Oil Pressure and Charge Warning Light Install

I had forgotten I had put this video together a while ago. I had meant to also include some clips with the bike running. I'll do that at some point.

In the meantime since @madass140 is sending out more sensors soon I thought it would be appropriate to post this video now. I also saw that @Graham B just joined and that is who's warning light I'm using. I had previously sent Graham a preview of the video for his comments.

My notes (or how I remember them) is that because I use an Old Britts SS braided rocker feed that the provided banjo bolt from @madass140 (in beautiful titanium) doesn't fit great. NOT HIS FAULT, as I believe the stock oil line banjo is smaller and will fit perfectly. So I had to center the banjo and then tighten it down. I don't think I will have problems.

I did try out the warning light with the running bike. I need to find those clips but it seems the charging light was coming on at weird times. I put this down to my charging system more than anything else. If you recall I bought some gauges and want to hook up the amp gauge to compare.

Anyways, let me know what you think of the install. I will be also installing this set up on my 850 this winter so I will get another crack at it. I need to convert it to negative ground first (@Graham B offers the kits in both positive and negative grounds) before testing it out on the other bike.



Link to Improving Classic Motorcycles

Link to other thread offering the pressure sensors

Thanks for making the video swooshdave. Wonderfully clean bike! I'm afraid the text "Steady flashing with bike off is to show the light is working not to show no oil pressure" is not correct.

It is telling you that oil pressure is low. This slow steady flash is only shown with combined charge/oil CWLs and only shown with the engine not running so that you can check the oil pressure switch is working before you set out on a journey. If everything on the bike is working ok (including the op switch) the light stays off all the time the engine is running. If I didn't put in a confirmation the op switch is working before starting, you might have had nagging doubts about the op switch during the journey.

If you get low oil pressure with the engine running, you are shown a frantic, fast flash designed to get your attention asap.

The fast flash overrides everything else (such as overcharging warning) because low oil pressure with the engine running is considered the most important thing to warn you about.

All this "fast flash" "slow flash" may sound complicated in writing but in practice, when riding the bike, you soon get used to it.

Graham B said:

If you get low oil pressure with the engine running, you are shown a frantic, fast flash designed to get your attention asap.

Click to expand...

What is the actual oil pressure when the light goes into frantic mode?

Graham B said:

Thanks for making the video swooshdave. Wonderfully clean bike! I'm afraid the text "Steady flashing with bike off is to show the light is working not to show no oil pressure" is not correct.

It is telling you that oil pressure is low. This slow steady flash is only shown with combined charge/oil CWLs and only shown with the engine not running so that you can check the oil pressure switch is working before you set out on a journey. If everything on the bike is working ok (including the op switch) the light stays off all the time the engine is running. If I didn't put in a confirmation the op switch is working before starting, you might have had nagging doubts about the op switch during the journey.

If you get low oil pressure with the engine running, you are shown a frantic, fast flash designed to get your attention asap.

The fast flash overrides everything else (such as overcharging warning) because low oil pressure with the engine running is considered the most important thing to warn you about.

All this "fast flash" "slow flash" may sound complicated in writing but in practice, when riding the bike, you soon get used to it.

Click to expand...

Ah, I misinterpreted your email about the static light.

If I was going to fit an oil pressure switch I'd probably repurpose the high beam warning light. I like the CWL that I'm using.

@Schwany the oil pressure trigger threshold is determined by Don’s switch not by Graham’s interface.

If I’m not mistaken it’s a standard automotive oil pressure switch, and the pressure required is around 5lbs.

If really want to scare yourself there are pressure adjustable Hobbs switches.


I seem to remember in a car, if the light comes on in motion, it becomes a 'get a new engine light and the reason I asked JC if the cannister on his bike was some form of oil accumulator (which it was not)

Time Warp said:

If really want to scare yourself there are pressure adjustable Hobbs switches.

Pressure Switch Hobbs 10psi Adjustable 8-13psi Normally open Contacts

Pressure Switch Hobbs 10psi Adjustable 8-13psi Normally open Contacts

www.baxters.com.au

I seem to remember in a car, if the light comes on in motion, it becomes a 'get a new engine light and the reason I asked JC if the cannister on his bike was some form of oil accumulator (which it was not)

Click to expand...

I have one of Madass's oil switches, and the light comes on at 5 psi, and as Time Warp says, it scares me. I have always heard, if you want more anxiety than a high psa (prostate specific antigen) test, put an oil pressure gauge on a Norton. With hot oil, the light comes on at or near idle, so I am plumbing in an oil cooler.

Slick

Better yet, stop riding a British air cooled motorcycle engine in hot southern USA climes in the summer.
I once sold a Mercury which I had bored 60 over, sourced correct pistons and rings and had running like new.
The buyer, a year later, told me that the engine had seized while doing a high speed long distance run in Arizona in 110 degree
heat. Oil coolers won't stop that from happening.
Anyway, my experience with the Madass oil pressure switch is that it will flicker on and off at idle after a hard run in
high temperatures. I don't find that to be unusual or worrisome.

So far I haven't seen the light flash for low oil pressure when running. I don't think I touched the oil pump so I don't what's going on. Sometimes with these bikes when there isn't a problem is when you may worry more.

swooshdave said:

I use an Old Britts SS braided rocker feed that the provided banjo bolt from@madass140 (in beautiful titanium) doesn't fit great. NOT HIS FAULT, as I believe the stock oil line banjo is smaller and will fit perfectly. So I had to center the banjo and then tighten it down. I don't think I will have problems.

Click to expand...

I also have the Old Brits SS Rocker feed and am looking at the OP switch from madass140 with the deluxe CWL. After further testing, how does the banjo bolt supplied with the OP Switch from madass work? Did you leave it in or did you have to find an alternative? Thanks for the video and post on this!

I had that leak when first started so all I did was reverse the crush washers and everything works great.My light flickers at low idle but goes off as soon as the rpms are increased,which I expected.Light is very bright.Plus good customer service!

Metisse said:

I also have the Old Brits SS Rocker feed and am looking at the OP switch from madass140 with the deluxe CWL. After further testing, how does the banjo bolt supplied with the OP Switch from madass work? Did you leave it in or did you have to find an alternative? Thanks for the video and post on this!

Click to expand...

It doesn't work perfectly. The sizes are all wrong but close enough that if you get a good seal it will not leak. I don't expect Don to have to make a banjo bolt to fit every aftermarket banjo. I do have a little leak but I need to get some bonded washer to take care of it.

Just got my Madass OP switch kit plus the CWL/OP light from Improving Classic Motorcycles (Graham's kit).
The included instructions state not to run the CWL with unsurpressed ignition systems. Presumably some concerns on EM interference? Has anyone had issues?

Tornado said:

Just got my Madass OP switch kit plus the CWL/OP light from Improving Classic Motorcycles (Graham's kit).
The included instructions state not to run the CWL with unsurpressed ignition systems. Presumably some concerns on EM interference? Has anyone had issues?

Click to expand...

I'm kind of torn on the benefits of this solution. Having one light do two things sounds nice in theory but in practice it's not ideal. On top of that we know these bikes have very low oil pressure at idle. And very low charging at idle.

I'm having trouble with it occasionally not showing I'm charging at higher RPMs, so much so that I put a gauge on. Was that EM causing the reading? Don't know.

I'd also get the low oil pressure warning at time. Not constantly.

We'll see if I have time to continue to troubleshoot. I bought the same setup for my brother and he just ripped it off after a while and said it's in the Lord's Hands. Not sure what he meant by that...

swooshdave said:

I'm kind of torn on the benefits of this solution. Having one light do two things sounds nice in theory but in practice it's not ideal. On top of that we know these bikes have very low oil pressure at idle. And very low charging at idle.

I'm having trouble with it occasionally not showing I'm charging at higher RPMs, so much so that I put a gauge on. Was that EM causing the reading? Don't know.

I'd also get the low oil pressure warning at time. Not constantly.

We'll see if I have time to continue to troubleshoot. I bought the same setup for my brother and he just ripped it off after a while and said it's in the Lord's Hands. Not sure what he meant by that...

Click to expand...

Are you running no suppression on the HT ignition leads/plugs? I've run none, 5k and 10k with no big issues on the bike (Wassell EI) but have settled on no resistance for last few months. May be starting more consistently but who knows for sure.

I think the warning light could benefit from having multi-colours for different meanings, like the SparkBright CWL does. ICM does offer a multi-colour LED option for the CWL only, not for the CWL+OP light. Seems a reasonable improvement if he goes that route one day.

I was looking at the Improved Classic Motorcycles CWL and reached out to Graham. He was quick to respond and said he needed load volts since i'm running all LEDs. Didn't want to wait around doing that so ended up getting this instead


I thought it was better than a light as it monitors not only volts, but charging and cranking data and sends it to your phone so you can see numbers not just a light. Since i plan to mount my phone for GPS, thought this was a great solution. They also have one for lithium batteries (which is the one i got)

FWIW On my 75 it has the oil pressure light in the place of the "ignition" light on the dash panel. I added a led type voltmeter and stuck it above the fork lock key hole. https://www.denniskirk.com/kuryakyn/led-battery-gauge-4219.p406777.prd/406777.sku
I looked at the single light deal, but I like the separate warnings so there is no confusion. I know of a guy with a BMW airhead that mixed up the gen light and the oil light with disastrous results.
Cheers
Steve in sunny SC

swooshdave said:

I'm kind of torn on the benefits of this solution. Having one light do two things sounds nice in theory but in practice it's not ideal. On top of that we know these bikes have very low oil pressure at idle. And very low charging at idle.

I'm having trouble with it occasionally not showing I'm charging at higher RPMs, so much so that I put a gauge on. Was that EM causing the reading? Don't know.

I'd also get the low oil pressure warning at time. Not constantly.

We'll see if I have time to continue to troubleshoot. I bought the same setup for my brother and he just ripped it off after a while and said it's in the Lord's Hands. Not sure what he meant by that...

Click to expand...

Swoosh,
The flashing sequence for this unit is very different for the oil pressure vs. charging.Two colors would be helpful but once you get it into your head the unit works nicely for me. I mainly wanted an oil idiot light without going to a gauge.That’s just my 2 cents but I wouldn’t hesitate buying another one
Mike

Hi I'm Graham from Improving Classic Motorcycles

Swooshdave - you wrote "I'm having trouble with it occasionally not showing I'm charging at higher RPMs". If you are using 5000 ohm suppressed plug caps then it is very unlikely to be an RFI problem. Please do this test - run the engine at tickover and measure the voltage across the battery. Under the same conditions, measure the voltage across the CWL's ring terminal and piggyback flag terminal. Do not probe what the terminals are attached to, probe the terminals themselves. Please report back the two readings.

Do you only ever see low oil warning at low rpm? Or do you see it at higher rpm?

Tornado - I strongly recommend using 5000 ohm suppressed plug caps. Unsuppressed will almost certainly affect the accuracy of the CWL's readings and at worst will make it deliver nonsense readings. Unsuppressed can also break up TV pictures using reception by aerial.

If anyone has concerns about what the CWL is displaying, all customers are welcome to email me about it at any time. I've helped many find and fix problems on their bikes revealed by the CWLs.