main dealer would know this info.

Ideally you would check the bike on it's wheels with the bike vertical and on a level horizontal plain.
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hellkat wrote:

Some people are only alive cos its against the law to kill them.

[HardDriver]

Oh, okey, thanks. One question, if doesn't care how much oil do you put (between low and top), when isn't better to be full (maybe better lubrication, protection, when oil just stay in between top and lower levels)? I'm just curiuos about that.

[c_dug]

It's better near the top purely because when it starts to use the oil you are less likely to run below the low level.

As long as the level is between the upper and lower levels it makes little difference to to the engine, they are deemed the safe levels by the manufacturer (and likely include a small margin of error too).
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[doggone]

It would probably still be safe(ish) barely touching the dipstick unless you planned on a couple of TT laps.
The oil light will come on if it can't draw oil from the sump.
Overfilling is possibly a greater risk especially with very clean new oil which is hard to see on the dipstick.

Someone bought a bike from me and thought he would change the oil himself.
It had one of those sight glas windows but to be fair it was a bit opaque and his very pale oil was not obvious as it rose.
So he just kept adding more until it was level with the filler, and thought 'that'll do it' presumably.
Then when he tried to start it the engine could't be turned over.
Probably just as well, not sure what would have happened.

[HardDriver]

[YBR Ric]

Knowing which bike you own might help us in providing the answer you seek

[c_dug]

What I mean is that there is likely to be a mm or so either side of the upper and lower mark before you get into the danger zone.

You're making too much of the oil level though, it makes little difference so long as it's between the lines, certainly not anything noticeable while riding.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[prawny1]

Anything above the minimum is adequate but maximum is best for oil life as it stays cooler and any particle build up is less concentrated.

A lot of bike engines rely on splash lubrication for the cylinders, some smaller bikes even rely on it for the main bearings (needle roller) so keeping the oil level at it's max give the most protection.



I have argued this with vw guys in the past, they had fitted a deep high capacity sump to a car (bolts below the standard sump with longer pick up pipe) but only filled the oil so it barely touched the end of the dipstick.

He claimed the purpose of the extended sump was to reduce drag by stopping the crank spinning in the pool of oil, My understanding was that it was to increase oil capacity so that the oil didn't take such a beating and stayed cooler (higher capacity is needed if you run an external oil cooler too).

I couldn't see how doubling or even tripling the hp of an engine whilst at the same time reducing the oil level in the crankcase to what is way below the factory minimum was a good idea because like the bikes i mentioned the vw boxer engine relies on splash lubrication for it's cylinders.
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hellkat wrote:

Some people are only alive cos its against the law to kill them.

[HardDriver]

I have an scooter, but for now, I think I will put more oil, because that think about splashing and so one, makes really good sense. I never thought about that. And that shows, that different is.

[Rogerborg]

[HardDriver]

[Vincent]

Those dipsticks can get swapped about and/or broken - I've been caught out by that before....so, on a "new to me" bike, I always drain the oil and fill by the capacity recommended in the manual...then, you can check the dipstick.
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Space Is Deep

[_Iain_]

[HardDriver]

Question, if oil was droop, because I leaked a bit and I put in from one bottle to another, is it bad to put again to engine? Because I read it about oil reacting with air, when you take of your oil seal, sun is too bad and so one, in bottle was water (I spill all) and in one bottle was old oil (cleaned with paper). So with that oil measurement and so one it really confussed me, but now do as you said guys.

[Andy_Pagin]

[Wonko The Sane]

[Kickstart]

Hi

I would aim to keep the oil level towards the top of the min / max range. Running low on oil is likely to kill the engine rapidly (yes there is an oil pressure light on most bikes, but with an engine using plain bearings and a high pressure oil supply that warning light is likely to just tell you the engine is now trashed). Running a bit high isn't great either, but likely you will need to be quite a bit too high to stand a good chance of damage.

Some bikes it was common to over fill the oil in certain circumstances. Some of the older 5 valve Yamahas in track / race use tended to need this to avoid problems.

With oil that has leaked out there is far too high a chance that it will have collected some grit on its way out.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[HardDriver]

I just leaked some oil and now It's bad. That oil was just running in bike engine for 40 seconds, when I leaked in one bottle to another and that is bad? It was just new oil? Also fully synth castrol 10w40, so really good oil.

[bikertomm]

[HardDriver]

[bikertomm]

[HardDriver]