No Oil Appearing in Level Window.

In my '81 Seca 550 rebuild I'm to the point when I have installed the carbs and put fluid back in the bike. However, no oil shows in the level window. I put in 3 quarts and still no oil shows up. The bike is on the center stand. The manual shows 2.6 quarts with filter change. I have not run the bike yet. My other bikes clearly show the oil level while on the center stand.

Any ideas?

 

Seems strange. Seems that I have seen something about oil in the drive shaft or somewhere that uses the engine oil. Maybe that drained out when you removed the engine. Still seems that you would see something. Someone will have the answer for you.

 

One thing that threw me a little was that the oil I put in was so much clearer than the oil I took out. The window was covered w/ oil and I assumed I wasn't seeing any. Try draining some out because you certainly don't want to run too much either.

 

if its not visibly leaking out I would start it and see if the oil light come on.

I think this is what's happening too. I'm new to these bikes but I wouldn't think 3 qts would be overfilled to cause a problem

 

I carefully watched the sight glass as I put the oil in quart by quart and saw no change. It is very clean and clear and shows no fluid inside the glass. I have had many motorcycles and have never had this happen before after I've changed the oil. Would it be possible that it would take more than 2.6 qts to fill after I've totally drained the engine while doing the rebuild? I assume this Yamaha Lube lubricates both the engine and the clutch? Would a complete refill with oil require more than 2.6 qrts? When I drained it before tearing the bike apart for the rebuild I think I took almost 4 qrts out of it.

 

Personally, I would fill it until the oil shows about half way and then idle it for about 5 minutes and check again. Keep an eye on the oil light. Your idea about more oil after a total refill might be correct.

 

Take the bike off the Center stand and have someone tilt the bike to the left and right until you see the oil level. And with most engine tear downs you will require more oil on first fill about 1/2 litre or quart depending on where you live.
Also did you put oil in top end around your cam and shim buckets so as not to run dry for the first few moments unless you used an engine assembly lube?

 

if you have not started it the oil should all be in the sump where you poured it . use a led flash light to look in the window. only a few extra ounces will "overfill" the oil to the point you see no bubble I think there is some sort of plating that reflects light when you use a flash light.

manualy turn the motor over at the crank shaft it will circulate the oil through the motor.

could be the little ports are clogged in the sight window

3 quarts would overfill past the sight glass. also when filling it takes a while for the oil to drain down into the sight glass.
if you put it on the side stand the oil will flow away from the sight glass wait a few minutes and slowly pull bike back up to level shims under the side stand look for the oil as you do this.

 

I don't understand the question. Supposed to put 2.6 quarts, you put in 3 quarts, and now you don't see the bubble that shows when you fill 2.6 quarts. So the window is performing as it should. You are overfilled.

 

+1.
She's likely overfull.
Unless the sightglass is dirty (on the inside).

 

I did not overfill the bike with oil. I watched it carefully as I filled it and no oil ever appeared in the window. The window is clean and not clouded over or dirty. No oil appears in the window even if the bike is tipped over toward the sight glass, nor is there any change in the sight glass if the bike is tipped awat from it. I assume the small holes inside the oil level window are blocked. I'm going to drain the new oil and fill it again whenever I can get a day off.

 

Don't be annoyed with us. I think we all assume you'd have noticed if it had dripped out of the motor as you filled it, and there are only so many places it can go, therefore, we fairly assume there is too much oil in the motor. I would like to hear how it goes when you drain and replace it. Very strange.

 

from the Factory Service manual


so if your oil was bone dry you need to add 3.2 ounces to see the oil

 

That just doesn't sound right. The oil did not vaporize, the three quarts must be there.

Hey! Your float bowls aren't leaking are they? Maybe your crank case is filled to the brim with a gas/ oil mixture....
Open the filler cap and see if it smells like gas in there.

If no gas smell try this:
Start the bike on the center stand, flip it in and out of a gear or two if you would like.
Turn the bike off and kneel down and get your eye balls on that oil level sight.... you should be seeing the oil level rise. Keep watching see if it goes above the sight window.

 

You state window is clear but sounds like it might not be , this sounds like a case on over filing try draining a small amount of oil a turkey baster with a hose attached might be best to drain the oil out measure it into a clean container and see how much you pull out and recheck window.

 

Lean the bike over on some straw bales or what have you, without draining the oil, take the clutch cover off and see what the f*ck's going on.

 

Take photo of the window - do you see the two holes at the top?

 

Thanks for all the information. I appreciate all the ideas and I'm not irritated at all. I've been riding and have owned bikes for 35+ years and do most of my own work on the bikes. This is a situation I've never encountered before and thought I might be missing something simple. I tore the bike down to the frame and restored everything but didn't tear into the engine since it only has 7,800 miles on it and turns over fine. I have it almost completely put back together and was just about to tune the newly cleaned/rebuilt carbs when I encountered this weird situation. When I can get a few minutes I'll drain it all out and see what's going on inside the case. The bike has no gas tank on it now as I'm using temporary fuel bottle to work on it, and there is no fuel in the carbs yet.

 

take the left crank cover off and rotate the square nut about 15 times. be carefull not to hit the pickups (remove spark plugs) that will circulate your oil . it should pump some into oil filter and back to tranny gears sumps well as add some color from any oil that remained in motor.
easier than draining oil.
when checking and changing shims lots of oil pumps up into the camshaft area

when filling it takes a while after oil change quanity is poured in shows up in the sight glass. also about 3 or 4 ozs extra will overfill past the sight glass.

just asking you did fill it by the oil cap on the clutch cover correct?

 

Just looked at my XJ700N owner’s manual and it says 2.6 qt without changing filter; 3.0 qt with filter change; 3.7 qt with total rebuild.

 

Maybe the oil is still in the oil bottles and you just THINK you poured it out

 

Maybe it was disappearing oil—you know like disappearing ink.

 

Personally, I would get my oil catcher really clean, drain it all out and refill again while checking the window....

 

Maybe it's not a bike but a TARDIS - did you check?

 

ROTFLMAO

 

Does a tardis use more than 3 quarts of oil?

 

make yourself a dipstick from a piece of wire that can go down to the level of the sight glass and see what you really have in there