Tell me about Fino engine oil check

[Daffy D]

The wife's shopping Yamaha Fino is quite old but still going strong.

 

I have never been a "bike bloke" so have hardly anything to do with the bike, just let the wife get on with it.

 

Anyway something has intrigued me for some time and that is how checking the engine oil works.

 

On the Fino there is a screw plug with a little dippy stick thing attached to it to measure the oil level.

 

What I don't understand is that the oil at the bottom of the dippy stick thing is always clean, no matter how long since the last oil check.

In a normal car or truck engine the engine oil turns black almost immediately, so what's going on  here with this Fino oil that never has the used look?

 

Another point sometime ago the wife forgot to put down the stand and the bike fell over in the garage. No problem just pick it up and all is well, but there was a pool of black oil on the garage floor,  just the kind of color you'd expect from spilled engine oil, where did that come from?

 

Was it engine oil and how did it escape so easily? And why does this black oil ever show up on the dippy stick thing?

 

I just like to know how things work ????
 

[cali4995]

you have to remember , you're often just seeing a thin film of oil on stick . and these early mio/fino 115cc engines have a queer little check stik

 

while bottom end ( crankcase is sealed) there will always be a breather-gases evacuation tube(s) and flipped 90 degrees on it's side. oil will find a way out

Edited April 2, 2021 by cali4995

[topt]

21 hours ago, Daffy D said:

I have never been a "bike bloke"

Snap.

I didn't even realise that was where you checked the oil and the Fino here has been around for 11 years now......

I just have it serviced every couple of years or when something is obviously wrong..........????

 

 

[Lokie]

2 hours ago, topt said:

Snap.

I didn't even realise that was where you checked the oil and the Fino here has been around for 11 years now......

I just have it serviced every couple of years or when something is obviously wrong..........????

 

 

Just keep it serviced once per year for what it costs... (two years is pushing it when you consider the envirionmental conditions these bikes operate in here in LOS or any other country really... oil change every year minimum) More to that is good to have someone check tyres & brake operation and lights (which should really be done weekly) for everyones safety

[Daffy D]

9 hours ago, cali4995 said:

you have to remember , you're often just seeing a thin film of oil on stick . and these early mio/fino 115cc engines have a queer little check stik

 

while bottom end ( crankcase is sealed) there will always be a breather-gases evacuation tube(s) and flipped 90 degrees on it's side. oil will find a way out

That's exactly like my check stick except mine is beige color that make the clean oil difficult to see. ????

 

I get a crankcase breather could let oil out with the bike on it's side, tough as motor bikes have a habit of falling over on a regular basis I would have thought there would be some form of valve to prevent too much oil leaking out each time, but maybe that's just me. 

 

Still does not explain why I don't see dirty oil on the dipstick ????

 

 

[Daffy D]

3 hours ago, topt said:

Snap.

I didn't even realise that was where you checked the oil and the Fino here has been around for 11 years now......

I just have it serviced every couple of years or when something is obviously wrong..........????

 

 

When the bike was new I kinda had a look round and did notice the dipppy stick thing.

 

Why does it not show dirty oil?

 

 At first I was just curious than I became intrigued and now seem to be getting obsessive.

 

Got to have an answer  ????

 

 

[The Theory]

Get a new dipstick or a new gasket for it. 
And if you drain the oil in a pan, you will be surprised how dark it could be. 

[Daffy D]

1 hour ago, The Theory said:

And if you drain the oil in a pan, you will be surprised how dark it could be. 

I know the oil is dark I just want to know why it does not show dark on the dipstick

 

1 hour ago, The Theory said:

Get a new dipstick or a new gasket for it. 

And how exactly does that help????????

 

 

[chickenslegs]

I guess it's because all the dirt and bits of metal settle at the bottom of the sump, but the dipstick only reaches the top few mm of the oil, which is cleaner.

[Daffy D]

31 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

I guess it's because all the dirt and bits of metal settle at the bottom of the sump, but the dipstick only reaches the top few mm of the oil, which is cleaner.

So why do you never get a clean dip stick reading in a car engine??

 

Nitpick  -  hopefully any bits of metal get caught in the filter and not sloshing around in the bottom of the sump ????

[cali4995]

for what it's worth daffy , i think you answered the question yourself . the " dipstick" is same colour as engine oil. a bit like trying to spot which finger has clear nail polish . additionally , there are no cross hatch pattern on this stick, which usually helps more oil to cling to it. So , paint the end light day-glo green if that helps

 

there's only oil in 2 places. supposedly .8 litre in engine and .1  litre in rear gearbox. if greatly overfilled, might contribute to spillage if toppled issue. people don't observe correct procedure for check/ refill or they just overfill  ????

Edited April 2, 2021 by cali4995

[papa al]

10 hours ago, Daffy D said:

Why does it not show dirty oil?

Apply a dab of oil to white paper.

[papa al]

6 hours ago, Daffy D said:

Nitpick  -  hopefully any bits of metal get caught in the filter

What filter?

 

[topt]

13 hours ago, Lokie said:

More to that is good to have someone check tyres & brake operation and lights (which should really be done weekly) for everyones safety

Even I am not that stupid. I use it pretty much daily for short hops so am very aware of those issues.

I find |I have to top up the air in the tyres weekly/10 days because the front just loses pressure - and yes I have had the tyre/rim checked and apparently it was fine......

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, papa al said:

What filter?

 

He was referring to a car.  Remove the dip stick, wipe off oil apply some chalk to dip stick, ( this is what used to be done on petrol storage tanks at fuel stations) then you'll know the level. Take it for new oil engine and gearbox/drive gear. It sounds like the dark oil you saw was from the auto drive gear which does have an open breather on most auto bikes, and as said change both oils yearly, around 250b ish.

[Daffy D]

6 hours ago, papa al said:

What filter?

 

[Daffy D]

It's the same color as when I topped it up about a week ago.

 

Surely  the engine oil should have picked up some color by now?

 

[Agusts]

As you said it yourself you're just getting a bit obsessive over this, and as others mentioned you see the oil proper color when it's drained into a pan, not on a thin layer of it on that stick - it's the same on all bikes. Maybe car still keeps more oil and shows better as it's a thin metal stick and goes deeper in the engine....

 

Oil on the floor is bad news, check both engine and gear oil (and/or replace), I've seen many bikes fall, but they don't leak oil, so something not right there... (although if it does not leak standing right up, then doesn't matter I guess).

 

[papa al]

1 hour ago, Daffy D said:

It's the same color as when I topped it up about a week ago.

 

Surely  the engine oil should have picked up some color by now?

 

No.

 

[Lokie]

11 hours ago, topt said:

Even I am not that stupid. I use it pretty much daily for short hops so am very aware of those issues.

I find |I have to top up the air in the tyres weekly/10 days because the front just loses pressure - and yes I have had the tyre/rim checked and apparently it was fine......

Was not having a go in any way, was talking in general for those who may not know, re tyre pressures; Check valves are clean and not leaking off air, and make sure dust cap fitted on valve, Im sure you know that if your wheels have spokes and you run tubed tyres then these tend to lose pressure more than mag wheels running tubless tyres - for any people who may not know that... 

[Lokie]

Next time you get the bike sreviced daffy watch them drop the engine oil into a pan - it will be black....

 

Your dip stick shows deceant oil level and good clean oil thats - Good.

 

On rear you have gear oil (located at back of drive unit) some are just under and can see a small thumb cap, some are hidden behind panel - have you had that checked/changed in last two years? If not get that done is not a big job and is a small bottle of gear oil be just few hundred Baht for the job. 

 

As mentioned only thing really that should leak out of a bike thats gone over is petrol (Gas) Not oil, however if when this happend and you had oil on the floor you then topped up quite an amount with fresh oil that would explain why a week later the oil on dip stick looks so good - just a thought

[The Theory]

On 4/2/2021 at 9:57 PM, Daffy D said:

And how exactly does that help????????

This was your question (op) :

 

"And why does this black oil ever show up on the dippy stick thing?"

 

Right ?  ????????????????

then 

I answered to that question !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And there is 4 quarts of oil in 2000cc car engine. And there is 0.7L/0.8L oil in 110cc motorcycle engine.
Now you figure it out why your motorcycle oil not getting dark quickly. 

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by The Theory

[Daffy D]

Thank you gents for all your attention and some useful replies, appreciate all your comments.

 

Looks like I ain't never going to be a "Bike Bloke" ????

 

I'm going back and play with the big boys.

 

They got diesel     ???? 

[papa al]

51 minutes ago, Daffy D said:

Thank you gents for all your attention and some useful replies, appreciate all your comments.

 

Looks like I ain't never going to be a "Bike Bloke" ????

 

I'm going back and play with the big boys.

 

They got diesel     ???? 

Ahh!

Oil in diesel engine does turn black quickly.

[stubuzz]

On 4/2/2021 at 5:57 PM, Daffy D said:

I know the oil is dark I just want to know why it does not show dark on the dipstick

Are you checking the oil with the bike on the side stand?

Have somebody sit on the bike on level ground and check again.

[Kwasaki]

Thanks for the thread Daffy D confirmation  OCD. ????