Where's it going?

[GSdonnie]

:shock:I remember reading on this forum sometime in the last year about somebody who kept pouring in oil before every ride because the oil level was low in the sightglass. When they went to change the oil, it all came pouring out and was obviously overfilled.

I think I'm having the same problem with my 81 650GL. I noticed on my last couple of rides last fall, I checked the oil level with the bike up on the centerstand, and the level was just barely above or even with the "L" mark on the sightglass. I'd put in about a half-pint of oil, then the level would be up to the "H" mark, and away I'd ride.

Now this spring, I go through the same procedure, only this time, I end up putting in almost a quart and the oil level barely rises. The bike starts up easily enough and I see no blue smoke from the exhaust nor is there any leaks on the floor or around the heads. Where the h*** is the oil going?

How about it, Gissers? Any ideas out there?

No, I haven't changed the oil yet because I need to get a new filter in hand.

Hmmmm?

[chef1366]

Maybe the drain holes on your head are clogged and it's pooling around your valve guides.

[Jagir]

I ran out of oil on my best trip last summer - at least that's what I thought.

It was a beautiful night and a great place to camp beside the Fraser River. It wasn't close enough to home to ride through the night, yet it wasn't so far that help was inaccesible. I had been riding further and faster than I should have all day.

Checked the oil level in the morning and it was empty! Having noone else on the trip to quiet my nervousness at this dicovery, I figured the previous day of riding hard, coupled with the logging road I had navigated with it's loose stones that may have cracked the oil pan...

I pushed the bike back up the slope and called home for help. As I was waiting to be rescued, I checked again. To my great glee, astonishment and embarrassment, I realized that I had parked on a slope and had plenty of black gold down there.

the moral of the story is to always consider the ground you park on.:-|

[SqDancerLynn1]

I have done it myself, no rhyme or reason to it

[Nessism]

The bike should be on level ground and up on the center stand to check the oil. Engine should not be running and if it has recently been running, allow a few min. for the oil to flow back down to the sump before checking.

[GSdonnie]

Hey chef, what drain holes are you talking about? Is there a way I can get to these or does that involve pulling the head?

[chef1366]

They are under your valve cover and drain through your cylinders in each corner. At least on my 1100.

[arveejay]

Get engine hot, drain oil and change filter, measure the correct amount of oil and add it, add 3 oz of Sea Foam and ride it, making sure you get it completely warmed up each time you ride it. This will clean up many things, and after only a couple hundred miles you will see the oil blacken up. I had a 550 that was doing the same thing and I did as described above and did so 3 times at 500 mile intervals and it cleaned up the engine very well as the oil sight glass would actualy work. Sea Foam is EXCELLENT.

[chef1366]

Get engine hot, drain oil and change filter, measure the correct amount of oil and add it, add 3 oz of Sea Foam and ride it, making sure you get it completely warmed up each time you ride it. This will clean up many things, and after only a couple hundred miles you will see the oil blacken up. I had a 550 that was doing the same thing and I did as described above and did so 3 times at 500 mile intervals and it cleaned up the engine very well as the oil sight glass would actualy work. Sea Foam is EXCELLENT.

So you keep the Sea Foam in the motor for the full 500 miles?

[arveejay]

Yes, I went the full 500 miles each time on the 550. The motor was so bad I figured I couldn't do much harm and the can said it would not harm the engine. After I was satisfied I sold it to My neighbor, he has had the bike 3 years and it will go many more miles. I put some in every bike I buy now for the maiden voyage and change oil and filter at 500 miles. For a slightly deglected bike 1 time might be enough. It is really good stuff.

[t3rmin]

FYI I've used both SeaFoam and MMO and neither have harmed ye ole' wet clutch.

[paintmann111]

What kind of Sea Foam are you using with the oil? I went to their site and all I can find is the fuel/engine one. Has anyone tried the fuel one as well with good results?

[jimcor]

My Concours has a sight glass that is next to worthless. The bike must be absolutely, positively, on level ground and must sit for many hours to get a reading on oil level. A truly accurate level reading requires an overnight sitting. This is no trouble around town, I ignore the glass, but the oil is changed every 1000 to 1500 miles. Where it's a problem is on the road. So parking at days end, usually when you're beat, becomes critical so an accurate reading can be taken the next morning. Can actually be the deciding factor on campsites. Bummer.

[arveejay]

What kind of Sea Foam are you using with the oil? I went to their site and all I can find is the fuel/engine one. Has anyone tried the fuel one as well with good results?

That's the one. It says carb and injector cleaner and it says it's safe for the engine at about 1 oz per qt.

[GSdonnie]

OK, now I'm really getting confused. This morning, I took it out for an 80-mile ride. Before I fired it up, I had it sitting on the centerstand on a very level concrete floor. I checked the sightglass - oil level was about 1 mm above the "L" or bottom mark. Just to be sure, I thought I'd better add some oil. Took off the oil filler cap and poured in about 1/8 pint of oil - the level went completely above the sightglass. Then to my astonished eyes, the oil went GLUG, GLUG, GLUG like it was going somewhere? Then it was down below the bottom mark!?

At that point, I said screw it, I'm going riding (first time in 3 weeks.) It was still on the centerstand, so I started it up and let it idle while I got my helmet and gloves on. After about 4 minutes, I rolled it off the centerstand and leaned it over on the kickstand to get on. Then the red oil light came on! WT*, so I shut it off, let it cool about 3 minutes, then put about a half-quart of 10W40 in and started it up again. When I went to put it in gear, the sucker lurched like the clutch was slipping, which it never has done before! WT*! I decided, hell with it, just gave it gas and lurched on down the road. After 5 minutes, I came to my first stop sign and the clutch was just like normal again. It was a great morning here, low 50's and no wind so down the road I went. 80 miles later, I'm back home and parked it outside my shop and went in and had dinner.

When I came out after dinner to do some other stuff outside, I thought I'd better roll the bike into the shop. Wait a minute, what's this stuff on the left side of the rear wheel? Oil smears? It looked like I had oil leaking out of the left side of the rear hub (this is a shaftie.) But there was no fresh oil. It just looked to me like some oil had been forced out of the rear hub and had sprayed itself around the rim. I don't know how long that had been going on, but I can tell you this is the first time I've seen this!

I know in the manual, on these 650's theres 2 drain holes when you change oil - one in front of the crankcase (with the filter) and one at the left rear of the crankcase behind the gear shift cover. Is there any way that oil could be crossing over from the crankcase to the oil bath for the differential (or shaft drive housing?) Is this where my oil is disappearing to and am I then way overfilling the oil?

Thanks for your opinions. I'm going to give it the SeaFoam try this week, after I get a filter.