oil change question

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Hey there, I'm really new to motorcycles (and really, anything to do with an engine) and I recently got a 1980 xs400 special. This past week I went ahead and changed the oil and filter. The manual suggests 2.4 quarts of oil if you are changing the screen, so I went ahead and added 2 quarts and checked the oil levels, but they were already way too high.

The oil that I drained was very dirty (and there was not much of it), and the oil in there now is still pretty clean (even after running it a while), so I think I've ruled out the possibility that not all of the oil drained. I have checked the oil on the bike in several different locations, all on level ground on the center stand as the manual states.

I have no idea why the level is so high..

thoughts?
 
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My first thought is do not base any decision on the level reading you get with it on the side stand. However, it is useful to note that at least you are able to see the top of a level through the site glass.
On a recent oil change, I neglected to wipe off the site glass. It was so dirty that I could not see the clean oil filling up the crankcase and I overfilled it :doh:.
Once I wiped off the glass, I could see it was too full of oil. The only thing for me to do was get a clean tin can and drain out some of the oil until I had the correct amount in the bike. I took out over 3/4 of a litre.

Since it is bad to run the bike with too much oil, you really need to drain it down to where you can see the level at the top of the site glass while sitting on level ground on the centre stand. Don't take the plug all the way out though. I unscrewed it by hand until it was completely disconnected, but I kept it pressed up against the hole and I was able to get a small, controllable stream to drain into the can.

I can't explain how, but if you truly only added back 2.4 qts, and if you ran it long enough to flow it through the entire system, including the filter housing, then somehow not all of the old oil drained out. Some kind of weird air-lock?

Either that or something that doesn't belong is taking up space in there. Before you got it, could the bike have sat so long that some of the oil congealed into a thick mass that wouldn't pour out? Sounds crazy, but those are the only 2 possibilities. :shrug:

Once you get the oil at the proper level, I would be tempted to give it a good long run and then drain it out into a clean, empty tray and measure how much boiling hot, well mixed oil comes out.

PS - Welcome to the FORUM.
 
so far as I know I don't have a sight glass on it, I am going off of a dip stick.

I actually only added back 2 quarts, which is what makes it seem even crazier that it is already so full.

When I drained the old oil, it was a very small amount that came out. Like around a 1/2 quart. So it makes sense that something weird is up in there and that adding 2 quarts could push it over the edge like that. It is also worth noting that the oil in there now is still really clean looking, so if there is some sort of thick mass or something taking up space that it hasn't mixed with the new oil. huh.

The guy I got it from had had it for a year and a half. He didn't know a lot about motorcycles (it was given to him by a friend who rode a lot, but he didn't ride it too much and clearly didn't do a ton of maintenance, i guess). So it sat a fair amount, but I don't think anything excessive.

I like the idea of giving it a good run at the proper level and draining/measuring it out. I have one question left though.. I ran the engine again today for the first time since the day I changed the oil (2 days ago) just to try and make sure that it was worked into the whole system so I could check one more time (because this has me stumped!) and it started to idle badly and stall. Until now it has always ran well, although it has been a pretty hard start (multiple tries on the kick start, usually).

I know that this could be from multiple things (carbs?) and I have a fair amount of enthusiasm for learning, but I wonder if this could be a result of trying to run it with too much oil? What could I have messed up by running it today with too much oil? I wasn't out long, only something like 10 blocks from my house when it started acting up.

Also! :) Thank you so much, I have the manual and a motorcycle maintenance book, and I'm eager to learn, but it is so nice to have a forum to ask in. Such a valuable resource and makes me feel like I'm not totally alone here, ha.
 
Sorry, just assumed you had a sight glass. Looking at the sohc manual it does talk about 2 different types.

One thing to check is the correct procedure for reading off the dipstick for your engine. I have an engine at home and the procedure is to screw the dipstick all the way in, remove and then read it. Often though, you insert it just until the threads touch.
If you are screwing the dipstick all the way in first, you would get a false over-full reading if the correct procedure is to only insert it until the threads touch.

As to the affects of running with too much oil, I wish I could tell you vis-a-vis these engines. I just know it's generally a bad idea.
 
I've been inserting it just until the threads touched, as it states to do in the manual. I had hoped that I was just making some simple mistake like that, but it looks like maybe I got a bigger puzzle to solve. Hmm.

Thanks again!
 
Just had another scary thought. Check to make sure your oil doesn't smell of gas.
I have read numerous times on here about carb failures which suddenly result in gas overflowing from the carbs and into the crankcase. Not only would that increase the level, it would seriously diminish the oil's ability to lubricate properly.
I think it is rare and unlikely, but if the oil smells of gas instead of like fresh, clean oil, you've got to drain and discard it and then fix the problem.

I really hope it's not that!
 
Lou Ranger said:
Just had another scary thought. Check to make sure your oil doesn't smell of gas.
I have read numerous times on here about carb failures which suddenly result in gas overflowing from the carbs and into the crankcase. Not only would that increase the level, it would seriously diminish the oil's ability to lubricate properly.
I think it is rare and unlikely, but if the oil smells of gas instead of like fresh, clean oil, you've got to drain and discard it and then fix the problem.

I really hope it's not that!
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum! If it sat for a while. I think this ^^ is the issue. Have you cleaned the carbs?
 
The motor has a sump filter on the bottom of the motor covered by a 6 bolt plate. Remove the plate and all of the oil in the motor will drain out. At the front of the motor there is a oil filter cover with a bolt in the middle of it. Remove that and put a new filter in it. After all of that fill oil with the bike on it's center stand and the dipstick touching the top of the threads. When it is full run it for 20-30 seconds then shut it off and let it sit for a while. Check the level and top it up as need be. I never go by the amount stated in the book but what the dipstick says. Welcome to the forum.:)
 
After you put the oil in, did you kick the engine over a few times to get the oil circulated to where it goes?

BTW- always the center stand.
 
yeah, I actually ran it for a bit to try and make sure that the oil got all circulated.

I haven't had a chance to yet, but I'm going to drain the oil and measure out how much gets out, and check to see if it smells like fuel when I get back home. Right now I'm in a different city and it's killing me to not be getting to the bottom of it.
 

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