Are the headers always in the way of the oil drain plug?

[Loukiii]

My inspection is tomorrow AM. I think it is just a safety inspection so I can get my rebuilt title after I totaled my FJ1200 in March.

So I took a little drive to check the oil. When I got back (yes I used the center stand) I noticed it was low. So I put some in. Too much so I figured I will drain some out. Took off the lower fairing. The damn drain plug is inaccessible because the headers go right over the top of it. I don'
t have time to remover the headers and drain the damn oil. So I got a pump from the wife's hair conditioner and pumped some out. Took a little drive and checked it again. Just right.
But still, what a pain in the ass to change the oil. I have taken it in the last 2 times I had it done. Now I am wondering if they even did it. One guy said he knew how to do it without removing the headers... I assume he pumped it out like I did.
Is that even a good way to do it? When you remove the filter I don't think that is as low as the bottom of the oil pan is it? Would that drain all the oil out?

Is there a secret/trick to this? Anybody care to share? lol

[FJmonkey]

The OEM system allows drain access, some of the aftermarket systems tend to block them.

[Old Rider]

You can drain the oil by unscrewing the left (when sitting on the bike)  oilcooler tube at the bottom of engine in front unscrew the 2 allen head bolts .

[Sparky84]

My inspection is tomorrow AM. I think it is just a safety inspection so I can get my rebuilt title after I totaled my FJ1200 in March.

So I took a little drive to check the oil. When I got back (yes I used the center stand) I noticed it was low. So I put some in. Too much so I figured I will drain some out. Took off the lower fairing. The damn drain plug is inaccessible because the headers go right over the top of it. I don'
t have time to remover the headers and drain the damn oil. So I got a pump from the wife's hair conditioner and pumped some out. Took a little drive and checked it again. Just right.
But still, what a pain in the ass to change the oil. I have taken it in the last 2 times I had it done. Now I am wondering if they even did it. One guy said he knew how to do it without removing the headers... I assume he pumped it out like I did.
Is that even a good way to do it? When you remove the filter I don't think that is as low as the bottom of the oil pan is it? Would that drain all the oil out?

Is there a secret/trick to this? Anybody care to share? lol

You probably have aftermarket or a 4 into 1 system.

So how much extra oil did you put in ? 1 litre , 500ml, 200ml ?
I've always run with it over the mark and alls good so far

[Loukiii]

It's 4 into 2 but probably aftermarket like you said. I didn't measure how much I was over. I just looked at the window ant it was full. Now it is a little over halfway up the window.
I probably won't be riding much for a while I'm in the middle of a move and just wanted to get the rebuilt title sorted before I move to Tennessee. I want to rebuild the carbs and sync them and replace the exhaust. That might be my winter project.  We didn't really have winter in Florida. Lol

[Old Rider]

The oil should be in the middle of the min and max marks. if overfilled the crankcase pressure increase and the oil can find its way
up in the airbox and thru the carbs ending  up on the the backside of the intakevalves making smoky startups. I pulled the head once because
i thaught the valvestemseals that was installed a year before was leaking.After pulled the carbs I could see with a snakecamera that there was oil on the backside of intake valves and a drop will find its way down in the combustion chamber when the bike is parked and a valve is in the open position making a smoky startup .Then when inspecting the head all 8 intakevalves was oily on bakside.All exhaust valves was dry.It was unlikly that all 8 valveseals on the intake valves started leaking and non of the exhaust seals leaking.So the reason for the oily intakevalves was too much oil in the crankcase .I used to have the oil up to the max mark when this happend .You can also blow seals in the engine.

[Bones]

Why only fill it half way, you've got more of a chance of the oil level light coming on going uphill or under hard acceleration. I've ran mine right on or just above the full mark for years without any problems. Like in a car with a dipstick fill it to the full mark, it helps if you burn a bit of oil having the correct amount in and keeping a check on it.

[Old Rider]

I used to keep a very close eye on the oil after i rebulilt the engine.That means i parked the bike with the  centerstand placed at exact same spot on a flat concrete floor to see if it was burning any oil.
I then used to have the oil on the max mark to have full control .Then i dicovered that if after a ride and engine is good and hot and i put the bike at the spot i use to when measure  after about 3 minutes it rises to the max mark ,but one time i went into a store that is at the place i usually chech the oil level
and came out after maybe 10 minutes the oil had rised over max mark.It was after this i notised the bike had started smoking a little at startups and started checking why as i wrote about in the post above.
If the oil is at the max mark or above it is also difficult to know if there is gasoline seaping into engine because of a carbfloat leak that can fill  the crankcase. So now i just keep it a little above the middle of max and min.My oil lamp does not come on under hard throttle, but if pulling a wheelie it comes on.
The fj is very sensitive when reading the oil level if the bike is not placed 100% straight ground or if one of the centerstand legs standing on a little stone making the bike tilt a little the reading can vary alot.
So now when i measure the oil i wait about 10 minutes before take a look into the sight glass. And again if riding with overfilled crankcase you may blow oilseals because of the higher pressure the crank also will foam the oil makin the oilpump struggle .