Dip stick Mod??

[Winger 82]

Ok who called Dan and spilled the beans oh2: oh2: oh2:

 

[danf]

Jcol and Dan and all, I am truly sorry for navigating this post away from it's topic, it was me and I am guilty.... I caused this and I apologize to the author of the post and everyone else, So Jcol I'm very sorry about that..It won't happen again from me I can assure you, I will stay on topic in the future,,I actually sealed up that oil site hole with JB Weld because it leaked oil, the PO put on a dip stick.. :swoon:

 

[bk2valve]

I got tired of having to get upside down between the bike and the chair to see the stupid sight glass! I put the chrome dipstick mod from JCW but I really like to find the other kind at a price I can afford. The one I have goes into a compression nut from the front...the one I want T's into a short piece of pipe that attaches with a perforated bolt. I have only seen them on Fleabay and don't know where they came from originally ....the ones from JCW are funky and are a very soft material that is easily pocked by gravel and keeps leaking no matter what I do. POS! :rant:

Brian in NM

 

[mcgovern61]

I got tired of having to get upside down between the bike and the chair to see the stupid sight glass! I put the chrome dipstick mod from JCW but I really like to find the other kind at a price I can afford. The one I have goes into a compression nut from the front...the one I want T's into a short piece of pipe that attaches with a perforated bolt. I have only seen them on Fleabay and don't know where they came from originally ....the ones from JCW are funky and are a very soft material that is easily pocked by gravel and keeps leaking no matter what I do. POS! :rant:

Brian in NM

My JC Whitney one leaked too! When I swapped out to the '83 engine, that solved it for me. (Nice big window now) Doesn't help when ya got a hack tho!

 

[bk2valve]

Yeppers, I have the 83 engine and it does have a nice big window. Maybe an inspection mirror would be a better way? Cheaper and less leaking no doubt....I'll have to try it out and see what I can see.....
Brian

 

[scdmarx]

I changed my oil yesterday and when I went to put the dipstick back on, as I was turning the nut I felt sort of a "pop" and the nut just keeps on turning and will not tighten up. So I took the drain bolt to the harware store to find something with the same size and threads, but no luck. So I ask one of the guys there for help. He sends me looking for another guy down at the other end of the store. I found him but he was already helping somebody else. I hung around for about 5 minutes, then went over to the plumbing isle and cut me off 2 feet of the clear plastic hose. I secured it with a hose clamp over the threads where the dipstick would go. So I now have a set up like Dan has. My only concern is this hose is made for fresh cold water. I don't know what hot oil is gonna do to it, but I'll have to check it every time I change the oil anyways.

 

[dan filipi]

The only problem I can see with that setup Ron is if there is enough threaded fitting for the hose to clamp tight and stay put.
Poly tube doesn't seem to stay put like rubber hose does, it sort of "walks" off but if you feel it won't do this then I think your way would be better because with a larger hose the level is even easier to see and does away with the compression fitting all together, which can be tricky to get a good seal sometimes.

 

[scdmarx]

The threads were just a tad longer than the width of the clamp, but not much. I was thinking the threads will bite into the hose with the clamp tight. It would be great to find a barbed fitting with those threads on it, but I'm not holding my breath.

I'll be keeping a close eye on it between stops. If need be, I'll just find another correct drain plug and lose the dipstick idea all together.

 

[Retroyz]

Is there any other place on this engine that can be used for a oil dipstick or sight tube, perhaps even drilled or tapped- so that the drain plug can be left alone?

 

[Andyb]

I just removed the dipstick from mine this weekend. I replaced it with a new plug. It had a slow leak which kept a constant flow of crud on the front of the engine. A big pain in the backside and I never used the dipstick anyway.

 

[dan filipi]

Is there any other place on this engine that can be used for a oil dipstick or sight tube, perhaps even drilled or tapped- so that the drain plug can be left alone?

I don't see any reason why one cant be tapped into the case side somewhere, maybe a dipstick from a VW?

 

[Retroyz]

It would need to be a strudy spot on the engine case. I have not had one of these motors apart so not sure where.

 

[54Greybeard]

Drilling into the case could unleash all kinds of demons. Thorough research would be in order first. The sight glass does suck though.

 

[ekvh]

Somewhere along the ride, I read of a guy simply taking a thin piece of wire and with a slight bend it can be inserted into the fill opening. He marked it using the sight gauge at full, then putting a notch in wire. It has to be very thin to be able to slide past gears or whatever to get down into the crankcase. He kept it in the shelter tray. I tried it a year ago, but the piece I was using ended up being too large and wouldn't slide in there. I just never got around to trying it with a smaller one. Maybe later today, I will. I actually like Dan's tubing, better though.