[l84toff]

Hey guys, so I just did my oil change on the Wee for the first time (meaning I've never done one) and I think I've overfilled it :headbang:. When adding oil initially, I added till at full, started it up for a moment, turned it off and added some more for the filter. Again started it up and off, oil below the LOW indicator so I added some more. I'm guessing I've added close to 3 litres but that's a guess based on how much remains in the 4 litre jug. The bike is on the centre stand.

Also when turning off the engine and the oil fills back up into the window, it appears quite dark considering it's a fresh batch and also almost frothy, ok the frothy part is no more after a few starts and letting it run for a few min but still it seems a little thick to me. Is this normal considering it's not warmed up properly? Incidentally I did empty the oil last night an with the intent of finishing the job then but just couldn't get the filter off with the rubber wench thingy I got. So it sat without oil all night until I could go out and get the other filter wrench. Not sure if this would make it frothy for some reason??

What's the easiest way to drain some oil? Don't mean to make that sound like the dumba$$ question it is but I'm thinking it's going to get really ugly if I try and drain just a little bit and put the plug back in while it's still spewing out. My oil pan is one of those portable ones and obviously is full of the old oil still but I'm thinking maybe it would be easier to just dump everything out and pour it back in except for a bit less.

Any thoughts on either?

 

[greywolf]

Are you holding the bike upright when you are reading the level? That is required, not on the side stand.

 

[l84toff]

Are you holding the bike upright when you are reading the level? That is required, not on the side stand.

Yup its on the centre stand.

 

[bumper]

What I did... Put latex glove on and drained some oil. After that episode I used a measuring cup.

 

[gryphon51]

Any thoughts on either?

My thoughts....
Perhaps you are deluding yourself that you do not need a garage to do this kind of work for you....

 

[l84toff]

My thoughts....
Perhaps you are deluding yourself that you do not need a garage to do this kind of work for you....

LoL. No delusions but before you knew how to do something, you didn't know. I'm at that early part of learning in my moto-mechanic career. Choices seem to be:
1. let some out and try and get the plug back in while it's still running out - seems like a lot of fun with lubrication and all...
2. Drain it all and put most of it back.
3. Find a plastic syringe (wife already said no to using her stainless turkey baster, I don't know why) and use it to suck some out.

I'm just looking for the least painful solution.

 

[gryphon51]

LoL. No delusions but before you knew how to do something, you didn't know. I'm at that early part of learning in my moto-mechanic career. Choices seem to be:
1. let some out and try and get the plug back in while it's still running out - seems like a lot of fun with lubrication and all...
2. Drain it all and put most of it back.
3. Find a plastic syringe (wife already said no to using her stainless turkey baster, I don't know why) and use it to suck some out.

I'm just looking for the least painful solution.

I would back off the oil filter for a bit.... my 2 cents...

 

[WiredDriver]

Did you drain the bike on the center stand? If so, I wonder if some of the older oil was left in there. If you look, the drain plug is off to the left so that it will drain as much as possible on the side stand. If you drained on the center stand, I'm thinking all of it was not drained.

As for filling, I always add about 1/2 quart less than the mfr says it will take, then run (for a couple mins, usually 'til it's warm) then shut it off and check the oil level about 1 min later.

When checking the oil, be sure to check the bike upright and level. I've heard that leaving it on the center stand actually tilts the bike (forward or backwards, can't remember) to where the reading is incorrect. I don't have a center stand yet so I'm not 100% on this. I like to put a little torpedo level on my fuel cap area to make sure it's level.

 

[cbrxxcess]

I would back off the oil filter for a bit.... my 2 cents...

+1 Just drain the oil filter a few times until the oil level is correct.

 

[PTRider]

If the bike is upright, engine off, and the oil level rests at the Full line, you're OK. If it is above this, I'd remove, drain, and reinstall the filter. Anywhere between the full and low line is OK. The slight difference in oil level in the sight glass between upright on the tires and upright on the centerstand isn't significant for me. The oil is always out of the window when the engine is running or when the engine is off and the bike is on the sidestand.

There is no way to drain out 100% of the oil, and it'll promptly darken. The foaming is probably no problem unless the oil is way high.

 

[l84toff]

There is no way to drain out 100% of the oil, and it'll promptly darken.

Good point.

Thanks for all the comments, much appreciated!:thumbup:

Emptying the oil filter worked great. Had to empty it 3 times but it now shows just below the FULL line. I'll be measuring my oil next change, in fact I get to practice again shortly when I do my ST. For now I'll keep avoiding it by riding.

Thanks again.

 

[T3/T4 Hybrid]

Walmart, West Marine or Bass Pro Shops sales a manual Outboard Lower unit fuild pump that will remove the needed amount of oil without removing the filter or having to drain all of the oil out of the bottom of the engine.

Lubrimatic Oil Pump for Lower Unit - Sierra 18-9781 - iboats.com

 

[568v8]

oil change

With care, not to burn myself I change my oil when my engine is still reasonably hot. The old dirty hot oil is thin and runs out much better; so thereby removing most of it.

 

[Merlin]

Yup its on the centre stand.

You won't get a true reading on the centre stand either as it lifts the back wheel off the ground. If you're trying to get an accurate level reading on the centre stand you have to shim the front wheel up so that the distance from both tires to the ground is equal. With a stock bike a scrap of 1" x 4" lumber is pretty much dead on.

 

[CanadianFZ6]

You won't get a true reading on the centre stand either as it lifts the back wheel off the ground. If you're trying to get an accurate level reading on the centre stand you have to shim the front wheel up so that the distance from both tires to the ground is equal. With a stock bike a scrap of 1" x 4" lumber is pretty much dead on.

Really, seriously? You don't need to be that fussy.... You're not going to blow up our engine because you happen to have a few extra ml's in because the bike isn't set dead level, sitting at sea level and with the ambient temp at 15C... Just fill it up and ride the bike....

 

[greywolf]

Since the original situation was about overfill, I think it's appropriate to mention having the bike on the centerstand would look like overfill. I use 3 quarts with an oversize oil filter and don't sweat the sight glass myself.

 

[l84toff]

I imagined that while on the centre stand with the rear tire touching the ground vs front tire touching the ground will make a minute difference but not enough to go from somewhere between the L & F markers to completely covering the entire window. Is that wrong or we talking fractional differences?

I've never actually experimented and that side of the Wee is up against the wall at the moment.

 

[greywolf]

I've found when the oil is at the full mark with the wheels on the ground, it will be so nearly at the top of the window on the center stand it will be hard to see the air space above the oil.

 

[l84toff]

I will say that it was an interesting experience since I've never done it. My bash guard underneath was a pain to work around but it seemed like a bigger pain to remove it completely. At first I couldn't get the strap around the filter, just no room to turn it because of the bash guard. I ended up removing the entire front end of the guard and dropping it a few inches before the filter finally moved.

The local crappy tire didn't have any of those plastic covers that go over the front of the filter (at least not the right sizes). I would only have to remove the front facing part of the bash guard which would make the process much simpler.

Wife and I are planing a trip in a few year to SA on the bikes so I figured I better get learning how to do things myself.

 

[CanadianFZ6]

I will say that it was an interesting experience since I've never done it. My bash guard underneath was a pain to work around but it seemed like a bigger pain to remove it completely. At first I couldn't get the strap around the filter, just no room to turn it because of the bash guard. I ended up removing the entire front end of the guard and dropping it a few inches before the filter finally moved.

The local crappy tire didn't have any of those plastic covers that go over the front of the filter (at least not the right sizes). I would only have to remove the front facing part of the bash guard which would make the process much simpler.

Wife and I are planing a trip in a few year to SA on the bikes so I figured I better get learning how to do things myself.

Yeh no loss, those plastic Canadian Tire wrench caps are really crappy anyway... I just bit the bullet and bought a metal one from a dealer a few years back...Just think of it this way, the next oil change will be a breeze now :thumbup: On a side note... I ride down to Paris all the time when I am just out for a ride... I usually end up at the Tims there in the north of town for a coffee...