Airbox drain pipe!

I fill to around the bottom line and never more than an inch above it and fill as and how the internet and Norton tell me to, still drips tho.... or would do without the bung :lol:
 
Yes , I suppose or from dripping/blowing on everything else under the bike. My question is , Will the dripping oil discharge ever stop ? Right now I am just below the low mark on the dip stick. When I take it out again and If it spews another say 100 ml of oil in 150 miles driven , now the oil level is below the stick . Now what ? That's why I asked Richard-7 to ask his dad how he manages it. He Has 8000 plus miles on his bike by now and he takes long trips. Will I have to carry oil with me on a long trip ? On the bright side , I just drove it 150 miles and it discharged only 50ml of oil. It is decreasing how much it spews , but I am down to the last part of the stick, the last 5mm . If we think the oil can be run that low , and if we think the oil needs to be run that low to stop the breather discharge , do we need a longer stick ?
 
TonyA said:
Yes , I suppose or from dripping/blowing on everything else under the bike. My question is , Will the dripping oil discharge ever stop ? Right now I am just below the low mark on the dip stick. When I take it out again and If it spews another say 100 ml of oil in 150 miles driven , now the oil level is below the stick . Now what ? That's why I asked Richard-7 to ask his dad how he manages it. He Has 8000 plus miles on his bike by now and he takes long trips. Will I have to carry oil with me on a long trip ? On the bright side , I just drove it 150 miles and it discharged only 50ml of oil. It is decreasing how much it spews , but I am down to the last part of the stick, the last 5mm . If we think the oil can be run that low , and if we think the oil needs to be run that low to stop the breather discharge , do we need a longer stick ?

Good question.
The mechanic at my dealer that I spoke with advised me to keep the oil level midway between the low oil level mark, and the end of the dipstick. At first I thought he was nuts. Since I began doing this last summer, I have had no more oil discharge from the airbox drain tube, and the oil level has not changed on the dipstick.

When I tried to maintain the oil level between the low and high dipstick marks I had constant drainage from the overflow tube, and it was impossible to maintain the oil level. It made a mess and made me crazy. I did notice that when I measured the oil level and it appeared to be close to the low mark, there was only a small amount of discharge from the overflow tube. So I tried running the bike until the level dipped below the low mark as the mechanic suggested. The level on the dipstick stabilized, and the drainage stopped. It would seem to me that the dipstick should be longer, with the low and high marks adjusted down lower on the dipstick. Then the marks would have a practical purpose. It makes me wonder if there may be some bikes out there that have difference length dipsticks.

Regards
 
Hello Brit twit, What you say sounds good to me. I have measured my dip stick and it was 110mm long . This is from the bottom of the threaded cap to the end of the stick. If others could measure their dipsticks we could come up with some data .. Again thanks for the advice/experience. If this is true , the stick needs to be another 10 to 15 mm in length. Maybe Norton will produce a dip stick upgrade/improvement for us ? As it stands , the difference between oil filled to the high mark and oil to just below the low mark is almost 430ml on my bike... Tony
 
I'll measure my dipstick and post the length this weekend when I hope to have my 961 back from the dealer.
 
After reading this post, I checked my breather pipe and guess what? Blocked with gunge.... What a stupidly small bore pipe with no rigidity at all.

Quick easy fix..... £0.99 worth of 4mm windscreen washer hose, clear and stiff, fits perfectly and ive got about 3 foot of it left if it blocks again.

I then pulled an egg cup full of yellow gunge out of the air box, using my patented snake bite removal method of sucking like f**k on the hose until the hose went clear. I then did a quick 50 mile blast and got her hot. Put her back in the garage with a pot under the breather pipe and we shall see whats in it tomorrow.....

I believe this is called 'Character', in motorcycling parlance....
 
Ok Got the measurements of the Oil Stick . Total stick length = 11 CM (110mm) This is from the bottom of the threaded cap to the end of the stick. Almost exactly 110mm.. Distance from bottom of cap to HIGH mark = 7.95 CM . Distance from bottom of cap to LOW mark = 10.405 CM. That leaves me with 5 mm of stick left to work with . Just Saying .. Found this from earlier in the thread.
 
Found this on the NOC England website.

Previously wrote: Hi Paul - I was interested in your comment "Found out by questioning the the lads that the bike must be filled with oil to the bottom mark on the dip stick, 2.5 litres approx including filter change, checked after running the bike, or it will deposit access in the air box " - I thought that this type of error disappeared with the original Commando - it's nice that they keep on with the tradition !!! - seriously though I assume that they'll correct this issue as it implies poor design. Hi Mark, I have a 961 and have not had a problem with this, I always run the bike for a few mins first before checking the oil level and fill it to the Top mark on the dipstick(although to be honest it does not seem to use much if any oil between services) This is what the handbook says and what the Technician who did the first service told me. I have done just over 3,000 miles and not had any problems with oil in the airbox and as i said although I check the level every week it does not seem to use much. The main thing is to run the engine first before checking the level on the dipstick as it is positioned at the highest point of the frame by the headstock and needs to circulate. I have used the bike hard cruising on Motorways around 90mph and it will easily do 130mph but still does not use any oil plus

What I think is that if 2.5 liters brings it to the bottom dip stick mark , Then that's where it should be . The manual states 2.5L with filter change. I will measure this closely because I need to change my oil now with 590 miles driven. This begs for a longer dip stick with an additional mark below the current low mark. This would then have the current low mark as the middle mark . This may be what needs to be done , it is senseless to unnecessarily oil the air box. Has anyone accurately measured how much oil it takes to bring it to the low mark after an oil change ? Thanks for your input, Tony
 
I can vouch for the bit about 90mph (indicated) and no oil loss. Have done this a few times with sport bike buddies who like to cruise above the limit. Also, the 961 is actually smoother at 5400 RPM than at 4200 RPM (around 70 MPH), though the wind blast without a fairing is tiring. I know this is not what the bike is really designed for, but it’s nice to know it has this capability if or when you need/want it.
If I get my bike back this weekend from the dealer, I will post the measurements of my dipstick.
 
' I then pulled an egg cup full of yellow gunge out of the air box, using my patented snake bite removal method of sucking like f**k on the hose until the hose went clear. I then did a quick 50 mile blast and got her hot. Put her back in the garage with a pot under the breather pipe and we shall see whats in it tomorrow..... '

As it turns out, quite a bit actually.... :D :D :D :D :D I think its been in there a while! The screen washer hose is now clear and empty so hopefully that's it.
 

Attachments

  • Airbox drain pipe!
    025.JPG
    197 KB · Views: 323
  • Airbox drain pipe!
    026.JPG
    152.6 KB · Views: 317
Oops.
Looks like someone missed the wee wee pad.

Now your engine oil level should be correct.
Just keep an eye on the flow from the tube.
 
My bike has gone all British and developed an incontinence habit....

The clear tube is a must though I reckon, and at 0.99p for 1.5m probably the cheapest repair ill have on any motorcycle, let alone a money pit like a 961.
 
NEWS FLASH - After oil and filter change 2.5 Liters of oil accurately measured does not quite reach the bottom of my dipstick . I repeat DOES NOT reach the bottom of my dipstick ! This means that if oil is filled to the top mark you ARE putting too much oil in. Book says 2.5 liters with filter change. I think as much as 500 ml or more oil to reach the top mark of the dip stick. My dip stick only tells me if I have too much oil in. I will work on an adapter to lengthen the dip stick . The dipstick can unscrew from the cap , be careful ... All of this extra oil will discharge into the airbox.. I will keep you posted ... Tony
 
Tony,

That's incredible!
Before measuring the oil level, did you first start the engine and allow it to warmup for 3 minutes?
 
Oh Yes , At least 3 minutes. I had my box fan blowing on the engine. At first , when you add the 2.5 liters of oil in the frame the oil is way too high, way above the high mark in fact. I let it settle and work its way down , then I started it and cleared the oil pressure light. Once again with the fans going and let it idle and fast idled a good long while. I then checked it after 15 seconds , 30 seconds and 1 minute and so on. If you wait too long the oil level will drop again and you have to start the engine again and start over. This I know. I will take a good long ride this weekend and check several more times to be sure. But 1 thing seems to be clear , the stick needs to be longer and I will make a threaded extension for it. Also , as you have pointed out everybody is probably over filling the oil tank . If this really and truly stops the oil discharging into the air box , I will be much happier . I will keep you guys posted on my findings .
 
Great.
I think we're getting to the truth of the matter now.
I'll measure my dipstick, and post the info as soon as I can.

Regards
 
This process is such a pain in the ass.... Just to check the oil....!
 
Back
Top