uh.oh. no oil circulation?

angus67

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Hi guys!
so Ive got my motor buttoned up, wanted to get oil in her, and since I had it all apart, during the rebiuld, (exept the tranny) cleaned with large amounts of carb cleaner, there was ABSOLUTEY no oil any were in this motor exept the assembly lube on all the gears tranny and head.
So, Today, I put two quarts in it, and pull the plugs, and turn it over a lot O' times to circulate oil through-out. It did start to spin better, easier(kick only), so I figured good to go. being curios, I pulled the oil filter in the side case to find no oil in there.
Is that normal? the oil pump parts looked good, undamaged when I had it all aprt during rebiuld. Do these motors only pump when the motor is running?
Im soooo close to starting it, just need to mount the coil.
 
when you start it, leave a valve cover off, let it idle, you should start to see oil pooling around the valve spring, if not flinging out at you. These bikes don't really start pumping oil until they're running, in my experience.

Or you could try leaving the plugs out, and using the starter. That should spin it over enough to get something. If you've got tci or pamco, remember to ground the plugs while you're doing this so you don't fry your coil. Or disconnect it, if that's an option.

Don't you just *love* these "oh my gods, what did i forget?" moments of a rebuild? :)
 
concerning the starter, even though my bike is kick only, I kept the starter in so that during tuning, so my leg wouldnt fall off. the starter isnt wired at all, but figured I'de use one of those push button relay bypass 'jumping, from battery, straight to the starter. would that work you think?
I do feel a bit better hearing they pump better when they are running. Like I said, ithe motor loosened up significantly just working the kicker by hand.
 
It should pump when the engine is turned,Was there alot of cam chain guide and tensioner crud(plastic and aluminum) in the oil, when you first pulled it apart,did u have the pump apart during rebuild?.Go through and make sure there"s no blockage anywhere including the oil delivery pipe.
 
it had a collapsed piston when I got it. aluminum sand all throughout. But I cleaned it all out, the tube is clear, the nut under the tube is new. Its got a new cam chain, and guide.
onefeduppiston-vi.jpg
 
... but figured I'de use one of those push button relay bypass 'jumping, from battery, straight to the starter. would that work you think?

If you're asking if you can direct wire the starter, yes you can. Use some very heavy gauge wire and a momentary switch that can handle about 50 amps and you'll be fine. Or, you could use the stock starter relay and a smaller switch.
 
you can also leave the oil filter cover off until you see oil coming out. Then seal that up, then crank it again and watch the valve cover until you see oil there. Them button that up, and start it up. valve clatter should reduce after about 15 to 30 seconds, letting you know that the top end is getting enough.

Don't panic, we've all been there. :)
 
twins: it *may* not pump oil until the system gets primed. It's a fresh rebuild with zero oil in the system.

Oh! Which totally reminds me - did you pour oil down the oil feed tube to prime the pump before you put the tube on? That's on page 66 of the haynes, picture 37.6a. It's not actually in the text though.

If you don't do this, the pump is going to have to suck air until enough vacuum is created to suck oil up the feed.
 
- im a little concerned that that ammount of damage doesnt happen in an eyeblick...looks like she has run a little while as the piston has disintegrated...the main and gearbox bearings have probably picked up some klingons

 
yes, I primed the pump. put about 3 capfulls of 20/50 in the nut.
that piston still had the wrist pin attached on one side, and the crown has bout a half dozen valve marks in it. the cylinder has aluminum smeard in it , stuck to the walls.
I cleaned it all out. took out what I could of the tranny without taking out the shift drum. I didnt know if Ide be able to get it all back together, so I only took out gears, and I know I got it all out.
The oil pump didnt look scratched inside, and the rotor in the pump looked ok, as far as I could tell.
I plan on using jumper cables on a car battery, with a momentary switch. the only trick is to stop the starter when the engine starts. we'll see.
Oh , and it just occurred to me, I dont even know if the fourth(starter) gear is good. looked ok when apart, but then again, who am i?
 
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I plan on using jumper cables on a car battery, with a momentary switch. the only trick is to stop the starter when the engine starts...


If you just want to know if the oil circulate well, why don't you disconnect the spark plugs and let the engine turn with the starter?
 
dont have a switch yet, had one, cant find it. usually the garage gremlins cough it up if I stop looking.
i'll get to it this weekend.
thank you all for the insight, and advise.
 
Angus, you should use some sort of solonoid between thebattery positive cable. 50 amps is enough to weld the cable on to the battery post, and battery's produce hydrogen gas, esp. when in use. Does the Hindenburg ring a bell? Easy enough, use a car battery on the floor, one neg. cable to the engine, one pos. to one side of the solonoid,(Ford fender solonoid comes to mind) the cable from the starter terminal to the other side of the solonoid, starter switch to the solonoid.
 
- seen a battery explode as someone used an angle grinder over it...very messy, he was lucky-didnt get on his face but his clothes literally fell off him
 
INXS, I went to purchase a Pontiac Tempast way back in the day. It had a bad starter, so I brought along a new 850 cca battery for a little more omph. While trying to get 'er started, I had a friend with me who liked the spark's it made when he would touch the post to the fender. I said to him 'Don't do that!'. He said 'Why'. I said ' Because the battery will blow up'.A few minute's later, him being a 'Doubting Thomas', did it one more time.BOOM,,,Right in his face. After hoseing him off and calming down the neighbor's, I say's 'So, you believe me now?' Called him all kind's of name's, and never took him with me again while looking at cars.:yikes::wtf: He was such an idiot. Never mind LaConia. That is another funny story. Let's just say we are even.
 
When I rebuilt my 75 it took quite awhile to get the oil to flow. I primed the pump by pouring oil into the oil filter cavity in the side cover. Then when I kicked it oil would pump into the filter cavity, I then installed the filter. I removed the pipe that feeds oil to the head, kicked until oil came that far. Reistalled the pipe leaving one bango bolt on the head loose, kicked until oil showed there.
After getting oil that far I tightened the bango bolt and removed a valve adjustment cover and kicked until oil got to the vavles.
With the valve cover still off I started the engine and after about 45 seconds oil was spraying about ten feet from the bike. I shut it down, put the cover back on and have not worried about the oil flow.
 
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