Sight glass (and filter question)

holligl

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tomatocity said:
The oil level should be between the bars in the window.

When replacing the oil filter add 3.6 quarts.

Read pages 7-12 thru 7-15 of your Owner's Manual.
I've done all of the above...
Your answer ignored my question! I'm looking for understanding of how the oil flows through the system.
 

Dogdaze

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holligl said:
I've done all of the above...
Your answer ignored my question! I'm looking for understanding of how the oil flows through the system.
I believe as it's a dry sump, the oil pick up pump is located at the bottom, this flows oil throughout the engine to the parts that require lubrication. What this basically means is that the sight glass is virtually redundant, as it does not tell the 'true' picture of what is in the 'sump'. When I opened the clutch cover you could see the bucket that holds a small amount of oil (50-100ml) where the sight glass is situated. The actual mechanical workings of this system I cannot help with, but I will google drysump to educate my self. I hope that helps a little.
 

dietDrThunder

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the sight glass isn't as awful as people make it out to be...not the easiest to check, but it does work.

1. When you change the oil and filter, drain it on the side stand...the motor plugs are offset to that side.
2. Refill on center stand, with 3.6 quarts.
3. when it's buttoned up, start it on the center stand and let it run for 4-5 min.
4. Let it sit for 4-5 min. Sit on the garage floor with a bright flashlight, and shine it into the glass. See oil.

That's it. It works every time if you do it the same way.

Note: don't over-fill it if the glass looks a tad low. If you put more oil in it, it will blow into the airbox and make a mess. If it's not leaking out the bottom, and you put 3.6 quarts in it, it's full. The sight glass is there to tell you if there's oil in there or not. It isn't a precision measuring device.
 

Checkswrecks

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holligl said:
Can someone explain the operation of the oil system for me? (dry sump, reservoir) I'm assuming the reservoir with the window holds most of the oil which is then pumped to the parts of the engine where it is needed. Is it filtered as it is pumped back to the reservoir from the sump?

I have struggled some with the use of the oil check window and this thread helps. (I'm used to engines with dipsticks that you check cold before you start them.)
From below, you can see the benefits for a bike which needs the engine weight carried low and which might occasionally lay on it's side.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-consumption/question331.htm

In a dry sump, extra oil is stored in a tank outside the engine rather than in the oil pan. There are at least two oil pumps in a dry sump -- one pulls oil from the sump and sends it to the tank, and the other takes oil from the tank and sends it to lubricate the engine. The minimum amount of oil possible remains in the engine.

Dry sump systems have several important advantages over wet sumps:

•Because a dry sump does not need to have an oil pan big enough to hold the oil under the engine, the main mass of the engine can be placed lower in the vehicle. This helps lower the center of gravity and can also help aerodynamics
•The oil capacity of a dry sump can be as big as you want. The tank holding the oil can be placed anywhere on the vehicle.
•In a wet sump, turning, braking and acceleration can cause the oil to pool on­ one side of the engine. This sloshing can dip the crankshaft into the oil as it turns or uncover the pump's pick-up tube.
•Excess oil around the crankshaft in a wet sump can get on the shaft and cut horsepower. Some people claim improvements of as much as 15 horsepower by switching to a dry sump.

The disadvantage of the dry sump is the increased weight, complexity and cost from the extra pump and the tank -- but that's a small price to pay for such big benefits!


 

mike25

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Can someone explain the operation of the oil system (how it pertains to a Yamaha Super Tenere) for me?
 

holligl

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mike25 said:
Can someone explain the operation of the oil system (how it pertains to a Yamaha Super Tenere) for me?
Had the same question, then got a service manual. Simplified version: Oil Reservoir with the check window holds the oil. This feeds the a pump (behind the filter) which sends oil to the filter. Oil is then fed to the lubrication points in the engine, and drains to the sump. A scavenging pump picks up the oil and returns oil to the reservoir.
 

EricV

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Nicely stated holligl. ::008:: oil reservoir to pump, thru filter to engine, sump pump back to reservoir.

The engine itself only has about a quart at any given time. The reservoir holds the rest, but because of the dual pump system and dry sump design, the sight glass is only accurate when the oil is correctly warmed to the specified temp, (162F?), thus the procedure outlined in the owner's manual. Cold, the oil sump is not accurate. Hot after a ride, it's not accurate. Sound frustrating? Sure. But remember, the engine only has a quart or so at any given time. So more or less oil, within reason, really only means you are circulating more or less oil thru the system while it runs. not that the engine is flooded or starving for oil because it's a little over full or under optimum. The oil level light will come on if the oil is cold and moving slowly back to the sump, or dirty, or actually low. This does not mean you are in danger of burning up the engine. Sometimes it means you need to add some oil to bring the system closer to optimal level. Sometimes it just means you didn't let the bike warm up. Or that the oil is dirty. :(

Hope that helps.
 
B

ballisticexchris

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Thank you Jeff!! I'm prepping my bike for a long trip in a few weeks. This is the last oil change with conventional oil. After I get back I'll be switching to an ester based oil. The sight glass thing has been giving me fits!! I finally have it to where it feels comfortable for me. When the bike is cold and on the center stand I have it in between the lines.
 
R

RonH

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I put the exact oil amount called for in the manual. Ride and put it on the centerstand every day. The oil always checks full in the window. In
the 8yrs I've been riding super teneres I can't see the big problem a lot of guys seem to have with the oil level window.
 
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