Cold oil check

[raw6464]

Here's a procedure to check your oil cold and no burnt fingers:
1. When cold with the bike level, start the bike for 15-30 seconds.
2. Wait 2-3 minutes, keep the bike level.
3. Check the oil with the dipstick.
4. Oil anywhere on the crosshatch and your OK.

The 1700 engine design is a semi dry sump with 2 oil containers in the crankcase with 2 oil pumps. 1.The engine sump with a scavenger oil pump and 2. The transmission with the main oil pump to the engine. When the engine is running oil is sent thru the engine and deposited into the crankcase sump, the scavenger pump pumps the oil back into the tranny for another round in the engine. The sump and the tranny are isolated with a partition lightly sealed from each other.

When you shut off the bike there is a small amount of oil in the sump. As time passes oil is seeped between the two areas from the tranny back into the sump and therefore is the reason you need to start the bike for 15 seconds... the oil scavenger pump empties the sump into the tranny... where the dip stick is.

This will also work with the bike on the side stand IF you know where the oil level should be on the dip stick. I did that and marked the dipstick where the oil should be. The key is the bike MUST be on flat ground to obtain consistent dependable readings.

[ray2]

Good explanation raw6464. I did not know the engine had two oil pumps. Just looked it up Chapter 7 service manu under oil flow chart. thanks.

[ringadingh]

Good to know.

[raw6464]

Originally Posted by ray2

Good explanation raw6464. I did not know the engine had two oil pumps. Just looked it up Chapter 7 service manu under oil flow chart. thanks.

The design system is also the reason for 2 drain plugs. Most dry sumps systems like Harley's store the oil outside the engine in a separate container.

Since the tranny on the Vulcan uses the same oil, Kawasaki uses the tranny to store the oil and lube the tranny, serving both functions... ingenious.


Edit: The seepage between the tranny and the sump is deliberate so there will be oil in the sump to lube the bottom of the engine after a long layover.