free website stats program Too much oil! | Harley Davidson Forums

Too much oil!

TQuentin1

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Moderator
OK, Folks. Let's say you are checking your oil, it is low so you add some. Then you find that you have over filled the reservoir. Now what? Do you try loosening the drain plug and letting some out? Messy. Do you just forget about it? NO!! Read all the warnings again about not over filling.

So what to do?

Well here is an idea. Get yourself about 39" of clear plastic tubing of at least 3/16" ID (1/4" is better) and an empty clear container like an old water bottle. Poke the tubing way down in the reservoir through the dipstick hole until you feel the tubing bottom out. CAREFULLY suck on the other end of the tubing until the oil rises up in the tubing until it is about 3 inches from your lips. Put your finger over the end of the tubing and carefully draw the other end out of the reservoir and empty the oil from the tubing into the water bottle. It helps to wipe the tubing with a rag or paper towels as you draw it out of the dipstick hole so you don't get oil everywhere. Repeat until the oil is down to the right level.

For those who like this stuff:

Tubing volume = 3.14159 x (tubing ID/2)^2 x length

So for a 36" length (where the oil is) of 3/16" ID tubing, each fill is about 1/2 oz.

1/4" tubing is 1 oz. per fill.

Have fun!

Moral of the story: don't overfill!!

TQ
 
Last edited:
I'm sure this works, but I find it much easier to keep a supply of irrigation syringes from the drug store. They are plastic and cost about $1.60. Just hook the clear tubing to the end and draw away.
 
Being that i do not like the taste of engine oil i use a large syringe with some plastic tube stuck on the end

Brian
 
Back
Top