Dipstick

[Guest pasturej]

Does anybody else find the stock black plastic engine oil dipstick difficult to read? Are there any replacement types out there - maybe a plain metal stick that might show the level more clearly?

 

Thanks

 

Jonathan

[twhitaker]

Try roughing up the edges of the dipstick with coarse sandpaper. Makes it a lot easier to read.

[docc]

Guzzi offers this accessory "engine oil dipstick": 97 05 30 00 03

[Guest pasturej]

Thank you both for the replies. I'll try the sandpaper trick and put in an order for one of the metal ones.

 

I've got the intermittent oil warning light problem (on which I've seen lots of posts) and want to make sure that I don't go the other way, overfill and start blowing gaskets.

 

Jonathan

[V11UK]

Guzzi offers this accessory "engine oil dipstick": 97 05 30 00 03       

 

What is the 'accessory' dipstick like? - if it's not a silly question

[jrt]

I put one of the aluminum temperature gauge/dipsticks in mine. Again, you have to rough up the aluminum to properly read it.

 

FWIW, according to the gauge, I run at an oil temp about 85 C most of the time, on hot days it gets near 100. I knew these engines run cool, but damn! (disclaimer- I've never calibrated the thermometer, so it could be off)

 

Cheers,

Jason

[Lex]

Roughing up the dip stick is a good trick. Another idea is to drill very small holes in the stick. Dry the stick, put it in and the highest hole with oil in it is the level.

 

The holes must be very small, I used (I think, couldn't find a mark on the bit) 3/32 or about 1 MM bit and a pin vise to drill five holes in my dip stick.

 

Just another option,

 

Lex

[Gio]

During my vapour-lock expts, I measured the oil-cooler entrance (ie hot-side) at 156F (69C) immediately after switch off as a reference (I imagine this would be cooler than engine oil temp however as the oil has already travelled to the cooler) and also this in ambient temps of around 50F...

 

Gio

[al_roethlisberger]

I have also heard that applying white(or similarly bright colored) fingernail polish is a good way to mark the high/low points on any of the dipsticks, stock or aftermarket.

 

I also have the "thermometer" dipstick, which honestly is more show than utility ....but hey, I like it... anyway, I scored the high/low marks with a pipe cutter(very very lightly) but it's still hard to read sometimes. I may clean it and apply the nail-polish as well. Posts to that effect on MGCL seem to think it's a safe method, as no one has had the polish come off, or cause a problem

 

al

[docc]

Guzzi offers this accessory "engine oil dipstick": 97 05 30 00 03       

 

What is the 'accessory' dipstick like? - if it's not a silly question

I saw a silly question about Guzzis once, but since I'm the one who asked it i just can't repeat it again here

[V11UK]

Thanks Docc - it wasn't such a silly question after all...

[Mike Stewart]

Roughing up the dip stick is a good trick. Another idea is to drill very small holes in the stick. Dry the stick, put it in and the highest hole with oil in it is the level.

 

The holes must be very small, I used (I think, couldn't find a mark on the bit) 3/32 or about 1 MM bit and a pin vise to drill five holes in my dip stick.

 

Just another option,

 

Lex

Humm, another way to remove weight from the bike!

 

Mike

[Guest WildJackal]

DOH! I am having a hell of a time getting an accurate reading on the dipstick. I have gone the drill small holes route but I have no confidence in the reading. What is the purpose of checking the oil when it is warm? The oil seems to drip on the dipstick and give you a false reading. I need to fumble with the dipstick to get it thread correctly (getting it in the hole has always been a problem ). While fumbling oil seem to slobber all over the dipstick so my reading is worthless.

 

Is there an easier way?

[belfastguzzi]

You're all wimps

The boys at Bike magazine (UK) don't need oil. In the current issue they run a stationery ZX-6R at 8000+ rpm for 30 minutes to warm it up. Then they drain the oil. The ferociously boiling oil melts through the plastic drop tank and makes a mess of the workshop floor. Whoops. They put in a litre of oil, which boils immediately, then they carry on regardless, start the engine and tape the throttle wide open...

 

 

 

 

you want the next instalment?

[Guest IanJ]

WildJackal: I don't know if this will help you, but here's how I check the oil on my Le Mans (with the aforepictured accessory dipstick):

 

* Unscrew the dipstick all the way with the bike on the sidestand (let the stick sit on the top threads)

* Grab a rag, and sit on the bike to get it upright and level

* Lean over and grab the dipstick with my left hand, bringing the rag underneath it immediately to prevent drips

* Wipe off the dipstick, and drop it back into its hole for a second

* Pull it out a second time and actually take a reading

* Drop it back in the hole and set the bike back down on the sidestand

* Screw in the dipstick once off the bike

 

This method results in measurements that are pretty easy to read. The "right" time to check oil, if you believe the manual, is a few minutes after the engine was running, which means you have oil basically warm, but it's had time to dribble down out of the heads.

 

You really don't need to know more than "add oil" or "don't add oil," unless you're being anal. Once you've made that determination, then you can get a careful reading to determine how much oil you need to add.

 

Finally, silly as it sounds, "bright light" is the best way to see what the oil level is. If the ambient light is too low while checking the level, you'll have a very difficult time reading it. Cleaning off the dipstick before re-inserting it also helps, so you've got clean material above the oil to make a bigger contrast.