This is going to sound weird, but...

[Anonymous]

I changed my oil and filter after possibly getting some oil in it from tipping the bike over. I checked my petcock and it was turned off properly. I have it set up to work with no vacuum. So it is either off or on.

Well the problem. I put about 2.5 quarts of oil in the bike, and then slowly add until it shows at about the F mark, waiting now and then to let it settle. (Clymer manual says to use 2.7 quarts with filter change.) Then I ride for a while, let it sit a fw minutes, and check again. It then showed more than I originally put in. I wait and the oil level eventually moves out of the window.
I drain the filter area, run the engine, and then drain the filter area again. I did this once or twice more. The oil level now shows in the middle of the window. I ride the bike a while thinking maybe I had just put to much oil in. When I stop, and check the oil again, it will not show in the window at all. So I slowly put more oil in. Definitely not as much as I took out while draining the filter area. Now the oil level is about right again. So I ride the bike one last time before putting it up for the night. When I get back, and check the oil level it has risen to almost out of the window again.

What could be the problem? I always check it on the centerstand, and thinking it might acount for part of the problem I started turning the forks straingt while ckecking it also. This did not help. Also, when checking it I take the oilfiller cap off.

I recently had the engine off the bike for some welding work to be done. If the oil pick up tube had been damaged could it cause this problem.

I have no idea, and its driving me nuts. Please help.

Billy Miles

 

[earlfor]

Re: This is going to sound weird, but...

Well Billy. I think its pretty safe to say the bike is not manufacturing oil. I can think of only one possibility. The side case that has the sight window, must have an oil entry galley and an oil exit galley. Oil is able to enter faster than it is able to drain. You have to have a partially blocked return passageway.

Earl

I changed my oil and filter after possibly getting some oil in it from tipping the bike over. I checked my petcock and it was turned off properly. I have it set up to work with no vacuum. So it is either off or on.

Well the problem. I put about 2.5 quarts of oil in the bike, and then slowly add until it shows at about the F mark, waiting now and then to let it settle. (Clymer manual says to use 2.7 quarts with filter change.) Then I ride for a while, let it sit a fw minutes, and check again. It then showed more than I originally put in. I wait and the oil level eventually moves out of the window.
I drain the filter area, run the engine, and then drain the filter area again. I did this once or twice more. The oil level now shows in the middle of the window. I ride the bike a while thinking maybe I had just put to much oil in. When I stop, and check the oil again, it will not show in the window at all. So I slowly put more oil in. Definitely not as much as I took out while draining the filter area. Now the oil level is about right again. So I ride the bike one last time before putting it up for the night. When I get back, and check the oil level it has risen to almost out of the window again.

What could be the problem? I always check it on the centerstand, and thinking it might acount for part of the problem I started turning the forks straingt while ckecking it also. This did not help. Also, when checking it I take the oilfiller cap off.

I recently had the engine off the bike for some welding work to be done. If the oil pick up tube had been damaged could it cause this problem.

I have no idea, and its driving me nuts. Please help.

Billy Miles

 

[Anonymous]

Darn, I was going to move in with the Clampets if my bike started producing oil. :lol:

 

[AOD]

are you center standing the bike to check the oil? i found that if i center stand mine, and rock it to sit on the back tire, that will affect the oil level mark. if i centerstand it, and let it sit on the front tire, i usually use that mark for oil.

~Adam

 

[Mark Harrop]

petcock

petcock

Since you said you modified your petcock, check and see that gas is not running through the carbs into the crankcase. Does the oil seem "diluted" or smell like gas? Try filling the oil to the proper level with the fuel line clamped off with hemostats or something. Run the bike, remove clamp, drive normally, replace clamp, shut off bike. Check oil level.
I had this problem on my 750 once. The gas was getting past the needle valve in the #1 carb and filling my crankcase with gas.
You could always just double check the fuel line (remove from carb to see if dribbling).
Good Luck.

 

[terry]

Since you said you modified your petcock, check and see that gas is not running through the carbs into the crankcase. Does the oil seem "diluted" or smell like gas? Good Luck.

Or you could test it by holding a lit match over your open oil filler? Nah, don't try that, just jokes mate! :twisted: :twisted:

It's a definate "no-no" to allow fuel to run into the crankcase, but I don't think thats the problem with your bike, I'm pretty sure that your bike has slide carbs, so unlike CV's, they have overflow drains in the float bowls that run any fuel that's bypassed your fuel valves onto the ground via rubber tubes.

I think Earl might be on the right track, I have a similar problem with my GS1000 telling me that there's no oil in there one minute, then looking like it's overfilled the next. If you're not running an oil cooler, then by rights there should be no major variation to your oil level, but from my experience with my GS1000's and my GS750, it seems to be a common fault.

 

[AOD]

mmm...bowl overflow drains...so great

 

[Don Lobacz]

Oil drains out of the motor and it's galleries after shutdown. Kawasaki says wait 5 minutes after shutdown before checking the level. I wouldn't worry too much about it as long as the level is in the window.

 

[saaz]

First thing is don't worry too much..

Ok, the GS can be sensitive to checking the oil level consistently..if the bike is slightly off level the readings will vary..also if the oil is not hot it will take longer to check the level accurately.

Usually when the bike is hot, leave it at least a minute before checking the level. It is best to check when the bike is in exactly the same position..on the driveway one time, then somewhere else at the service station may give different readings.

As I have not had a centre stand for 20 years, I check by balancing the bike upright at its point of balance only when hot..the oil takes longer the level out when cool. Doing it this way you can see that the slightest change in angle of the bike affects the reading by half a window. It does not take much oil to go from low to high.

Of yes, as most of you are in the US, I had better warn that you should not drop the bike on you while doing this as it can hurt. The hurt varies according to the weight of the bike. Some beer reduces the amount of hurt, but not the damage.