Standard Navigator oil level

I use my index finger as a dipstick, Its about 2 inches from my knuckle to the tip! But it leaks a lot at the moment, so goes up and down a fair bit! I wouldnât let it go more than half empty.

dan

Possibly the oil tank on the Standard might be a slightly difference capacity to the De Luxe tank. I normally put in the 3 1/2 pints ( 2 litres ) and leave it at that but the oil level in the standard tank always looks down a bit ; on the De Luxe there is a dip stick with markings. 2 litres of oil should be plenty for a low stressed 350 engine so as long as the tank is half full it should be quite happy.

If you have an external oil filter this will hold some extra oil.

Your later 1964 Maintenance Manual is obviously updated - I have a 1959 one and also a 1963 one and both of them only refer to the oil tank on the De Luxe - i.e it says to keep the oil level between the Minimum and the Maximum marks !!.

Patrick

Does this mean the recommended oil level decal also goes 2â

below the edge of the filler orifice?

Haven't fixed it yet.

My take on this is slightly different for me the main oil tank is simply as a resevoir to store and allow the oil to cool before serving the oil pump for dry sump lubrication. After a run when I drained the sump filter and measured the quantity of oil in the (dry)sump, for my bike it was approx 1/2 a pint of oil, and I take this as the approximate normal running amount swilling around the crankcase. The quantity of oil in the oil tank simply affects the running temperature of the oil circulating. Too much oil in the oil tank is going to spill out, too little is going to run the engine hotter.

GRAHAM

Previously Nick Clarke wrote:

Graham, I'm not sure how much oil will remain in the bottom of the crank case when you switch the engine off but the scavenge side of the pump runs at a higher capacity to the pressure side so it shouldn't have much left in it - 1/2 pt seems rather a lot. For example when my engine first starts the return flow is constant but after it has been running for a few minutes the return is becomes slightly intermittent at tick over as the pump has sucked the sump almost dry. I suspect most lightweight twins 'wet sump' so if you leave the bike standing for any length of time oil will slowly drain past the pump back into the sump. I'm going to go with what Norton recommended and fill mine with 3 1/2 Pts. Experimenting this morning with the oil level about 1" below the filler neck and leaning the bike over it very quickly had the oil up to the level of the breather / chain lubricating pipe hence my 'over oiling' of the chain! A useful lesson learnt in trusting the maintenance manual!

Nick

Hi Nick The recommended oil change is every 3000 miles. I remove my sump filter every 500 to clean and inspect.It gives an early sign if something has changed. I get a 5cc teardrop of oil under the bike whether I drive 10miles or 200miles or leave the bike standing for weeks.So the level of oil in the sump does not give me a problem. The oil tank filler cap weeps a bit over the oil tank, but an oily rag sorts that. It would be useful to know the volume of oil that is in the sump of other lightweights to compare.

GRAHAM

Hi Nick, If it's any help I recently fitted an oil filter and then added oil to bring it up to 2" below the filler. Haven't done many miles since but seems okay so far.

Dave.

Hi Nick, I first got a bracket from the NOC shop but was concerned that the centre stand rubbed the oil pipes. I drilled a couple of holes about 3" above the centre stand stop fixing, made a bracket to suspend and turn the filter across the bike and keep the pipes clear of the stand. I also added a mud flap to the rear mudguard to try and keep that area a bit cleaner, will have to wait and see whether that was a waste of time!

Dave

I have also found the Dan F 'knuckle' level adjuster, very straight forward. And we also have the ritual of starting and running the engine for 5 mins before going out to bring the oil back into the tank from the sump. The other funny thing on the Electra was the very short side stand, such that the bike almost fell over unless I parked the stand on a kerb or 4" brick. But then one day trying to fill the silly oil tank neck which is almost impossiible, as it hides under the seat edge, I realized that if you leant the bike over on the side stand then the oil tank filler was nearly out in the open! Then I discovered the plastic tube built in to Morrisons oil 'cans'.

Ps we have spelling mistakes above but of course we do not have a proper spell checker!

Correct on trust of side stands, I have a Moto Guzzi (no comments please it is quite wonderfull (more spleiling mistake still no proper spell checker) doesn't leak oil for one) which due to a silly factory mod to have 16" wheals in the 1980's made it with a short side stand, to get the bike to behave properly we had to fit 18" wheels, so now the side doesn't reach the floor. ie you flick the side stand down and then start to get off-the side stand doesn't touch the ground hence it folds up and you with it....so have to fit a side stand extension.

Back to the Electra that side stand was too short and I decided that the frame clamp could have its angle altered by cutting and welding, on the second attempt it is near enough to use, but I still view side stands with trepidation.

What has this got to do with Navigator oil level? nothing.-off top-pick again.