Transmission Level Indicator Window Removal

[PDBoulder]

My transmission oil level window is covered in what looks like crusted pink Shockproof. It's covered to the point that I cannot see the fluid inside. It was like this upon receiving the bike a couple years ago. I replaced the fluid hoping that the new fluid would dissolve the crust, but no it didn't. Has anyone had success removing the window to clean it? The reason I ask is with my luck when I go to break the nut loose, the window will break.

Paul

[MartyNZ]

Yes, I had the same problem. It unscrews easily. Use a socket, as I think it is a plastic fitting.

Cleaning is a bit awkward, as the window is only accessible through small holes. I cleaned mine by squirting WD-40 using a nozzle extension straw.

Maybe @Rolf Halvorsen can offer better advice, as he has repaired gearboxes.

[Rolf Halvorsen]

The one one my 2005 Coppa Italia seems to be made of aluminium. Use a 6-corners pipe of 20mm (not a 12 corners pipe).

Then you could clean it from the inside. I think pressurized air would do the job. (Not acetone - since that would destroy the window of plastic)

The part number should be 01205730 according to my book.

Rolf

[gstallons]

IDK how pricey the new part is ..... Go ahead and replace it , you will (probably) never be satisfied with cleaning it . I know how expensive these are for construction equipment is . WOW !

[LowRyter]

Just curious.  I wonder what the consensus here is regarding the necessity of the window?  The only advantage I can see that the window provides is perhaps over filling the transmission after a fluid change due to residual fluid that didn't drain.  Is that a risk warranting the effort?  I suppose if there was a constant leak that it would be helpful to keep it topped up but in that case, there is a greater problem.   Finally, how accurate is the window considering the bike sets on a side stand?

[Scud]

Given that there is no dipstick like the engine and no spill-over hole like the final drive, the window is the only thing that lets you check the oil level. As for accuracy I don't know, but it holds only 850ml.

And for cleaning the sight glass, it's been a while, but I think I cleaned the slight glass in an ultrasonic cleaner. I had a transmission where the redline heavy had turned to a solid gel. I probably used diesel fuel in the ultrasonic.

[MartyNZ]

I use the sight glass to set the level when the bike is on the maintenance stand. When I had Redline heavy shockproof in there, it took several minutes for the level to stabilize in the window and it's really hard to hold the bike level while looking at the window. 

If the bike is on the side stand when you fill to the window, then I think that it is overfilled, and oil leaks become more likely.

I'm not using Redline any more.

[PDBoulder]

LowRyter you hit the nail on the head. I have a slow leak from somewhere on the tranny and the window would be nice to make sure that the level has never gotten to low. The leak appears to be very slow, but bothersome and needs to be addressed. It's starting to warm up in the garage and there is a list of items to address including tune up. I was on a longish trip two weeks ago and I noticed that my speedometer was rattling around in the housing. As it it turns out the two screws in the back had fallen out. Luckily not a difficult fix, but I did observe that one of the previous owners had munged up the shaft where the odometer reset knob attaches. Not sure how I'll get the reset knob off in the future.

[LowRyter]

1 hour ago, PDBoulder said:

LowRyter you hit the nail on the head. I have a slow leak from somewhere on the tranny and the window would be nice to make sure that the level has never gotten to low. The leak appears to be very slow, but bothersome and needs to be addressed. It's starting to warm up in the garage and there is a list of items to address including tune up. I was on a longish trip two weeks ago and I noticed that my speedometer was rattling around in the housing. As it it turns out the two screws in the back had fallen out. Luckily not a difficult fix, but I did observe that one of the previous owners had munged up the shaft where the odometer reset knob attaches. Not sure how I'll get the reset knob off in the future.

typical stuff encountered by most

[guzziart]

On 3/5/2022 at 5:52 PM, PDBoulder said:

My transmission oil level window is covered in what looks like crusted pink Shockproof. It's covered to the point that I cannot see the fluid inside. It was like this upon receiving the bike a couple years ago. I replaced the fluid hoping that the new fluid would dissolve the crust, but no it didn't. Has anyone had success removing the window to clean it? The reason I ask is with my luck when I go to break the nut loose, the window will break.

Paul

I'm a little late to the post here but I had the same problem...couldn't tell what the trans level was because of pink crud encrusted sightglass.  Well, instead of replacing trans oil with shockproof like the PO had been running, I replaced the oil with the specified amount of sae 80w90 (valvoline or the like because I was trying to be trifty) and called it a day.  The bike needed so much other routine maint stuff I figured I'd deal with the sightglass some other time, I just wanted to get the bike running good.  Sometime & miles  later during an engine oil change I was pleasantly surprised to find that the trans sightglass was perfectly clean as it displayed a light tea colored oil on the other side of the glass.  So, if you aint pulled the glass yet and you're not running the red stuff you may want to give it a few K miles, it might "self" clean.

Art

[Lucky Phil]

Just throw the thing in a small jewellers ultrasonic bath to clean it.

Ciao