low on oil

[i3randon12]

alright...
so after comeing back from my 400 mile ride a couple of days ago


i chnaged my handlebars to supersort ones!(feel awesome)   i started it up and the idle is goiing all wack! ( i dont think it is the rope tension

it was also making a wierd  very siletn clunking noise from left side engine (   i think )

look at oil!

looks empty


heres my quetion

can the oil level be making tht wierd noise and wierd idling???

can i just dump so more oil into       or do i have to drain and start over?

thansk
]branon

[Zarathustra]

just add more oil to it.  no need to change everything, just top it off.

edit:  oh yeah, and being out of oil has the habit of making the engine sound funny.  so, i'd probably take care of that before riding.  

[JamesG]

Running your bike out of oil is a very bad thing as several posts lately have highlighted.

The wierd idling shouldn't be related to the oil issue. Most likely the bike doesn't like the way your routed the choke or throttle cables. Check them, make sure there are no sharp bends or places they get pinched as they go thru the steering neck.

[The Buddha]

Low on oil - up to a quart low - bad but not life threatening... runs hot, and sometimes gets some accelerated wear.
Up to 2 quarts low - Most likely life ending...
Up to 3 quarts low... WTF the bike only holds 2.5-2.7 - You are screwed...
So add oil and see how much it takes to get back to full... If its more than 2 quarts... you are very very lucky to survive.
Having said that... I blew a hole in the oil pressure guage and lost 1 quart + oil... most of it on my right leg... apart form some light burns on the aforementioned leg... the bike survived wihtout a symptom... for another 25K miles and counting.
Cool.
Srinath.

[i3randon12]

i put a little under a quart in

works great now

idle problem disappered          o well

my handlebars are sick,,, clutch it to high          hurts hand

need to decided

1. live with high cluctch
2.go back to opld hamndlebars
3. remove fairing


im thinking if selling ym 1/4 fairing

neone interested    ill post it up on for sale

its a mybe

[brandiwine]

could i cause some major damage if i added a little 10w40 oil to the case that has 20w50 in it?  the level is low and all i've got in the garage is a quart of 10w40.  i'm planning on changing the oil, but if can postpone it a week and a half then, that would really help.

[Kerry]

could i cause some major damage if i added a little 10w40 oil to the case that has 20w50 in it?  the level is low and all i've got in the garage is a quart of 10w40.  i'm planning on changing the oil, but if can postpone it a week and a half then, that would really help.

It's more than OK to add some 10W-40 in there.  That is actually the recommended weight in the first place:

[brandiwine]

ok....  i figured it would be a problem to mix regular oil and synthetic but wasn't sure about mixing weights.  thanks, kerry.  

[Rippa_MD]

so if I added 1 1/2 quarts what is the verdict? what is screwed up or better yet what needs to be repaired? ballpark estimate plz....

the bike is running great now, it just sounds a little like a helicopter, you know the rhythm of the helicopter blades spinning, does that make any sense?! probably not, but it sounds like a helicopter somewhat not loud at all but definetely there.

[The Buddha]

OK check the valve clearances and the cam shaft end caps and the caps and camshafts for dryish looking or other marks of galling and scoring... I believe that be the first spot wear will occour. Cam shaft caps - correct me if I am wrong guys...
Cool.
Srinath.

[Lars]

I heard that the bottom end (crankshaft, rod bearings, balancer) are the first things to go when you run low on oil.

Especially the rod bearings because they rely on the oil spray that's flying around when the crankshaft rotates in the oil. When the level is too low it starts running dry. The oilpump will be working longer because it can suck up oil from very low in the oilsump

[The Buddha]

Low oil level is going to make oil pressure low... and possibly let the pump suck air... now I think the higher up in the motor you go, the lower the pressure anyway... so top = worse... rod bearings dont get lubed with oil spray... they get oil that is pushed through the crank. So does the starter clutch... Oil doesn't actually touch the crank unless you over fill it by a quart or 2. Then it splashes it and foams it up... and saps power evidently.
Cool.
Srinath.

[radiokabob]

HEY, MY OIL GAUGE LIGHT IS FUNKY

So what happens when the oil light stays on, but then flickers off at about 4000 rpm? (it will flicker back on when the rpms go back down below 4000)


-Yeah, i was just involved in an accident a few days ago... nothing too serious thanks to vicodin...

-the crankcase cover(s) both have seen better days, but no oil leaks when the bike is up. I noticed an oil spot in the truck when i was transporting it, but that's prolly cause it was on its side.

-I topped off the oil when i got the bike upright and 'in the garage.' It did this oil-light-flicker thing when i rev'ed it. what's inside that crackcase area, anyways

any help appriciated, thanks
-matt

[Kerry]

Hiya matt!

I don't have any good ideas about the oil light, but Welcome Back!  Long time no see....  (Last sighting: Christmas Eve 2003)

[MarkusN]

Oil light: If it's a one time thing it could have been coused by the engine lying on the side for an extended period. Takes a few second for the oil pump to build up pressure when it's fallen dry before.

If it's reproducible I'd bet on a bad oil pump or some clogging on the way to the pump. Bad situation. Each idle run will be hard on the engine. Get that fixed ASAP.

Srinath, on cam bearings giving out first: I haven't read many reports on that, but tons of reports of worn rod, crankshaft and balancer bearings. I guess it's because those are higher loaded than the camshaft. I'd be very reluctant to run an engine that has the old Huey sound for an extended period. Jackhammer, "sick" sound, chopper. They're all the same to me: Excessive play in one of the plain bearings. Consequential damag is as good as guaranteed fi you run the motor longer. Drain the oil, looking for metal in it. If there is, you probably have shot bearing (or two or three...). Get that fixed before the shafts take a hit as well.

[Rippa_MD]

ok great information. I might still have a fighting chance before I need the whole engine [by the way can I get a new one from dealer?]

I've google for rod bearings,etc and nothing comes up. anybody know the site that even has the illustrations and everypart ever created for the GS. I've been there before but I can't remember the link. it has a orange layout to it...if that helps.