Airbox drain pipe!

dipstick on my June 2012 bike is 110mm. If it is a little short you'd think someone at Norton would have sussed it and modified it, or is that a little too much of a "Japanese" approach for Mr Garner :roll:
 
Has anyone tried to install a check valve as we do in the earlier nortons?after I did that to my "75 850 E/S it stopped puking oil everywhere.
 
jjcnov said:
Has anyone tried to install a check valve as we do in the earlier nortons?after I did that to my "75 850 E/S it stopped puking oil everywhere.

Or something to step down the hole size.
 
Airbox drain pipe!
Hello everyone , I want to report that I have found a simple solution to the oil dipstick length issue. You have all heard of Fastenal Inc ? That's where I have ordered a 5 mm /.8 pitch x 140 mm length cap screw. These are zinc plated not black or stainless . You may be able to get other finishes or materials , that is not the point now. I have ordered a 140 mm and a 150 mm length. This bolt will be inserted in place of the Norton Factory dipstick. I will give you pictures of the finished dipstick and measurements later. This will include how high the oil level will read when 2.5 liters of oil are filled in the bike and the oil is at the correct level for measuring. This will allow ample margin so the oil level can drop and you can still monitor the level .
 
Ive had black and gold Nortons since I was 18 , I thought something different was in order.
 
Sweet looking ride. When I check the oil cold, it just nicks the dipstick below the bottom line. Hot, about an inch above the bottom line. Not puking any oil but still have a leak that settles on the crankcase. Dealer said its bleeding at the seam. I think your extension is a great idea. Looking forward to seeing it.
 
TonyA said:
Ive had black and gold Nortons since I was 18 , I thought something different was in order.

The headlight bucket is different.
It looks like a more classic style.
Cool.
 
Britfan60 said:
Sweet looking ride. When I check the oil cold, it just nicks the dipstick below the bottom line. Hot, about an inch above the bottom line. Not puking any oil but still have a leak that settles on the crankcase. Dealer said its bleeding at the seam. I think your extension is a great idea. Looking forward to seeing it.

I would be real happy with that . So hot, then nearly to the top line . Is the dip stick 110 mm long from the bottom of the black screw cap ? How may miles on your bike ? First thing I need to find out is will this 2.5 liter fill stop my oiling the air box. I will let you know. Also , Can I ask How much oil is in the bike (engine) more than 2.5 Liters ? It would be great if we could all run to the top line without any discharge , that extra oil would be nice to have. On my bike that would be at least 3 liters oil. You have checked the airbox and drain then ? It seems that your bike does not need an extended dip stick . Most of these 961 do seem to push some oil into the airbox , from what ive read.
 
No. Not nearly to the top line. When hot, about an inch above the bottom line. I don't know how long it is because I've never measured it. As for the amount, the dealer changed the oil when it was in for repair, so sorry, I can't answer that either. I have around 1450 miles on it. If I were doing it myself, I would refill it with a little less and add until it gets slightly above the bottom line. God, I love my old Bonneville. Not the slightest bit as precise and finicky.
 
The last time I changed my oil I seem to remember it took about 2 3/4 bottles or about 2 3/4 quarts to get above the lower line. It was last summer though so I am really stretching the memory!!!
 
Airbox drain pipe!


As you can see from the image , the factory dipstick is 110mm long from the bottom of the threaded cap to the end of the stick . The high and low lines are separated by 25 mm center to center (just under an 1 in.) In my case , when my bike is filled with 2.5 L of engine oil I am slightly below the bottom of the Norton dipstick. My solution for now is to install the longer screw in place of the dip stick. What I have found is that the shorter screw does not give me more than about the head of the screw oil reading , this may be enough for most who like this idea. I am going to use the longer screw , as this will give me a longer period to monitor my oil should my bike continue to consume/discharge the oil. The finished lengths are ( ~ 125 mm ) for the 140 mm screw and ( ~ 135 mm ) for the 150 mm screw . This is a 25 mm longer reach into the oil tank , I am satisfied .
 
I'm wondering if the longer screw will "hit bottom" in the oil tank.
 
Airbox drain pipe!


It may not look like it , but it is about 134 mm from the bottom of the black cap to the bottom of the screw.
 
BritTwit said:
I'm wondering if the longer screw will "hit bottom" in the oil tank.


Hello Brit Twit , Do you mean that the dip stick might contact the bottom of the oil tank ? The answer is absolutely NOT . If you are worried that the oil level will run too low then you should use the 140 mm screw. There is ~ 50 mm from the bottom of the long screw and the bottom of the tank when fully inserted . This was measured with a ruler on the out side of the frame . As you know I wouldn't be doing this if my oil did not discharge into the air box at the rate of ~ 100 ml per 150 miles driven when filled to top line. Also , on my bike I cannot read the oil level on the Norton dip stick when I did a fresh oil and filter change 2.5 L. ( you read all this) . I have made marks that correspond to the original dip stick marks and the 2.5 Liter fresh fill mark . What I am hoping is that the discharge abates and the oil level stabilizes , as have been reported by yourself and BPHORSEGUY . The more solutions we can find , the more likely people will keep their bikes and more of them will be on the road with us.
 
Was just wondering if you had checked how deep the tank actually was.
Sounds like you did your homework, and we have the right guy on the job.
Every step along the way leads to new questions.
The oil tank must be tall and rather narrow to fit under the fuel tank tunnel.
 
Let us know if you can do cold checks. How convenient that would be. Great info, TonyA. Are you going to cut level marks or leave the stick as is?
 
Hello , yes cold checks are a go ! When the bike has been sitting for many hours or day and is stone cold I am reading the bolt head only covered . After it is up and running I get about 20 mm of oil on the stick. The cut marks would be a nice touch , but not necessary. If my buddy was a machinist I would have a whole new stick cut out of stainless. So there you have it , the bolt head is my low mark and 20 mm up is my thumb width . Simple , easy and inexpensive !!! I wish you luck Britfan , I hope your bike keeps running and running good ... The bike may be expensive but I am still cheap ! I am going to start a new thread after this weekend . I will report back on air box oil , and oil level stabilization first though.
 
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