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Message started by danibugg on 08/07/09 at 16:40:43

Title: oil overfill problems...
Post by danibugg on 08/07/09 at 16:40:43

Hey all, I've been lurking for awhile and gleaning the wisdom this site has to offer, and now have run into an issue.

I have a '98 with about 8400 miles on it that I purchased a couple weeks ago. I've been going through and working on all the maintenance and whatnot with pretty good success until recently. Last week (~150 miles ago), I couldn't get the oil drain plug out to change the oil so I passed it off to a mechanically inclined friend, who got the plug out and changed the oil for me.

This afternoon I started to take apart the valve timing cover on the left crankcase so I could adjust the valves and WHOOSH! Oil all over the garage floor. In retrospect, I'm guessing that my mechanically inclined friend overfilled my oil when he changed it.

So now what? The bike is still just draining from out the left crankcase. I figure move number one is to drain the whole bike and plan on refilling it to the proper level. Have I caused any major damage riding around with the oil level too high? Should I be taking apart that whole left crankcase (or some other part of the bike) and cleaning it out? TIA.

--Bugg

Title: Re: oil overfill problems...
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/07/09 at 21:21:35

Why drain it? jUST PUT THE PLUG BACK On & check the oil level. Add till its full. I doubt you hurt anything. Hopefully it wasnt so full as to foam the oil up. Ride it. Stand the bike straight up. Its not real easy, but with practice, its not bad. Bring the oil level up close to the top line in the window.

Title: Re: oil overfill problems...
Post by danibugg on 08/08/09 at 20:14:52

I estimate I lost about 1.5 cups of oil out the side of the case. Despite that, it was still overfull. Oops. (Just to soothe my ego here, I do want to point out that I wasn't the one that put the oil in). Anyways, I've drained it out into a clean bucket and refilled up to the correct mark.

Hypothetically speaking, what happens to my bike if the oil foams up? Thx,

--Bugg.

Title: Re: oil overfill problems...
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/08/09 at 22:21:49

Hypothetically, the oil would lose its ability to create the thin film that protects the metal from rubbing on that next piece of metal & if there was enough foam, the oil pump would move less oil, because it would no longer just be a fluid, it would be compressible,because of the air in it.

Im sure Charon or one of the older mechanic types will dive in & Ill look like an idiot, but hey, thats painless enough,,I took a shot at it.

Title: Re: oil overfill problems...
Post by Midnightrider on 08/09/09 at 10:37:52

I have a large syringe with surgical tubing on the end of it. It comes in handy for a lot of things, one of which if I overfill the oil resevoir I can draw some oil out.

Title: Re: oil overfill problems...
Post by Charon on 08/09/09 at 21:02:30

You might want to take a look in the air box. If these engines get too much oil in them, they may belch out some of the excess through the breather line atop the cylinder into the air box. That will likely get oil onto the paper air filter and clog it up. You can probably pull the plug out of the air box drain hose, and if nothing comes out, call it good.