What happened to the oil????

[kevino]

Last year I put a BB kit in the Snow Bear.   I replaced the oil before putting it away for winter.   Yesterday I took it for  short drive.   Then checked the oil.  The dipstick was dry.   I refilled the crankcase earlier today.   If there's something cracked inside I assume the oil will pool on a sheet of cardboard.    If it does, where do I look for the leak?  

TIA, 

kpo

[GrumpyUnk]

You may have had an air bubble contained within the crankcase that kept the 'measured' oil level on the stick, and the air finally bled out and allowed the oil to settle into the crankcase. When adding oil, make sure you allow the air to get out, which means pouring slower than normal. Let the air bubble out as you pour.
I measure the amount of oil I am adding prior to pouring it into the funnel. It goes slower than expected.
Checking oil should be done per manufacturer instructions. Some may say to check with both tires on the ground, and others may specificy having the bike on the center stand. Generally you want it level, and the oil should be near the top of the hashmarks on the dipstick when the dipstick is just placed on the filler, not screwed in fully.
If you have nothing on the cardboard, and have not used since filling, you likely did not get it full....
I have no other explanation, but I am not an engineer who may have some formula using Calculus that explains it all....
tom

[FrankenMech]

Hmmm, may be an advanced case of CRS in that you thought you added oil.

[kevino]

What's CRS?

[FrankenMech]

Can't Remember Sh**

A common early onset form of Dementia or Alzheimer's.

[GrumpyUnk]

And just 'getting old', as I can attest.
I can now afford to buy 'stuff' that I would have passed over in the past. Order, receive, and put the new tool on the shelf. I have ordered the same thing more than once. It is interesting to poke around and find things you bought and forgot. Kind of like a birthday in another month or Christmas year-round.
I have not gotten lost yet, but have found myself wondering where I was headed and, and, how to get there from where I am. In the neighborhood I've lived in since 1992... Oh boy, can't wait to see what happens next!!!
tom

[FrankenMech]

I have 'extra' tools on the shelf also, I just can't remember which shelf.
I have lots of 10mm wrenches and sockets, I just can't find any of them...
What is a birthday?
I went to the doctor this week and they asked my birth date, -I had to think about it.
I think it is some insidious memory test they give to see if the Alzheimer's has set in.
They watch to see if you walk into a wall while you are thinking.
They ask if you have fallen in the last 6 months, -I say every day.
They make me wear a yellow bracelet.
I still bounce fairly well, it just takes a long time to get up.
Some days I don't...
The ambulance drivers and police know where I live.
I don't know how they get in my house.

Fentanyl is GOOD stuff.

This reminds me of a song about a rock star.

Joe Walsh – Life's Been Good

-It hasn't...

[kevino]

Thanks for the note. I've never been good with acronyms. Such as STFUYAH. :-)

[kevino]

Thanks for the help.  Mebbee  you're right.   Today I  checked the oil.  I unscrewed the cap and oil was pooling on top of the threads and dripping out.     Amazing, after 68 years I finally made a mistake.   It started and ran okay.   The idle was unsteady, going up and down but finally settled into a steady, slow RPM.    

[FrankenMech]

Jun 22, 2024 9:24:54 GMT -5 kevino said:

Thanks for the note. I've never been good with acronyms. Such as STFUYAH. :-)

Google is usually pretty good for words and acronyms.

[aeroxbud]

Jun 22, 2024 14:02:13 GMT -5 FrankenMech said:

Jun 22, 2024 9:24:54 GMT -5 kevino said:

Thanks for the note. I've never been good with acronyms. Such as STFUYAH. :-)

Google is usually pretty good for words and acronyms.

Or ask someone born after the turn of the millennium?🤔

[kevino]

Jun 20, 2024 7:11:17 GMT -5 GrumpyUnk said:

You may have had an air bubble contained within the crankcase that kept the 'measured' oil level on the stick, and the air finally bled out and allowed the oil to settle into the crankcase. When adding oil, make sure you allow the air to get out, which means pouring slower than normal. Let the air bubble out as you pour.
I measure the amount of oil I am adding prior to pouring it into the funnel. It goes slower than expected.
Checking oil should be done per manufacturer instructions. Some may say to check with both tires on the ground, and others may specificy having the bike on the center stand. Generally you want it level, and the oil should be near the top of the hashmarks on the dipstick when the dipstick is just placed on the filler, not screwed in fully.
If you have nothing on the cardboard, and have not used since filling, you likely did not get it full....
I have no other explanation, but I am not an engineer who may have some formula using Calculus that explains it all....
tom

I guess I thought you were kidding about the 'air bubble'.  The scoot sat so long I assumed the oil had all leaked out into the dirt.    And when I checked the dipstick and saw it was dry, I assumed  it needed another liter of oil.   I didn't check the level after running it for a while.   So I'll drain out some but not all, recheck the level and take it from here.   But rain is expected for several days so it my be a while til I can do anything.   I apologize for not believing you.  

[kevino]

So I tried loosening the big nut, It started to drip slowly. THen I decided one-half turn more wouldn't hurt...Well you can guess what happened.

[FrankenMech]

Like playing musical chairs... We all fall out.
Been there, done that.

Drain it all out and replace it with a measured amount like Tom advised.

Make sure the crankcase vent is open and working. Some scoots have filters or puke cans on the vent line that can cause problems. Sometimes it just gets kinked or a bug builds a nest in it.

[GrumpyUnk]

I was kinda serious about the 'bubble' effect. I have taken ~15 minutes to add oil via a container with a long nozzle. The oil must push some air out of the crankcase as it flows into the crankcase. The vent is at the top of the cylinder head, and should allow ready airflow, but apparently it is slow...
I noted that the oil would 'back up' in the filler if I did not watch it closely and slop all over the place.
I like it better when the oil goes into the crankcase, so decided to slow down.
The oil filler used is translucent plastic and the filler tube is ribbed so it can be maneuvered to point regardless of how the container is held. When in the filler, it almost fills the opening, so air is not readily escaping without pushing oil ahead of it. Kind of a mess, IOW.
When you do an oil change, be aware there are two drains. One on the bottom to just dump the oil, and a second on the side that has a screen. When I change, I do both, to check the screen in case of 'things' leaving little chips, etc, I want to know. It also allows a half cup more( or less) oil to be dumped, so more is fresh.
The funny thing I note is that the indicated capacity varies depending on the manufacturer, while the parts used are in general the exact same parts, so they should all have the same volume of lubricant in the sump.
What. Ever. Use decent oil and change it as you see fit. Running with the level low is not a good idea. Less splash means less oil carrying away heat.
tom