how to drain oil from early roadster

Status
Not open for further replies.
L

Lorenzo

Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Messages
410
Country flag
I own an early roadster year 1970 and I am looking for ways to drain the oil from the tank without taking of the tank nor making a mess spitting oil all around the bike
it seems to me that the position of the filter union bolt is awkward and I am wondering if there's a special technique for it..
thanks for helping!
 
I also have a '70 commando. I take the oil feed hose off the oil junction block pipe and put it into a funnel that directs it to a container. Once the tank is empty, I tilt the bike over to get the last drops out of the tank. Then I use a clean rag on the end of a long hemostat to reach down into the tank to pick up any particles left in the bottom of the tank.

Take the crankcase plug out and clean the screen and let the crankcase drain too.

Reassemble the oil line to the oil junction block tube, replace the drain plug, and add the new oil.
 
o0norton0o said:
I also have a '70 commando. I take the oil feed hose off the oil junction block pipe and put it into a funnel that directs it to a container. Once the tank is empty, I tilt the bike over to get the last drops out of the tank. Then I use a clean rag on the end of a long hemostat to reach down into the tank to pick up any particles left in the bottom of the tank.
Click to expand...
Bottom of tank is always black nightmare sludge. I't settles there eventually. Clean it all out.
 
I had to look up hemostat.
Have you always had a hemostat in your tool box?
 
2 kinds if hemostats, straight and curved... Is it weird that I have them? They are really useful.

As far as black nightmare sludge goes, I have never found that in the bottom of my tank, but I change my oil a lot.
 
I use a vacuum oil extractor. The tip will be in the bottom of the tank so it removes most of the sludge. No mess or spill. Works best when the engine is hot.
 
I used to pump the oil out with a little plastic 12V electric pump I bought from JC whitney over 40 years ago (It still works!). Then, once when I had the tank off, I drilled a 1/2 hole in the left side bottom, near the front, and brazed a 1/2" (true OD) x 2" pipe extension in the side of the tank. (That might be about 1/4" standard pipe) Now I just take out a plug and drain into a pan with no pump and no mess. By the way, I also found the the location of the breather in the tank top dome ensures a lot of mist gets carried back into the intake air and fouls the air filter. I re-routed the breather to the top back left side of the tank, and that problem is gone too. But frankly, just get a pump (electric or hand operated vacuum plunger) and drain your tank that way. I second that you should at least periodically clean the sludge from the tank. Best to remove the tank, but at least for you will need to remove the large banjo fitting with the screen filter, so you don't damage it. If you use a real paper oil filter (I consider this a "must" addition), there will be a little less sludge and you can run the oil a little longer.
 
o0norton0o said:
2 kinds if hemostats, straight and curved... Is it weird that I have them? They are really useful.

As far as black nightmare sludge goes, I have never found that in the bottom of my tank, but I change my oil a lot.
Click to expand...

yes, hemostat is very useful
how do you use it? do you grab a rug at the end or what?
 
After draining from the junction block, I remove the large bolt with the screen and take a shotgun mop and clean the tank out with some sort of solvent. There's always gunk in the bottom of the tank. It's a mess no matter how you do it.

A good set of hemostats are also good for holding that spring compressed on the carb slide while you assemble or disassemble it.
 
Last edited:
DogT said:
A good set of hemostats are also good for holding that spring compressed on the carb slide while you assemble or disassemble it.
Click to expand...
Now that's something I can take to the bank!
Really hating that operation as my fingers are in a lot of pain when doing it. Saw a video from Lunmad where he showed a method of winding the spring off and back on the already attached to slide cable. Seems work ok but I fret over abrading the cable strands as the spring scraps across them.
Lunmad also has another method using a little clip of bent flat metal from the computer card slot covers. This clip holds spring fully compressed until he pulls it clear.
 
If you let the bike standing over the winter all of the oil is in the crankcase and you can drain it via the large oil plug at the bottom.
At least on my 1970 Norton. ;)
 
My bike drains it's own oil. I have only sucked the tank dry once, used a 250cc syringe and poly tube.
 
I use a sheet of tinfoil folded over a few times for stiffness. Make a long trough from under the drain plug in the oil tank down to the oil pan. I have to hold it in place with my hand but it only takes a few minutes and works well. As for the drain plug in the motor or the big sump nut, I rarely touch them. My theory is that they have very few threads holding them into the crankcase and the more times the plugs go in and out the more the threads loosen up. And, though I have never seen or heard of it, the plug might fall out while riding because of the low torque applied. I know it is not a 100% oil change but it is still 2 1/2 quarts of fresh oil.
 
can you tell what is the size of the wrench to remove the filter plug on the tank and the drain plug at the bottom?
 
The sump on mine fits a 1 1/2 inch spanner just fine. Notice you can't get a socket on it because of the brace. Here in the US you can buy the box end spanner cheap at walmart in the car/hitch section. The filter plug in the tank, I remember that some standard US socket fit it just fine, if you need to know I can find out.
 
is it possible and where from to 12v pump oil out of crankcases after wet sumping
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top