Realistec Amount Of Transmission Fluid

[LBoltUK]

Did my first transmission fluid change today on my 2009 XB12Scg.

I followed the instructions to a T but only got about 870ml of Formula+ in by the time it reached the place illustrated in the manual.

I know that a Quart is just under 950ml and that the manual says "approximately" a Quart.

I'm just concerned I've not put in enough (although it's at the level shown in the manual).

Has anyone had a similar finding?

Thanks.

 

[dmp0001]

Is it on the side stand? You have to stand it straight up.

 

[user_deleted]

by the time it reached the place illustrated in the manual

though i admire your dilligence....you're being overly cautious. primary/trans should drain for at least 1 hour if you have the time. then simply pour in a full US quart and finish the job. it will be fine.

 

[captain chaos]

I have changed primary oil on several xb's and none of them has taken a full qt. I wouldn't worry about it. I suspect it would have to drain overnight to get a full qt in there, or close to it.

 

[go cytocis]

The primary case & trans are just splash-lubed. There's no oil pickup, or any high-velocity parts spanking the oil surface (like a crankshaft), so the level's not critical. As others said, make sure your bike's upright & just dump the whole bottle in.

 

[go cytocis]

primary/trans should drain for at least 1 hour if you have the time.

Not sure if this is going to trigger a backlash of posts from folks who think it's a bad idea, but my draining procedure, to ensure I'm draining as much of the old thick fluid out as possible, is as follows:
1) go for a long ride to heat up the primary case
2) put the bike on a race stand with rear wheel elevated & remove primary inspection plate
3) add ~0.5L of an engine parts solvent (Varsol) to the case, replace the inspection plate
4) while still on the stand, run the bike for a couple of minutes, in gear, to thin the oil out and wash any goop out of the case (I do NOT ride the bike as I don't want to put any load on the transmission with the diluted lube in there)
5) turn bike off & drain as normal

I like this procedure because our XB primary cases are not especially water proof, and I've often found creamy water-contamination goop in there clinging to the inside of the case. The Varsol does a good job of rinsing it off.

 

[dodge]

Was told 28oz .

 

[LBoltUK]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Yup, it was straight up (as near as possible before it decided to go the other way!) and I got in just over 28oz.

I'm only just short of the quart, do you think the gasket will be OK if I remove it today and put some more in?

Strange that they tell you to measure everything in quarts, yet in the UK bottle it in Ltrs!

 

[user_deleted]

Go: never heard of varsol but i like your procedure and your thinking on that primary flush job.

Strange that they tell you to measure everything in quarts, yet in the UK bottle it in Ltrs!

2 reasons for that: 1-it's an American machine and we (us Americans) continue to cling to the "colloquial system" of weights and measures which in actuality originated in the UK. and 2-We are correct and the rest of the world is wrong.

 

[LBoltUK]

I understand why the measurement is in Quarts, but it would have made sense for them to supply the product measured in it. I'm certain my HD oil was in Quarts!

But hey, a bit of math wakes the old brain up!

 

[Skinny Puppy]

I just drop the plug after it's hot. Let it drain for a half hour while I pull the chin fairing, oil filter, and primary plug out. Throw the plug back in and put a full 1 litre of oil back in. Repeat every 4000kms. I'm using a synthetic 10w40 royal purple max cycle something or other in the transmission. As said above it's just a chain getting dipped in there. There's no real worry of screwing that up because of +/- a few millilitres of oil.

 

[egobuster1]

your using 10w-40 in it and I've always read to use the same engine oil in the primary and i use amsoil 20w-50 in my engine so can this be used for the primary oil too

 

[snrusnak]

for some reason some listings (such as amsoil's manual) lists 10w40 for oil weight for the 9's (even though they list 20w50 for the 12's).

 

[WIGGLE2]

Not sure if this is going to trigger a backlash of posts from folks who think it's a bad idea,

Hello Go! A lot of 'old-timers' back in the days of "open cankase' engines, (flatheads, tractors, early V-8's, etc. with no PCV system) used to do this on engines for the same reason! They used to get all snotted up from condensation and such, so that's exactly what they did! I see NO issues doing this on the primary. Not sure I'd want to do it on the engine side....although it probably wouldn't hurt anything, just don't think I would. As to OP...there seems to be varying reports of exactly how much one of these takes. Someone said they never got a full quart in. I've had (2) now, and each one took a quart with no problem. Not sure if theres differences in castings, etc., that make the difference or what, but It isn't rocket science on this, (OR the engine for that matter). If you have CLOSE to a quart in there and that is all she takes, you're golden.

 

[go cytocis]

Hello Go! A lot of 'old-timers' back in the days of "open cankase' engines, (flatheads, tractors, early V-8's, etc. with no PCV system) used to do this on engines for the same reason!

I haven't specifically ever looked for it so I'm not sure if it even exists anymore, but I recall years ago seeing bottles of 'engine flush' on the shelves of auto-parts stores. I once pulled the cap off a bottle to give it a sniff & to my nose, it just smelled like Naphtha (the primary ingredient in WD-40), so that might also work for the same purpose(?).

 

[captain chaos]

As others said, make sure your bike's upright & just dump the whole bottle in.

Too much oil WILL cause it to shift crappy, especially when cold. I had to remove some excess fluid from one of my Buell's because the trans felt 'gummy' when shifting. Setting the level to what is called out in the manual made the trans feel good as gold from then on.

Someone said they never got a full quart in. I've had (2) now, and each one took a quart with no problem

That would be me. They all would have EASILY taken a full qt. but in putting a full 32oz in there it would have put the oil level WAY above the level the manual calls for. Like I mentioned above, too much will negatively affect shift feel (I know first-hand)

 

[snrusnak]

On my bike it never takes the full quart. Almost, but not quite. I fill it to the level like the manual says to.

 

[WIGGLE2]

Go;
I am not sure about that working the same or not....I'm sure it wouldn't hurt anything though. I am not sure where you post from, but I think you're "offshore"? If so, I do not not how available such things are, but you'd said about 'off the counter' engine flush, etc. That stuff is still around over here.

Shaun;
Yes...you're correct. If it is too full, they do shift weird! Your description was very good. Another guy I know had his WAY too full. I'd asked him if he adjusted his clutch. He says..."yeah, when I changed primay lube, I did it". So....we tried everything...the linkage trick....everything. Finally I decided to adjust the clutch myself. I pulled the little cover off and it POURED out! I can't for the life of me figure out HOW he got it all in there! He almost had to have it laying over some or something. Of course, he had no idea! Lol! With mine,even at a quart, it wasn't TOO full. "We" did some math one night....If the inside cases AND the outside cases vary just .020" in thickness, it changes volume more than you'd think. Obviously, I don't know that's what it is, but i'm sure any variences there can change that. I am thinking there is SOME reason the manual clearly states 'approximately' 1 quart. Who knows..we may never know! Lol!

 

[WIGGLE2]

^^ I meant 'Captain"...not Shaun! Got my lines crossed there!

 

[snrusnak]

I can't for the life of me figure out HOW he got it all in there!

He filled it from the primary chain inspection window.