Triumphrat

stevewal · 10-23-2009, 04:38 AM

Have managed to get to the first service very quickly .(1000klms)
Rang the dealers and they are booked out for a fortnight,I am off work for the next 14 days and I intend on running up a lot of Thunderbird miles. ..So..
I thought I would remove the cutting /breaking in oil and replace with some Motul 5100.
Had a good read through the manual and off to the shop to get me
4.2 litres which will cover the refill for a filter change and refill.
Put the TBird on the side stand AND LOOSENED THE DRAIN PLUG,put the tray in place and away we go.
Tightened the drain plug and refilled with 4.2 litres (as per the handbook)...Job finished....I thought so........
Started to pour the waste oil into the container and lo and behold it does not fit,started on another container and ALL up I had drained out 5.7 litres of oil....YES Bloody 5.7 Litres

Rang the dealer ,tells me thats OK...it says that in the handbook.
OK ...be buggered .If i am draining out 5.7 litres and only putting 4.2 litres back in ,....I am sure as hell worried.
Appears this motor has lots and lots of oil galleries aroud the pistons to keep the noise down and it all depends on how many of these galleries drain when you change the oil??????
He then said to start it a few times,to refill these galleries and fill it up to the top mark on the dipstick....(Which has to be fully screwed right in to give the correct reading)....After alot of time I managed to get 4.7 litres back in ....
That brings it up to the top mark on the dip stick/....
What problems have all you other Tbird riders been having.
Cheers.

mad_angler · 10-23-2009, 08:37 AM

i notices after my first service over 30 miles afterwards i had to top it up 3 times, in the end i put in about four and a half.

dazco · 10-23-2009, 10:30 AM

I've changed mine twice now and both times i drained it as completely as i could and each time it took 4 full quarts and around another half or thereabouts. They say 1.1 gallons is the capacity so thats about right for a completely dry bike, and i had it as close to completely empty as you'll get it. 1.1 gallons is 4.4 quarts.

kraftdinners · 10-23-2009, 12:43 PM

Hi Guys. you are checking the oil level with the bike standing upright and NOT on the sidestand??

dazco · 10-23-2009, 12:57 PM

Yes. Sitting on it and holding it upright.

mad_angler · 10-23-2009, 03:45 PM

yep as dazco stated it has to be level, you will get a lot of different readings if its not bang on, TBH i preferred the window on the speedmaster as it was far easier to see.

dazco · 10-23-2009, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mad_angler

yep as dazco stated it has to be level, you will get a lot of different readings if its not bang on, TBH i preferred the window on the speedmaster as it was far easier to see.

i didn't, but i've heard others prefer the sight glass as well. Did you have someone to hold it up for you? I ask because the reason i like the stick better is the only way i could see the glass is to hold the right bar with one hand to hold the bike upright and squat down. Not only was it hard to know if i was holding it straight up while squatting with my head bowed down, but it was a little hairy ! There is a second way, but i wasn't about to jack the bike up just to look at the oil, which is especially a pain if the jack isn't near the bike and ready to go. Mine had to be removed from a locker to use it. i guess if it's handy it would be too much trouble. But with the stick i can sit on it and be done in seconds. I am curious how you and others used the glass tho. I'm thinking you probably had a jack handy and have more patience than i do.

tadpoll · 10-23-2009, 06:32 PM

Hi Guys, Mines going in monday morning for its first service , so i,ll let you know how much it takes, cheers, Tadpole

traveler501 · 10-27-2009, 01:46 AM

Along these lines...I've heard conflicting info for checking oil level with the dipstick. Is it to be pressed all the home (but not screwed in) or screwed in all the way. The manual refers to pressing it all the way (or some such wording)...that implies to me not screwed. But I've heard others on here (who should know) refer to it being screwed in.

Meanwhile, for what it's worth, just got my bike back from the shop, and the dipstick reads at the lower level only if screwed in (too low if just pressed in).

Any help would be appreciated...and that means, have mercy...no fair confusing me even further *grin*

dazco · 10-27-2009, 01:57 AM

From the manual........

Quote:

Remove the filler cap/dipstick from the crankcase, wipe the dipstick clean and refit the filler cap/dipstick screwing it fully home.

then it goes on to say to remove it and check that the oil is between the marks etc etc. Thats how i did it and when fully drained it took the exact amount of oil the manual states with the level just up to the top mark on tthe stick. Had i NOT screwed it in it would have taken another quart past the spec'd amount the bike takes ! So the answer is a resounding YES, screw it fully in to check the level.