Oil sight glass would've been convenient..
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Oil sight glass would've been convenient..
Problem is not the oem BRP Dipstick but the Dipsticks trying to read the dipstick. This is an oil level check. Not difficult. Start engine, run a few minutes and check. Being a tad below full is ok, thats why there is a range. The oil level only increases very slightly when fully hot. Simple, do not fill to max when cold checking it.
The true humor in this / these oil level topics is that the 1330 arrived in 2014 and now 6 years later owners still can not figure it out. They need an in plain sight oil gauge or idiot light that says to add oil.
IOLCS = Improper Oil Level Check Syndrome
Rode the hard mount, Harley XLs from the mid-1990s until last year. Still own 2 of them. They are also dry sump with a remote oil tank. All you have to do is start the engine, let it run a few minutes, (about the time it takes to back it out of the shop), and then pull the dipstick out of the remote oil tank. You can check it with the engine running. So simple, but even then, on the forums, there was some new owner about once a week that checked it before cold start, added a quart, and then blew the dipstick out of the remote oil tank, showering everything in 20 feet with oil. People are driving around in cars they have owned for several years and don't know where the dipstick is. Owner's manual has no greasy fingerprints on it at all.
As they often say, if you are going to be stupid you better be tough, or in the case of checking oil on a Spyder tough is replaced by a deep pocket with lots of money.
Ironic but true, I know of a local that had his oil overfilled by the dealer. They had to to remove 1 1/2 quarts from his 1330. Others here have had tremendous oil leaks, support here suggested properly checking the oil. In almost all times, way too much oil was in the engine. They removed the excess, the leak stopped and all was good.
Now you know of two people who had their 1330's overfilled by the dealer. After I got home with my new spyder I checked my liquids. Brake fluid, coolant and oil. They were all full, however the oil was WAY OVER full, by 1.5 qts . And then once again, after my 3000 mile dealer service, the spyder was over filled once more by 1.5 qts. Each time I questioned the service manager about the situations and was told that the service dept employees installed the factory recommended amount of oil.
Well, the engine may have been around for six years or so, but we have yet to take posession of the vehicle, which is why THIS 'dipstick' is trying to get it right before messing it up.
I still say it's way too complicated a process for what should be a very simple task.
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It is really simple. The manual just makes it seem complicated. After you check it one time, you can do it from then on, same as checking the oil in your car. There is nothing complicated about it. You just have to run it before you check it, unlike the wet sump systems on most vehicles. You don't need to check it but once every 1,000 miles if you don't see any puddles under it. That would only be about once a month or less, for most people.
Did you see my photos above? The pressure pump inlet is about 1/4 of the way from bottom to top. The way I read the manual the outlet, of course, goes to the engine but the pressure relief line goes to the pump inlet, not back into the tank. The only oil going into the tank is from the three scavenger pumps. So contrary to what you apparently are used to seeing there is no outlet/inlet at the bottom of the tank, at least not that I have been able to discern. But there must be one somewhere to drain the oil when we change engine oil.
There is only one scavenger pump. There is scavenger sumps for each cylinder that drain to the scavenger pump pickup, but only one pump. It is a two stage setup, geared to the pressure pump that supplies lube oil to the bearings. They are located very low on the left side of the block.
The long oil plug bolt on the left side with the o-rings in the center of it, opens a gallery when it is removed that drains both the sumps at the same time. When the plug is installed, the center o-rings keep the dry sump and holding tank from mixing.
OK, I think I found it. In this close up you can see a recess in the casting. It looks like it could be the passage back into the crankcase. This is just above the bend in the arrow in the photo above. If I'm right then this is where oil is free to move back and forth between the crankcase and tank. Looking in the service manual photos of the upper and lower halves of the cylinder block there are noted oil passages that go to the sump directly in line with this point of the block. I can copy pics from the manual if anyone wants.
It is not separate pumps. It is sets of internal gear pumps mounted on the same shaft (stages of the same pump). The pressure feed pump is on the next shaft and they are geared to each other. There is another pump, but it is not listed as part of the lubrication system. It is inside the clutch cover and returns oil so that there is circulation in the transmission and clutch.
http://www.tanwater.com/pics/spyder-oil-pump.png
I'll guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on how we interpret the written description and the diagrams. The description sure reads to me like there are 3 different pumps pumping 3 different sources of oil with 3 different discharges. I see 3 different single stage pumps on two different shafts driven by 2 sets of gears.
If you are awaiting delivery of the Spyder, very cool. As for checking the oil, it was easy in the first year, when BRP came out and stated to run the engine until the fans cycled twice before checking, then it got really crazy.
Being absolutely serious, it is an easy check. Start engine, let idle for a minute or two. Shut down and check oil right away at a casual pace. The amount of change from cold oil to expanded hot oil is almost nil.
The people that screw up checking oil level either never run the engine prior to checking and keep adding oil, or they can not see the level on the dipstick and keep dumping oil in.
As I mentioned it is very easy to check.
Now if you want to know what is difficult to check, try and get a good look at the coolant level on the 2014 to 2019 Spyder RT series. Now that is a bother.
This I can tell you...Last evening I warmed up my 2014 RTS and then I removed both drain plugs and left it up on the lift overnight,,,Today I changed the oil filter and the HCM FILTER...Installed all new o-rings and sealing washers...I put 5.2 quarts (5 qts. 6 oz.) of Amsoil...Started it up and ran until fans cycled off and on 3 times...CHECK THE OIL WITHIN 2 MINUTES OR SO AND IT WAS RIGHT ON THE FULL MARK ON THE DIP STICK...larryd
My 2015 F3's takes the full 6 qts. I've checked it several ways including within 2 min after turning it off while some oil my be in the oil sump. Not a problem to me--F3's runs great at 7K miles--I had 2 yrs of health issues---prostate radiation --back surgery thus 7K in 3 yrs mostly short trips. 118 mph top on speedo prior to Stage 2 upgrade & it was still climbing until traffic forced me to back off.
i think im going to discount the 5.2litres recommended for the 2019 only
the next oil change ill be adding 5litres
this is a useful amount here in aust as most oil bottles are either 4litres or 5 litres
we dont usually see gallons or quarts
i just need to use up the remaining T6 oil i have....i bought around 30gallons when i was working and these jugs come in 3.7litre quantities,or 1 gallon:yikes:
russ