possible stupid oil question

Ok I changed!!!
Swithched from Castrol to Royal Purple 10-30.
My bike shifts smoother and runs quieter...

They say it's configured for a wet clutch, that's the only reason I switched. Everyone here says that the synth will cause my clutch to start slipping in time, so I'll try to head it off!?
I'll let you know how this change works out. Definatly more $$$

 

Hey Hvnbnd,

How's the Royal Purple working out so far?

 

We say that Synthetic will be harmful because the bulk of it would be.

There are a few Synths that you can use.
But, if you mess-up and get the wrong one ... you cook the clutch.

 

i remember the oil debate when i had my virago...i made the mistake of putting regular oil in my bike and when i got on it the clutch would slip...now i cannot be sure this was a problem prior to me buying it(was not running when i bought ) but after i changed to 20-50 for bikes the problem was still there . Now from what i gathered form the last debate i saw was that in sumer 20-50 is best and colder climates 5-50 is best and as far as synthetic go i was told if you engine started life using synthetic than thats ok but if it DID NOT changing to synthetic can cause problems. i will ask the PO what he put in but i would like to know what you guys think the best weight and brand is for an 83 XJ1100

thnx

S!

 

I too bought an '82 Maxim 750, just last week in fact. Did most of the basics last weekend including oil. It was BLACK. In fact it looked as if it had NEVER been changed. The bike only has 10K on it so that's a possibility. Anyway I'll change it again in a couple more weekends. I buy a lot of used older bikes and I'd rather spend a few dollars running oil through them a couple times than take a chance otherwise.

 

Just got a 82 maxim 650. Dont know alot about bikes and trying to learn but PO said oil change at beginning of the season but the oil window is showing very little oil? Maybe just a quarter of the window is full. When I start it I see know oil? The oil I do see before starting looks pretty clean I just dont know how much oil to add. Do I add it till the window is full and shouldnt I see it when its running? Sorry Im a noob!

 

There should be a line on the side case near the top of the site glass. The oil should be to that line when it is NOT running.

 

The hot tip at XJBikes is to go a little further, fill until you just see a little bubble. Now if your carbs leak gasoline into your crankcase even a little, you will know it. If you use 3 OZ of oil, you'll know that too.
(bike level on centerstand).

(hey Mods, should we delete all that "middle gear drain" stuff from 2006 at the beginning of this thread ??)

 

Sure.
What page(s) and other info.

I don't want anybody getting burned.

 

Royal Purple Max Cycle 20w-50. 8)
That's what I run in mine.
It shifts so smooth you have to watch the tach because you can"t feel the shift with your foot! 8O

 

Just topped up my oil, used a litre on the last trip, but it is due for an oil change. Have been using Yamaha JASO MA 15W50. Weather here is always warm, last trip was 37degC during the 5 hr rides. Royal Purple is available here in Australia, is it better than the Yamaha stuff and should i change grades?

 

YAMAHA is not in the Oil Business.
Yamaha is in the Plastic Bottle Business.
You are spending extra money for the Plastic Bottle you discard.

Use 20W40 if you can find it.***
Yamaha recommends this viscosity.
It comes in Bottles Yamaha buys by Truck-loads.

For MAXIMUM Protection and to reduce the amount of Oil you are "Using", ...
Try using a 20W~50 and see how well the Bike runs.

 

Considering i'm paying $45.00 AUD for a 4ltr Yamaha plastic bottle, i might try Castrol at half the price! Thanks for the comments.

 

Don't feel so bad, ...
There are people paying $7.99US @ Quart who think Harley~Davidson is in the Oil Business.

Harley pretends to be in the Oil Business when you bring a Bike in for Service.
Look at the Work Order from some Harley worshiper who just had a 5,000 Mile tune-up.
Gen-you-whine Har-lee Davidson Oil.
$8.79 a Quart
The technician fills a Oiler from a Drum of Oil that says Amalie Oil

 

hi ive got all my casings off for polishing after PO sprayed with aluminium paint..... everywhere ugh!!,anyhow i found oil emulsion in clutch and gears covers, i know there is the breather to the airbox,but inside the gear casing there is some kind of baffle, has anybody serviced this?.Ive got heavy duty clear laquer for protection of my now mirror finish covers (especially clutch cover centre HeHe) will this protect my pristine covers from the dreaded oxidation? also are the cranckcases silver/grey or aluminium? im a printer colour is my business, but i cant make my mind up on that one.
1993 XJ900F

 

Have no fear removing that Baffle.
Has to be done to "Make-yer-own-gasket"

I've had it off my 83 900 RK several times.
I remove the Baffle.
Apply a thick coat of some birds lipstick, and place the Cover down on some Gasket Paper and the Lipstick leaves a perfect impression for where to cut.

 

Lipstick! What a cool idea. Why didn't I think of that?

Thanks for the tip, Rick, I'll use it for sure.

 

i would like to add a ???? MY 82 550 is finaly done it starts and idles awsome lpus is really strong on the road however is trowing oil all over trough crankcase breather could that simply be to much oil or could it be something else..
??????

 

AHA! Just the thread I need!
I recently acquired a 1982 XJ650 and am loving it (my first bike ) and am not sure what oil to put into it. The guy I bought it from only had the bike a few months (lost his job) and said he changed the oil once and used synthetic instead of regular oil that had always been used in it before. I've read that in old bikes it's best to use mineral oil? Should I continue using synthetic or switch to regular oil?
Thanks!

 

Mosee.biker:

If you want to make sure your using the right Oil to protect the Bike 100% ... whether all you do is Putt-putt around town, ... or wish you had a switch to throw to add Afterburner's to Wide Open Throttles while you are in the Full giddy-yap Mode trying to catch-up with some guys a quarter mile up-ahead you on the wide-open road ...

Castrol
GTX- 20W-50
Racing Oil

 

Is
Castrol
GTX- 20W-50
Racing Oil
Great for an 82 XJ750 Maxim also? Suggestions for local stores that might carry it?

This close enough?
GTX oil at Autozone

 

I'd use it without difficulty. Great stuff and I use it myself.

 

Good I like buying the basic stuff locally

 

I recently spoke to a Castrol Representative after a Member complained about Castrol GTX 20W/50 making his Clutch Slip.

The Castrol Rep. said that back in 1996 the formulation was changed slightly and GTX 20/50 now carries an API "SJ" rating.
The formulation was changed to add an ingredient to make the 20W/50 Oil safe for Cars and Light Trucks with Catalytic Converters.

The Company said that they got a few complaints about Motorcycle Clutches slipping, on GTX, but not enough to place the blame exclusively on their product.

Consequently, to cater to the Motorcycle community which want the protection of 20W/50 Motor Oil formulated specifically for use in Bikes with Wet Clutches, ... Castrol recommends using their 20W/50 4-T Brand.

Castrol 4T Motorcycle Oil — Outstanding Protection for 4–stroke Engines

* Provides maximum protection against viscosity and thermal breakdown
* Provides superior engine wear protection, high–film strength and oil oxidation protection for high revving motorcycle engines
* Specialized additive package contains anti–oxidants, detergents, dispersants, and varnish inhibitors that help prevent ring–sticking and build up of harmful engine deposits
* Exceeds the performance requirement of North American and foreign motorcycle manufacturers calling for API SG or JASO MA

* Available in SAE 10W–40 for most motorcycles and also SAE 20W–50 for larger displacement engines, including V–Twins
* Meets API SG and JASO MA2

They also make a Synthetic for those who think Synth is better than Dino.

Enough Synth to do an Oil Change is almost $35.00

 

Evening Folks-

I thought I would ask here since I didn't have any luck with a quick search earlier today. My oil CEL came on 4 times today. I have just gotten back from a 700 mile trip and was going to change the oil anyways, but it occurred to me I don't know what filter to use.

I have a manual and couldn't seem to find anything. Also since this will be my first oil change on my 82 650, is there anything I need to watch out for? Yes, they are noob questions but any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

According to the Fram website, their oil filter number is CH6003.

 

I thought I had seen a Fram filter. Appreciate it.

 

Get the FRAM -or- STP Brand and you'll get an envelope containing BOTH New O-rings for the job.

AutoZone
Advance

 

Ive never used the STP brand but Rick is right, you get two o-rings with the filter. Autozone carries it for about $5. Sometimes Wal-mart even has it.

 

Thanks guys. That's the big reason I hadn't changed the oil yet (looking for the O-rings). Sometime I miss the simplicity of the SV. Lol. As always appreciate the help.

 

the same as mine .the new oil turns black soon after i add it .
what is the matter.

 

the same as mine .the new oil turns black soon after i add it .
what is the matter.

 

"The color of the oil will change during normal engine operation when additives do their job of protecting the lubrication base stock.
Generally, the changes do not affect the performance of the oil and do not indicate contamination or other malfunction.

Excessive Discoloration

Excessive discoloration will occur due to higher than normal local temperatures in the engine or due to contaminants in the system.
Such high temperatures can originate during a gasket failure in liquid cooled engines, for example, or to frictional heat, or plants needing rings.

Contaminants such as condensation, hydraulic fluid or coolants can promote severe oil discoloration, sludge and harmful engine deposits.

Black Oil

The phenomenon referred to as “Black Oil” is not due to the oils discoloration but to the suspension of very small amorphous particulate in the oil, too small to be captured by the filter.
When the particles are filtered from the oil, the color reverts to normal.
Black oil arises in certain engines due to how the moving parts of the engine get oiled, by design.

It cannot be eliminated by oil development or reformation."
© 2009 Exxon Mobil Corporation

 

Something worth mentioning: Most of our bikes SAT for some period of time (yes, there are some notable exceptions, this won't apply.)

When you've freshly "resurrected" an old bike, it will take quite a few oil changes before the oil comes out looking like anything other than black mud, as it cleans out all the years' worth of sludge and carries it out with it. The first few oil changes should be at a shorter-than-recommended interval until the motor cleans up a bit.

 

damn, good thread, bookmarked for sure.

 

Question:

On the first page of this thread, there is mention of the second oil drain screw located behind the main one. It is recommended to change the oil from there, as well, by an XJ wizard.

However, if I remember right, bigfitz mentioned at some point somewhere else that one SHOULD NOT remove that screw, as it can break (?) easily, and then you're screwed *(no pun intended, but that's handy) until you go get a new one.

So what's the skinny does that still stand? Nothing to worry about just changing oil from the main plug?

 

Which plug are you referring to?



The one in this pic is the drain plug; plus the filter comes off. The filter bolt is not the drain plug.

The plug I was referring to and saying not to touch is the middle gear drain plug; it's not even readily visible. Leave IT alone, if you even find it.

 

Yes, it's basically directly underneath the engine, the middle gear drain plug. That's referred to on the first page of this thread, a guy says he had neglected it for years because he didn't know it was there, but now includes that as well.

So it should be left alone?

Edit: you know, maybe I am just delusional. It's dark, but I walked outside and can't seem to find it now. Maybe I never did. Ah well.

 

Awesome thread! Autozone/advance/oreilly's all said they didn't have an oil filter for my bike! Thank you!

 

What kind of oil do you suggest in a 1983 XJ 400? Mineral Oil, semi synthetic motor oil or full synthetic motor oil? I have just bought the bike and as far as I know (I guess) the previous owner has used mineral motor oil.

I have to change the motor oil as fast as possible but yesterday I just added some 300 ml Mobil Super 10W-40 mineral motor oil (car motor oil).

 

DON'T use automotive oil.

Use motorcycle-specific oil; and until you've got the bike all sorted out, stick to conventional (mineral) oils. But ensure it's motorcycle-specific, such as Castrol 4T.

Yamaha recommends 20W40 for your bike in warmer weather; you can use 20W50.

 

That sucks, I just went to advance and picked up one along with some 20W50 oil. It was located by the marine stuff. They had a small section of motorcycle items.

 

Thanks, I will check Castrol 4T out.

What is the difference between automotive oil and motorcycle oil? I remember I read this article for a while...

Motorcycle Oil vs. Automotive Oils - Surprising New Evidence on the Viscosity-Retention Question

...but I'm not sure how it is with a 29 year old bike (bike engine)!??? :?

 

how many quarts of oil should i put in my 81 xj maxim 550? and what kind of oil would be best?

 

oil pours out of air filter after oil change after I start it? any thoughts?

 

2.2 liters in the 550+ another 200CCs to make it happy; so about 2 1/2 quarts. (2.4 liters total.)

cjbratvold I just responded to your thread on the same subject. You horribly overfilled your bike.

 

what should I do from here? Should I rebuild the carbs again? I probably dont have a choice.

 

cjbratvold, you shouldn't have to rebuild carbs because you overfilled the oil level. If your bike doesn't run correctly, that's another issue.

 

Overflowing oil can get into your carbs through the airbox, but it can't really cause issues unless they are already dirty/clogged. Just do an oil change and put in the right amount, clean your filter box and filter or replace it. You could spray carb cleaner into each intake to help remove the oil, but it will be sucked through and end up burned anyway. You need a maintenance manual to help you on your quest.

 

I have gas in my oil and it is idling very high on my 81 xj maxim 550...any suggestions? idling so high that as soon as i start letting off the clutch the bike starts to go with out even giving it any gas...