Engine oil?

[ShaunMac]

One quick question?

My brother has had the bike drained of oil for a while. Any advice on best engine oil and how to get it round the engine prior to running?

Thanks.

[bsa-bill]

OOOOH more opinions on oil than there are As on the road, not to worry though practically any new oil will be fine, by new I mean modern just new out of the tin 20/50 or classic 40 for normal temperatures.
Probably best shy away from some of the more exotic 10/50 or full syntetics but many use them without issue, you probably will not get much in the way of benefit by spending lots on expensive oil - the biggy is to change it often every 1000 miles some stretch it to 2000 but that's after a full engine strip down and cleaning of the sludge trap.

circulate oil by using the kickstart, this is done after an engine strip when all oilways are dry, normal oil change does not need this but will leave a little dirty oil in there, if that worries you then put some cheap oil in, start  and run the engine for a while then drain and change it again, but it wont be long until the new oil is black again as these older designed engines do allow carbon (soot) to get into the oil.
Many (myself included ) fit return line filters these work fine with a 20/50, the oil carries the carbon around to the filter where it hopefully lives until you change the filter

[KiwiGF]

Shaun you can take the plugs out to make spinning the engine easier, also you can remove the pressure release valve then spin it (ask if you don't know where the PRV is) and replace it once you see oil is getting to that, you can also continue to spin the engine using the kickstart until you see oil returning into the oil tank, but there's no need to do that if you can see oil at the PRV - in my opinion - as once the engine is running you can check the return to the tank.

I say all this as if the engine has not run for a while and was drained completely, it would be wise to make sure the oil pump is getting oil to the big ends etc BEFORE starting it, using the above method.

[chaterlea25]

Hi Shaun,
Welcome to the Forum,
Any non detergent or low detergent oil will be fine, opt for one of the "classic" types either 20/50 or straight 40

I feel its a right pain kicking and kicking to get the oil circulating, doesnt do the mechanism any good either
remove the plugs and short the leads out to the engine to avoid stressing the magneto
I fill with oil the night before If I can to give time for it to make its way down to the pump etc
then push it in gear up and down the road til the oil returns,
 (a set of starting rollers is next on my list  )

Also check the gearbox oil and primary case levels, a lot of owners use ATF in the primary, I use motorcycle oil for 4 stroke engines 10/40 as this is designed for wet clutches
SAE 40 or ordinary gear oil in the gearbox

Good Luck with it !!
John

[A10Boy]

Hi
Do you know for sure it was drained out, and it's not just ended up in the sump?

Good luck

[ShaunMac]

Yes, he told me he had drained it as it was leaking out just sitting there.

Cheers, Shaun

[muskrat]

G'day Shaun. I'd drop the sump plate off to 1 check the sumps not full and to clean the screen. Also the screen in the oil tank, and flush the lines.
Removing the OPRV is the best way to see oil is getting there and clean it while it's out.
Do not use synthetic oil. Modern 20/50 if you have an inline (spin on) filter or straight 40 if not.
Bike on center stand, plugs out, 2nd or 3rd gear, spin wheel by hand.
Cheers

[Triton Thrasher]

non detergent or low detergent oil

Do not use synthetic oil. Modern 20/50 if you have an inline (spin on) filter or straight 40 if not.

Is it safe to ask "Why?" to all those points? Why no or low detergent? Do you think it washes your engine the way Fairy Liquid and a dish mop washes your pans?

Why not synthetic? It's worked in my Triumph for a long time. Does it dissolve BSA twins?

What is the interdependence of multigrade (or not) and filters?

Answers founded in first hand observations, please.

Now it's an oil thread!

[metalflake11]

None or low detergent so you don't dissolve the crud in the sludge trap etc, and send it through the engine.
Multigrade holds particles untill it is filtered out, so you need a filter.
Monograde releases particles as soon as it can, sump plate, bottom of oil tank and sludge trap.
 Rob.

[bsa-bill]

1. your A10 has a sludge trap incorporated in the crank, particles of carbon in the oil get flung out by centrifugal force to the outside of the trap where they stick and stay. a detergent oil is designed to carry these carbon bits suspended in the oil to be taken out by a filter so you can use detergent if you fit a filter, AND have stripped the engine and cleaned out the sludge trap first.

2. I would use a synthetic and do use 20/50, synthetic is damn good stuff but extremely pricey, some say of 20/50 and multi grades that roller bearings break
them down (it doesn't in cars so why bikes) but changing the oil every 1000/1500 negates most arguments, small milage oil changing means cost comes into it, the first 20'50 BTW (Dukhams) was invented for air-cooled engines - bikes, way back early sixties.

All in all you'd be hard pushed to find any engine oil these days that would harm your engine provide you remember to change it often

[Triton Thrasher]

dissolve the crud in the sludge trap etc, and send it through the engine.

Did you sort of surmise that all that would happen,  because of the word "detergent?"

Multigrade holds particles untill it is filtered out, so you need a filter.
Monograde releases particles as soon as it can, sump plate, bottom of oil tank and sludge trap.
 Rob.

How on Earth can you know that monograde doesn't carry particles the very short distance to the filter?

What on Earth stops the centrifugal sludge trap catching particles in multigrade oil?

Have you guys observed the effects you are vaunting? If not, what are your references and have they observed these strange effects?

[bsa-bill]

strange effects?

think they call it Physics these days

[metalflake11]

Read the spec on monograde oils, it is produced/designed NOT to carry particles. It will carry it a short distance, but the bike is designed to rid it of them before it starts a fresh cycle
Multigrade would be effected by centrifugal force, but it is more likely to hold on to some particles due to its inherant design function......Hence the need for a filter.
I haven't observed it, how could you? Somewhere down the line you have to take oil companies at their word as regards to how their different oils work. Roughly, I have ran the same engine for 10 years on multigrade without a filter- 2 engine bottom end re-builds. 10 years WITH a filter- 1 bottom end re-build. Straight oil and no filter for 14 years and no bottom end problems at all. I must quantify that with the fact S.R.M. did the bottom end last time, and also did the end feed conversion.
Finally detergent oil is so called because it does contain a detergent, it cleans the engine.
                          Rob.

[muskrat]

Next time you change the oil in the car use diesel oil (high detergent) and see how long the motor lasts  .
Do not mix synthetic with mineral oil. Changing the oil will mix the amount left in there (about 1/3Lt) with the synthetic.
Cheers

[Triton Thrasher]

Next time you change the oil in the car use diesel oil (high detergent) and see how long the motor lasts  .

I've done that, on quite a large scale, when working for a haulage company.

Do not mix synthetic with mineral oil.

I've done that several times, through oil changes and topping up with what's available, when far from home.

Changing the oil will mix the amount left in there (about 1/3Lt) with the synthetic.
Cheers

In the case of my non-BSA twin, it's about 200cc.