docc Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 Yes, the sight glass will look empty on the side stand; bike mist be vertical, level in the center. It would be preferable to drain oils hot as it puts all the spooky badness in suspension. That bubbly stuff must go! Consider checking/clearing your gearbox vent, @TomH. While there, service the main ground next to the vent on the back right of the gearbox . . . ^^^ View from the rear with the swingarm removed. Otherwise, access from the right side behind the seat release: Peer in just ahead of the right Frame Side Plate. Both the vent and the ground point are visible: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomH Posted July 13 Author Share Posted July 13 Just now: drained the oil and found an absolute chocolate shake. Should I use some kind of flush here? Looks awful. also there was about 32oz of oil in there. So it’s wasn’t dry. also pulled out a nice little pile of filings on the drain plug. Is that bad news? Pics below 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docc Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 Trash on the magnet is okay, unless it continues or worsens. Looks a lot like a previous owner used RedLine ShockProof Heavyweight (pink milkshake). Not necessarily a bad thing, but makes subsequent oil changes hard to judge refill volume as so much clings inside when draining. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyNZ Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 @cash1000 had foaming in his gearbox oil. He drained and refilled a few times before it stayed clear. We thought that it may be because of water getting into the oil, and the only path for water seemed to be the vent, which is in line with spray from the rear wheel. We both fitted a remote vent hose to avoid this. The vent plug thread is M6 x 1 mm. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomH Posted July 13 Author Share Posted July 13 @docc is there any reason he’d use so little oil? There was No evidence of a leak… and I added ~28 oz then just emptied out >32. Just askin’ Also I had some extra oil and ran it through. Results look much more like the oil I put in. Cleaning out the old (which might not be bad stuff) and getting the measurements right. Am I supposed to get this much oil on the exhaust pipes? Lol. I’m hopeful and have it all closed up for now… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docc Posted July 13 Share Posted July 13 I've always used 850 ml as the fill volume (~30 ounces). You probably have this solved with flushing the gearbox well and correcting the fill volume. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gstallons Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 (edited) Please explain the "slipping out of gear" part . As in , does it go into N from 4 to 3 ? AFA the foamy oil . just inspect it after it has been at rest for a couple of hours . Some lubricants have an anti-foaming agent to stop this . A hydraulic system can not tolerate air in the fluid. A gearbox doesn't like it but it can live w/it. IDK what you are seeing but water in oil will really affect the "color" of oil . Edited July 14 by gstallons more info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gstallons Posted July 14 Share Posted July 14 (edited) AFA the specific amount of oil in a system , I knew a buddy that refilled his rear end in an Ambassador . His bike had a deep pan instead of a shallow pan . He headed to Carbondale on the bike , then trailered it back after it came to a squeaky halt . ALWAYS be sure you fill things up to a proper level . It will save you money in the long run. Also , the vent tube instead of a vent is superior ! Edited July 14 by gstallons 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiomick Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 On 7/14/2024 at 2:52 AM, gstallons said: ...water in oil will really affect the "color" of oil . Indeed, and the water doesn't have to be leaking in from the outside. Condensation will do it. Has the bike been doing a lot of short trips? The reason I ask: I used to have a Z900, which I used in Melbourne as daily transport. The sight glass for the engine oil nearly always showed a milky white sludge. I only got clear after a good blast out of town for at least an hour. I would have been interested to know if your gearbox oil looked a little more "normal" after a long ride out of town to let it all get properly warm. When it all warms up properly, the condensation (water) evaporates back out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Phil Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 20 minutes ago, audiomick said: Indeed, and the water doesn't have to be leaking in from the outside. Condensation will do it. Has the bike been doing a lot of short trips? The reason I ask: I used to have a Z900, which I used in Melbourne as daily transport. The sight glass for the engine oil nearly always showed a milky white sludge. I only got clear after a good blast out of town for at least an hour. I would have been interested to know if your gearbox oil looked a little more "normal" after a long ride out of town to let it all get properly warm. When it all warms up properly, the condensation (water) evaporates back out. Gearboxes don't really suffer the condensation issue like an engine. An engine produces a LOT of water vapour starting from cold and that's what contaminates the oil and needs to evaporate off. Short runs just kills engines as does short start stop stuff like shuffling cars around in driveways and workshops. Doesn't matter what oil you use either it just kills them. Gearboxes not so much, foaming is an issue with gearboxes esp if they are overfilled a bit. Phil 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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