[vnuh]

I changed my oil filter and filled in 3200ml per owner manual. I didn't check the oil level window at the time as the bike was on stand.
Just done a 1000km trip and checked the oil window, oil is a tiny bit over the Full level. One thing caused my attention is a bit of oil at the gear shifter's axle, enough to wet the whole shaft but not much to drop to the floor. Initially I though it was chain lubricant but it's liquid and clean than the grease stuff I used on my chain.
I'm worry that the bike is overfilled, should I drain the oil to make the oil level in between F&L? What is the best way to take out that oil? Thanks.

 

[Mdala]

Don't worry I always run my bikes over full, better over than under.

 

[hasten]

the bike will just burn the extra oïl, don't worry

 

[Mythic]

Don't worry I always run my bikes over full, better over than under.

very slightly overfilled is better than underfilled however having way to much oil can be a damaging as having low oil but of course no oil is the worst situation of all.


from what is said in the post above the oil level is just above the max

the comment about oil coming out past an oil seal could easily be related to over filled but in my experience this tends to only happen when the engine is a lot over the max.

burning the oil because it gets past the piston oil seals etc. is also not a great thing as this can glaze the surface and also clogs the system with carbon and would not do the CAT much good either.

anyways that's just from what i have experienced in the past with customers bikes

 

[Ghostrider.1127]

very slightly overfilled is better than underfilled however having way to much oil can be a damaging as having low oil but of course no oil is the worst situation of all.


from what is said in the post above the oil level is just above the max

the comment about oil coming out past an oil seal could easily be related to over filled but in my experience this tends to only happen when the engine is a lot over the max.

burning the oil because it gets past the piston oil seals etc. is also not a great thing as this can glaze the surface and also clogs the system with carbon and would not do the CAT much good either.

anyways that's just from what i have experienced in the past with customers bikes

+1 , add. check oil level when cold

 

[rcannon409]

I would not run one overfilled. If you look at the inside of an engine, you will see a crankshaft and an oil pan under it. It is designed for the oil to be between two specific points.

If the oil is overfilled to the point where the rotating crankshaft comes in contact with oil, the crankshaft will aerate the oil as it rotates. When oil is aerated with air the oil pump can no longer pump oil throughout the engine so the engine is starved of oil and the oil pressure falls off.

We dont have any idea how overfull your bike needs to be when this happens. It can also cause excess crankcase pressure that will damage seals. Also, at high rpms, the high oil level can cause oil to be vented into the airbox.

Again, we dont know what level this happens at, or if it will, but why chance it?

If you go up to a cold bike, it takes all of 10 seconds to remove the drain plug, let a cup of oil drain, then put it back in.

The diy stuff is awesome, but you have to do it correctly. You save the "oh, screw it" moments for when you accidentally put a piston ring in upside down, not for something that is fixable in 10 seconds.

I know this guy, well call him rcannon408, who did this to a brand new Toyota Corolla. It blew several seals and cost 2500.00 to fix. 408 had kept his oil oil, so he put that back in to not look suspicious when he took it in for warranty.

Kawasakis old zx12 would lose 10 hp, on top, if the oil level was even at the upper end of the sight glass. You had to run that bike in the middle, only.

You are trusting the bike with your life. This is a small deal, but dont ever accept shoddy, half assed repair efforts. How much oil it holds, as per the manual , is deceptive. That amount listed is usually based on a 100% dry engine. When you change the oil, not all of it comes out. Figure on subtracting 1/2 quart from the listed measurement.

Add that -1/2 qt amount of oil. Seal the bike up, then start the engine. Make sure oil light goes off. Some bikes will trap air in the new filter, and the light will stay on. . If that happens, shut the bike down. unscrew oil filter. Let the air out and start again.

Let the bike sit for 20-30 minutes, then look at sight glass. Add enough oil to get to the middle of the sight-glass.

 

[Thumper07]

Agree. Overfilling will cause a lot of blow by into your airbox and back through the intake. This will clog up your IAT sensor and gum up your intake manifold. Lift up your gas tank and take a look at your air cleaner box and you'll see.

Nothing wrong with slight under fill. That's just the amount of extra oil sitting in your oil pan and has nothing to do with the oil traveling through your system for lubrication.

I don't know where you guys get your information, but anywhere between the Low and Hi mark in the window is perfectly fine.

Do not overfill it at all though. If it were me, I'd drain a little bit out. It's easy enough to do and will save your intake.

Mdala, "overfilling is better than underfilling" is completely wrong. And Hasten, the bike will NOT burn it off. It will spit it out, through the overflow vent, back into the airbox and back down through the intake. That's done for pollution control purposes.

 

[madmartin]

Would rather have the oil level at low than full.
keep mine between low and full.
Full aint good.
Bmw boxer twins dont like a full oil level either. They spit it straight into the airbox. No need to brim it......

 

[vnuh]

I drained roughly 80ml to bring the level to the middle of F&L. Lession learned, take the bike to the ground when changing oil and make sure you drain as much oil as possible. Thank you for all the great comments.

 

[rcannon409]

The place to take shortcuts, or to settle is when you do something like a valve adjustment.

You measure 15 valves and find them within tolerance. Valve 16 measures .001 too loose. On paper, it needs to be fixed. However, doing so means a cam removal, making sure timing is perfect, and there are risks involved. It adds hours to the job, and more downtime due to ordering a shim (never in stock).

Plus, it might sit like this for the next 40,000 miles. At this point, you might choose to button it back up and check again in 10,000 miles.

With oil, its more unscrew drain plug, count three-mississippi, put plug in.

You have about half a quart variance between the upper and lower marks.

 

[Mdala]

Had my bike on the centre stand when changing the oil, kept looking at the glass & couldn't see any oil because I was too slack to put my glasses on, when I did I saw the oil was out of site. I put the bike on the side stand & it came to the full mark, so I thought I'll drain that later. Later never came, & it ran for 5000K till the next oil change, it has 11000ks on the clock & is still going strong. Just saying.

 

[rcannon409]

Thats a good point. If you fill to the minimum point, while on a rear stand, typically, the oil level will be higher once you take it off the stand.

I fill to the lowest line, while on the stand. Once its removed, its in the middle.

You can get by making all kinds of mistakes. Usually? Sometimes? Occasionally? Its all ok until the day the mistake bites you.

 

[Mythic]

Had my bike on the centre stand when changing the oil, kept looking at the glass & couldn't see any oil because I was too slack to put my glasses on, when I did I saw the oil was out of site. I put the bike on the side stand & it came to the full mark, so I thought I'll drain that later. Later never came, & it ran for 5000K till the next oil change, it has 11000ks on the clock & is still going strong. Just saying.

now you know just how lucky you were not to have issues. I think i have had to repair about 12 or more engines because of overfilling oil. However i have had to rebuild many more due to lack of oil / blocked oil ways / oil pump etc..

i think the hardes engine i ever had to work on was an early gsxr 1000 it had done 70k and never been serviced and was in a total mess inside oil sludge and lots of damage due to lack of oil etc..

 

[vnuh]

Frankly honest, 80ml of oil is not a big deal for my daily driving but for this bike it's more than just a mean of transportation. And I know I'm better of make sure it's alright by fixing that bit of the extra oil than letting it bothers me till my next oil change.
True is my wife's jealous with the bike.

 

[Mdala]

Before I changed the oil at 5000ks I did a rough check on the level & it was all still there as far as I could see. I realise if you really over fill, it will damage something for sure. Now when I change the filter I fill to the top level, then start the engine, watch the oil light go out then switch off. The oil is now not in the window so I refill to the lower level, when I recheck the next day all the oil has drained down & the window is full, & that's it, good to go. But that's me, do whatever makes you feel comfortable. Go well.

 

[rcannon409]

Mythic, what sort of damage did you see when the engines were overfilled?

I know my "defective" toyota engine blew gaskets.

 

[Mythic]

Mythic, what sort of damage did you see when the engines were overfilled?

I know my "defective" toyota engine blew gaskets.

I have seen a lot of gaskets blown due to over pressure
I have seen glazing on pots (oil getting past rings and burning)
I have seen a real mess in the head and destroyed cats (oil getting into the combustion chamber and burning dirty)
I have seen oil forced up into the airbox

mostly i used to see the engine leaking around the oil seals esp on the drive shaft behind the front sprocket it seems that is the one that seeps oil first.

I will add i haven't fixed a bike newer than 2008 so maybe things have changed but that is what i have experienced