Checking oil CB 1100F

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 4:53 pm

Hi all,

Does anyone else have issues checking the oil on their CB1100F? Ever since new I have had trouble checking the oil. Sometimes it will go miles at speed w/o needing any then it suddenly needs a good shot. Doesn't smoke, no leaks either. Most difficult beastie I have to feel 100% sure there the right amount of oil inside. Manual procedure not working for me. Any body have a surefire procedure?

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:08 pm

Welcome to the site!
There has been a lot of discussing of this previously and opinions vary but I will tell you this I check my oil before start up and keep it at the HIGH mark, you will notice a drop in a warm engine as the oil cooler and the rest of the top end gets filled by the pump. Just my 2 cents. Wink

If you do a search you'll find a lot of info.

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 6:00 pm

I used to check my oil like Pointdriver stated. What made sense to me was that the manual says to warm the engine and then check it. The oil that is in the oil cooler is not available in the sump thus that is the level available to the running engine. Making sure that the oil is at the high mark with at least some of the oil in the oil cooler makes sure that a running engine has enough oil versu the alternative.

Dave

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 6:55 pm

Thanks guys, was never really sure why the oil level would raise if I waited a bit. Draining from th oil cooler never entered my remaining two brain cells. DOH! Still think this oil usage and then non usage curious though. But as long as it is running this well will leave all the nuts and bolts tight.

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:48 pm

Tripod wrote:

Thanks guys, was never really sure why the oil level would raise if I waited a bit. Draining from th oil cooler never entered my remaining two brain cells. DOH! Still think this oil usage and then non usage curious though. But as long as it is running this well will leave all the nuts and bolts tight.

Your not alone. I did a trip last Sept about 900 miles total, the first 650 miles I burnt up maybe 1/2 a quart. The last 250 I put in over a quart.
When I get back home and city riding, I'm hardly using any at all. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:27 am

Interesting thread. The last "long" trip I took--700 miles, 11 hours--I was using almost a quart every tankfull. The trip home was a bit more relaxed; but it still took excess oil.

In that this was the first trip since a "Famous Name" company performed a valve job and re-assembly on my cylinder head; you can imagine that I was somewhat disappointed.

Famous Name company is not likely to see business from me again; I felt that way before I put the head back on the engine. Long story...

By the way, the cylinder walls looked like new--I could still see the crosshatch from the original cylinder honing. Compression and leakdown test results were OK.

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 2:44 am

Here I thought it was just me...

http://www.cb1100f.net/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=48324&highlight=

Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:49 am

The oil checking procedure for the F is strange. Warm the bike, then wait a "few minutes" before you check the level, according to the owners manual . Does this let oil drain from the oil cooler back into the sump? I think so, but how much oil and how long should you wait? If I wait two minutes the oil will be at the lower mark. If I wait three minutes its almost in the middle and if I wait more than five minutes its at the top. So which is correct? Beats the hell out of me. I've settled on three minutes and fill to the top line and when its cold its way over the top line, but its not blowing oil out any vents so I guess its not too full.

The procedure for my ST1300 is the same, except you look through a sight glass. Right after you turn the bike off there is no oil in the window, which was very disconcerting the first time I checked the oil. After a few minutes it begins to fill with oil and it'll be at the top line in about five minutes.

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 11:20 pm

I used to find for years that my 900f seemed to burn a little oil. But that was during the time I had a mainstand and checked it on such. When my mainstand broke, and I started checking the oil sitting on the bike, it stopped burning oil. I think for years I was overfilling it because it was on the mainstand.

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:51 am

How about this? My Clymer manual says this, most of which I think is pretty obvious to all of us, except for the part I put in bold:

"1. Place the bike on the centerstand. Start the engine and let it warm up approx. 2-3 minutes.

2. Shut off the engine and let the oil settle.

3. Unscrew the dipstick/oil filler cap and wipe it clean. Reinsert it into the threads in the hole; do not screw it in. Remove it and check the oil level. The bike must be level for a correct reading.

4. The level should be between the 2 lines and not above the upper one..."

I don't have an owner's manual so I don't know what that says. Probably would be the authoritative last word on the subject I would think!

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:51 am

How about this? My Clymer manual says this, most of which I think is pretty obvious to all of us, except for the part I put in bold:

"1. Place the bike on the centerstand. Start the engine and let it warm up approx. 2-3 minutes.

2. Shut off the engine and let the oil settle.

3. Unscrew the dipstick/oil filler cap and wipe it clean. Reinsert it into the threads in the hole; do not screw it in. Remove it and check the oil level. The bike must be level for a correct reading.

4. The level should be between the 2 lines and not above the upper one..."

I don't have an owner's manual so I don't know what that says. Probably would be the authoritative last word on the subject I would think!

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:52 am

How about this? My Clymer manual says this, most of which I think is pretty obvious to all of us, except for the part I put in bold:

"1. Place the bike on the centerstand. Start the engine and let it warm up approx. 2-3 minutes.

2. Shut off the engine and let the oil settle.

3. Unscrew the dipstick/oil filler cap and wipe it clean. Reinsert it into the threads in the hole; do not screw it in. Remove it and check the oil level. The bike must be level for a correct reading.

4. The level should be between the 2 lines and not above the upper one..."

I don't have an owner's manual so I don't know what that says. Probably would be the authoritative last word on the subject I would think!

Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:54 am

Sorry guys. Triple post. Kept telling me that my post failed to go through.

Bloody computer making my life easy again!

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 5:40 pm

Hi all,

Just changed oil and filter added 3.5 l of oil. Went for a short loop, waited a few mins., yep on top mark, well slightly over... Hmmm...

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:45 pm

What about those that have fitted larger oil coolers? do you add extra oil for the capacity of the cooler then when you check the oil after it has drained back to the sump does it show over full?

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 11:08 pm

10 yr old girl strikes again.

Start the engine and warm it up some. Now shut it off and check the oil with the bike on the centerstand level ground with the dip stick on top the threads.

Fill it till it is at the top level on the stick.

On an empty engine should take 4 qts.

If the bike is not "level" the oil level will vary and by a large amount. Just the side stand amount of out of level will put it an inch or so high.

On a cold engine that has been parked for a time it will be way high on the stick. It does not run parked and the level in the sump is what you want.

Yes kind of obvious. The 750 has no oil cooler. The 1100 cooler is larger than the 900 but the oil amount is the same per the book. What if you install a cooler that held 4 qts,obvious none left in the sump while running.

If you follow the oil level across it is right at the crank chamber,ie the crank is still out of the oil.

If the oil level is at the low mark warmed up just vigorous braking will turn on the oil light. This is not a "stoppie" by any means and it means the oil sump pickup is exposed.

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 8:36 pm

Well as an addition to this post a few years ago I checked all of the oil breather hoses one afternoon and found a two of them gummed up with water/oil sludge a remnant of my cold Canadian riding I guess. Cleaned them out and oil consumption has dropped, so maybe the crankcase could not breathe and somehow oil was sucked into the engine?

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 11:22 pm

Just another twist to this thread. I have 17# wheels fitted!when you check the oil on the center stand! isn't the bike at a different angle on the center stand? I.E. Smaller front wheel tilting the engine further forward, and changing the level of the engine. Am I over thinking this or not? I just check my oil level with the bike sitting on level ground now. Holding it vertical by the handle bars