Well I finally got the oil on Big Red changed.
This year we tried 10W-50 flavour.
I’ve always run 40 weight in Red but hells bells…he still runs hot. On hot summer days I get a severe case of rump roast from that rear jug frying my ass. I went to Flapz’ place because he has a nice cool, soothing cement floor to lay on whilst I work.
But he gets hung right up on technicalities and stressed. For me oil changes are a breeze - drain, toss the old filter, replace with a new one, top it up, run a few minutes, check the dipstick and if the oil’s where it should be - it’s all good. But Flapz says ya gotta check it when it’s over on the stand, wonders whether ya measur the oil with the dipstick at the top of the threads or screwed right in… and then the horror began. Kawasaki says the bike takes 4.3 litres of oil. Big Red always took a full 5. So he starts getting concerned about that but the old farts on a OyTube are all saying “its 4.3 plus a little bit…”
Long story short is it took extra time to convince Flapz the job was done right! 😂 The oil’s halfway up the dipstick, the plug n filters are in and even with the squabbling we were still done by 8:30 in the morn. I gotta change the oil in all my toys now… but it’s nice to have Red all sorted out.
It’s time for new skins too. I love whitewall tires… but gawd… what a pain to keep them clean! The guys are all going to Commander III’s … and they’re all black. I’ll have to give it some careful thought.
Life is good.
I used to work as an automotive engineer. The engines ran fine - one quart below the low hashmark and +one quart above the full.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta figure that the level of the oil will shift going around a corner, braking, accelerating or when it is cold and you are running high-revs (pumps it up into the head(s) and it is slow running back down into the sump)
My inclination is to slightly over-fill. The risk is oil foaming and maybe poisoning the catalytic converter. That is less expensive than lunching the motor.
The bike’s beautiful but what about the Pontiac outside
ReplyDeleteThat’s Flapz’ Fiddy Six Olds, A. When his great uncle passed the kids - Flapz’ Dad and siblings - were stuck with it and were at a loss as to what to do with it. Flapz told them to figure out a price and that he’d take it. Rather than do that they just gave it to him and he started repairing and restoring it. I almost had a bird when he did - originally it had the old flathead (261?)straight six engine with three on the tree - and would have made a charming vintage rebuild. But Flapz would have none of it! We dropped a small block 283 Chevy into it, with a Hurst this, and an Edlbrock that, fuzzy dice, and a chrome skull with ruby eyes for the shift knob…🤢… and now it’s a rocket powered low rider…😢
DeleteI’m STILL mad about it and will never forgive him for it … but I don’t think he cares…😂👍
He has pics of it from better times when his uncle had it spattered with mud, towing a 14’ fishin boat with an old Merc outboard. I’d refurbed it to factory and then hunted for a pristine boat and vintage outboard myself…
Used to run Metzler's on the Drifter. And yeah, used to put a block under the kickstand to set her "level" when looking at the SIGHT GLASS on the side of the engine (she was an 800) to see where the oil was at.
ReplyDeleteI miss riding but here in SW Florida when it's not "HEAT STROKE" weather and comfortable to ride, it's downright SUICIDAL with all the idiot Snowbird traffic.
There's a reason why so many Transplant Patients move here. The high number of Motorcyclist "Donors".
Yup…I’m looking at the Metzlers too. My old Suzuki 1500 had the sight glass and if I had my druthers, this bike would too. But that engine on Red is a bulletproof V twin all the same. I drove it to church today and all the oil is still inside the bike so I guess that’s a good thing?
Delete😂👍
I agree with you though and avoid the city driving like the plague. We have a lot of pakies and chinks around here. The pakies don’t know how to drive and half the chinks can’t see over the dashboard… and the other half don’t CARE where they drive, HAR HAR HAR! The highways are still generally safe once you get out of town a bit on the secondaries…