With any number of engines there always seems to be a different procedure for checking oil. My honda I sold you checked the oil without the dipstick screwed in as is my honda clone. An old Briggs I have checks with stick screwed in. My Piaggio is checked with the stick screwed in. What do you guys do to keep track of what's what ?
My stella is cap with stick resting on the fill hole not screwed in,,same with my dr350 warm it up and check with stick and cap resting on the oil tank boss,,,i keep a log with notes myself
Just about all the dipsticks have hash marks at the end of the stick about 1" in length. The hash marks are there for a reason and that is to measure the level of the oil in the crankcase. The oil should cover all of the hash marks when screwed in and if not screwed in half of the hash marks which is the length of the threads on the dispstick. Just remember the little bit of the hash marks is maybe 1 oz which is not a lot. Alleyoop
Why ignore what the manual says. There is at least 1/2 inch difference between the stick resting on top and screwed in the difference between min and max is no more than 5/16" on my Piaggio. If I check my Piaggio tha same way I do my Honda and Honda clone then I'll be overfilling the crankcase. If I screw the Hondas all the way in the oil is way up on the shank above the hash marks when oil is at proper level.
Last Edit: May 27, 2015 19:10:41 GMT -6 by skunkhome
Why ignore what the manual says. There is at least 1/2 inch difference between the stick resting on top and screwed in the difference between min and max is no more than 5/16" on my Piaggio. If I check my Piaggio tha same way I do my Honda and Honda clone then I'll be overfilling the crankcase. If I screw the Hondas all the way in the oil is way up on the shank above the hash marks when oil is at proper level.
I'll agree with what the manual says but as stated regardless of the minor differences in the dip sticks the amount of oil is minute either way.
Also with the Chinese scooters some are without credible manuals to start with and as a rule if you go by the method that Alley mentioned you'll not be too low or too full on oil. A happy medium will always work.
I really must respectfully disagree. You just can't make blanket statements like that. If I fill my oil in my ch80 with the stick screwed down them check it the way the manual states, the oil doesn't even touch the stick much less get into the hash marks. If I can't find checking procedures on my engine. I fill to capacity run it for a couple of minutes then check to see what method puts the oil where it's supposed to be on the dipstick. If you don't know the capacity of the crankcase then your flying in the dark.
Anything worth doing is worth doing right. That is, if at all possible. The wiring on my Eagle Metro 250 is a case in point.
Last Edit: May 28, 2015 8:03:43 GMT -6 by skunkhome
I believe you are miss interrupting what was said. 1. If you put oil in then stick the dipstick in NOT screwed in. You pull it out and see if the oil is HALFWAY UP THE HASH MARKS, IF it is your done and it is filled up if not add a little more and so on. 2. If you put oil in then stick the dipstick in SCREWED in. You pull it out and see if the oil COVERS ALL THE HASH MARKS, IF it does your done and it is filled up. If not you add a little more and so on.
So either way don't screw it in oil will cover half the hash marks, screwed in oil will cover all of the hash marks. But understand this AS LONG as oil covers some part of the HASH MARKS your good little bit more or less oil covering the hash marks is no biggy that is less than 1oz of oil. Don't forget the oil is up the fill tube on the side of the crank case by the oil pump.
People can check their oil level however they want just as long as there is enough oil in the crankcase no biggy. Alleyoop
I really must respectfully disagree. You just can't make blanket statements like that. If I fill my oil in my ch80 with the stick screwed down them check it the way the manual states, the oil doesn't even touch the stick much less get into the hash marks. If I can't find checking procedures on my engine. I fill to capacity run it for a couple of minutes then check to see what method puts the oil where it's supposed to be on the dipstick. If you don't know the capacity of the crankcase then your flying in the dark.
Anything worth doing is worth doing right. That is, if at all possible. The wiring on my Eagle Metro 250 is a case in point.
Yes in general I can make the blanket statement. Why? Because after over 50 years of driving/riding and working with many engines I've learned that the engine oil capacity is a general range and not a specific scientific thing such as "the engine must at all times have this much oil in it." The dipstick itself is testament to just this theory.
You do mention your Hondas and with these scooters they do have a good service manual and will tell you the recommended amount of oil to put in the engine. If you do this to the letter then more than likely you don't even need to check the dipstick at all? Remember the dipstick is only a tool to see if while over a period of time before your next change to check to see if the engine still has the correct amount of oil in it when you ride it. If the engine happens to use a tad of oil or if you have a small leak then by looking at the level on the dip stick you'll see the loss of oil.
But if you filled your Honda according to the manual and then pulled the stick and it was not to the top of the maximum range as indicated by the dip stick and it was just a tiny touch low in no way would it hurt this engine to run it that way, again the max and minimum level by which all dipsticks are made is a "general" range.
An example of just what I mean, I have a 1988 Craftsman mower with the old twin 14HP B&S in her. Damn thing is 27 years old but no matter how hot or cold it is this old mower will start and run, does smoke and use a little oil. I used it nearly all day to pull my wagons which I filled several times with broken limbs from the tornado that passed near by the other day. I pulled the stick which was the first time I've did so since last fall, it was half way down the max and min marks on the stick, screwed it back in and went to work. Mower ran like a charm just like it has for the last 27 years.
Now if my main mower broke down and I had to use this old mower to mow with until the main mower was fixed, I'd fill her up to the max mark because the engine would be under a lot more load mowing and would burn more oil. What I did today didn't hurt the old engine a bit.
Got a 1993 Chevy Silverado 4X4 extended cab with the good old 350 small block. Was in her 2 days ago to go get some gas at the store to mow with. She's got 189k on her and I was noticing the last time I changed the oil by the sticker was in 2012. What?? 2012!!! Yes I only use her to go fishing, pull my camper a bit and go do things like get cans of gas at the local store, since 2012 I've put 900 miles on her since that last oil change. I know for a fact it's a half quart low on oil and if I loaded up tomorrow to go to California and I wouldn't be afraid to do so then I'd put that half quart in. Putting around the house here I'll not touch it.
It's the same with these small scooter engines especially the Chinese ones. I stated before manuals for these scooters are pitiful in most cases so using the dip stick to measure you oil is no big deal and a little low isn't a big deal, actually in most cases it's not as bad as a over filled engine. On a GY-6 engine if the oil reads half way up the hash marks on the dip stick with it not screwed in then you're fine, time to hop on it and ride.
Post by clonedrone on May 28, 2015 20:16:53 GMT -6
JR very well written I find the before comment from a Administrator unbecoming. Egotistical and arrogant. This behavior and smart arse comments only turns members and potential members away. It seems to never end with this Administrator.
JR very well written I find the before comment from a Administrator unbecoming. Egotistical and arrogant. This behavior and smart arse comments only turns members and potential members away. It seems to never end with this Administrator.
It was a Jovial ending comment nothing egotistical and arrogant about it. But apparently will find anything to get on my case. Alleyoop
JR very well written I find the before comment from a Administrator unbecoming. Egotistical and arrogant. This behavior and smart arse comments only turns members and potential members away. It seems to never end with this Administrator.
I took it as a joke, nothing more, nothing less and let's leave it that way.
Why ignore what the manual says. There is at least 1/2 inch difference between the stick resting on top and screwed in the difference between min and max is no more than 5/16" on my Piaggio. If I check my Piaggio tha same way I do my Honda and Honda clone then I'll be overfilling the crankcase. If I screw the Hondas all the way in the oil is way up on the shank above the hash marks when oil is at proper level.
I just saw this discussion on another forum and when I thought about the whole thing you mentioned here I see even more where this is not a big thing. Why? You mentioned the manual. I went through 8 different manuals and the main thing that struck me is this, all say put 0.8L of oil in a GY-6 engine. Half the manuals said screw in the dip stick to read the oil level half said leave it unscrewed. So who is right?
I'll tell you who is right both ways are correct. It's actually quite simple, if you put 0.8L of oil in the engine then if you read the dip stick with it screwed in or out the oil level is the same. The ONLY difference is HOW you read it on the stick. If you put the correct amount of oil in the engine by measuring it instead of trying to rely on a dip stick level reading it doesn't matter how you read it on the stick.
When you come to think of it it's the same for all engines? Even brand new autos of today in your manual specify how much oil to put in the engine. I've never to this day seen a manual say put oil into the engine until it reaches this or that mark on the dip stick.
So you are correct, don't ignore what the manual says about the correct "amount" of oil to put in your engine the level on the dip stick will take care of itself.
..BAD TO THE BONE..
