Strange Issue #79: Loss of Oil Pressure when on Side Stand.

[Beater]

Originally Posted by hardwaregrrl

Fred, before you do that...I think it's a good idea to check the oil pressure. Hot, it should be above 15psi. For kicks, you could swap out the sender....they have been known to go bad. My oil light has a habit of flickering if there is any moisture around the switch at all.

This might sound like a silly question ... but how does one quantitively check the oil pressure?

I like this avenue as well.

[Cogswell]

Originally Posted by Beater

This might sound like a silly question ... but how does one quantitively check the oil pressure?

I like this avenue as well.

Attach the hose in place of the sending unit.









Mike

[JonnyCash]

Originally Posted by pommie john

On my race bike I have an oil pressure gauge. I have noticed that if the oil level is down to about halfway on the dipstick, the pressure drops during braking.
I'm guessing that there's an oil surge that mimics what you're experiencing.

Just to be sure I would drop the sump and check the pick up hasn't fallen off. If it's OK, fill it half up and see if the problem persists, then fill it right up and see if it goes away.

I'm glad you mentioned this. On my bike, which uses a small amount of oil, I find that I get the light flickering when braking, esp downhill, if my oil is below 1 1/2 liters on the dipstick. Because of this, I'm always adding a very small amount of oil to get it into the very narrow happy range between 1 1/2 an 1 3/4 liter. Certainly not a big deal, but it's nice to hear that I'm not the only one who is experiencing this. I'd like to put a gauge on there sometime to know what's really going on. I've considered putting some kind of baffle in the oil sump to keep things from sloshing around as much. Anyone tried this?

[Bill Harris]

I've seen oil pan baffles before. Don't remember anything specific.

Here is Anton's webpage on oil pans:

http://largiader.com/tech/oilpan/

--Bill

[Stagehand]

Originally Posted by Houseoffubar

Remove the sidestand

YEah, I never noticed it since that happened to me :

[Stagehand]

Originally Posted by JonnyCash

I'm glad you mentioned this. On my bike, which uses a small amount of oil, I find that I get the light flickering when braking, esp downhill, if my oil is below 1 1/2 liters on the dipstick. Because of this, I'm always adding a very small amount of oil to get it into the very narrow happy range between 1 1/2 an 1 3/4 liter. Certainly not a big deal, but it's nice to hear that I'm not the only one who is experiencing this. I'd like to put a gauge on there sometime to know what's really going on. I've considered putting some kind of baffle in the oil sump to keep things from sloshing around as much. Anyone tried this?

I get the same flicker, doing the same thing.

[chasbmw]

Originally Posted by Stagehand

I get the same flicker, doing the same thing.

If you have the under tank MC, sometimes it is possible to mistake the fluid level warning light flickering for the oil pressure light.

The oil pressure light triggers at a a fairly low pressure, so the problem needs to be identified and sorted. Most likely culprit would be the oil pickup in the sump, it can get loose and or a PO might have fitted a deeper sump without lowering the pickup?

[Stagehand]

I think its a combo of being slightly low on oil, and sending it all to one side of the pan by gravity and braking. BUt yeah, ultimatley its a lack of pick up rather than a blockage or pump problem

[supershaft]

I hardly ever let my bike idle excepting maybe a little at stop lights. Idle on the side stand? That sounds like a good way to load up the left cylinder to me. Not only is the left cylinder getting too much oil, it's getting too much gas. Plus the right cylinder might not be getting enough. Beside, my airheads don't even have side stands because the airhead engine does not cope with a side stand well on a number of different levels plus I drag them too much in corners. Personally, side stands are dangerous road hooks.

Sump baffles? The later model sumps have a baffle stock. They need it IMO but the later models have a lot of stuff they need IMO.

Running your engine a half quart low? In all my personal miles on airheads and all the time I have been around them and worked on them, I have never noticed an airheads oil usage level off half way down the stick. For the most part, I see just the opposite. When it gets low, it gets even lower quicker. I know. I read just the opposite all the time but I have never seen it for sure on my bikes. Maybe because I rev them more than most?

[Beater]

Again, I'd like to emphasize that it never idle's longer than 20-30 seconds on the sidestand. Only long enough to close the garage door ... And She has never done this sort of thing before. So ... I am still a bit stumped.

I took off the sump and everything seems quite nice.


I then took off the screen, and while it had oil on it ... that seemed to be the only thing.


I then took out the filter and destroyed it. SImply trying to see if there was anything clogging it. I tried to capture any 'shiny things' ... but there really wasn't anything there.


So ... any more ideas? Put it all back together and see what happens?

[Stagehand]

YEs

[ignatz72]

Originally Posted by Beater

So ... I am still a bit sumped.

Fixed.

[Beater]

Heh ..

I am correct in saying that the oil flows from the inside of the filter to the outside ... right?

EDIT: Answered my own question ... it goes from the outside to the inside. Thanks Anton

http://www.largiader.com/tech/filters/

[hardwaregrrl]

Get a new switch for starters.....NAPA OP6065. clean oil sender connections. Report back

[Airhead Wrangler]

Ball valve at the back of the filter tube? Is it well seated and sealed? Proper clearance from cover to cannister lip?