Oil!?

[Hath87]

 

now you lot are extremely intelligent, which is hard for me to say seeing as i'm from England and the majority are over the pond in the good ole U S of A, but this problem has been somewhat mind boggling me, Oil, What would be recommended.. i'm in England so temperatures aren't as hot as in Tampa bay, however it can get warm 32' Celsius (89 Fahrenheit for you lot over there) but then its not as humid so a cooler breeze when riding is ideal for the oil cooler to maximize the cooler temperatures, iv put my FJ1200 engine in a chop/bobber frame which is quite open, the engine has done circa 42000 miles and ive taken the cam cover off and it looks very clean which makes me happy. with all these variants in place, and riding will be fairly sedate but may blow out the cob webs every now and again.. what oil would you suggest? i see people running 5w 40, which is fine, but ideally don't want to put undue stress on the engine its run in now, and the tolerances are less. but im after a good quality oil that will help protect the engine all year round. however i don't mind doing summer oil, and then a winter oil. ...

so that was my verbal diarrhea ... shoot me down if you will..but remember i called you intelligent.. a compliment in good old Blightys books.


Go....

[Urban_Legend]

There is something about a can of worms and it being opened here. Oil is always a hotly debated thing in any forum. Seeing as the old blighty doesn't get as hot as the rest of the world, I personally would go for something a little thinner the recommended.  Something like a 20/40 weight. But I must emphasise I am Not an expert in such things.

Mark

[FJ1100mjk]

From Yamaha's FJ Service Manual...



Be prepared for the onslaught of opinions and choices of oils by others!

[FJmonkey]

Don't use automotive type oil, they have "Friction Modifiers), stick with MC specific or oils for diesel engines like Rotela. Change it regularly and don't run the engine dry.   

[aviationfred]

As Mark says...... Oil questions on an open online forum is usually a toxic subject.  

They key is...... Use a brand of your choice that is MOTORCYCLE specific. Keep the oil level between the upper and lower lines in the sight glass, 20w40 is the manufacturers recommend viscosity. That viscosity is not very common anymore here in the US. 10w40, 15w40, 15w50 and 20w50 are commonly used.


Fred

[PaulG]

This recent article from Motorcyclist magazine might explain things... or not...

The Lowdown on Motorcycle Engine Oil

PART I: Viscosity and service grades of motorcycle oil

PART II: Conventional vs. synthetic oils.

Basic rule of thumb - stick to a good quality name brand or specialty brand.  And don't stray too far from the factory recommended viscocities.  I started to go on on but deleted what I was going to say.  Don't like poking the hornet's nest too much.   

[jscgdunn]

Best value....Rotella T 15.40 form walmart.....less than $4.00 per litre in the 20L pail.

[balky1]

Does any one of you change the oil on temps lower than 5 °C?

[Yamahammer1200]

My oil level is above the lines on the sight glass, will that cause an issue?
I use Castrol 4T m/c oil.  Quite reasonable at the local auto parts store.

[FJmonkey]

My oil level is above the lines on the sight glass, will that cause an issue?
I use Castrol 4T m/c oil.  Quite reasonable at the local auto parts store.

Yes and or No. Once you are above the sight glass you don't know how over filled you are. I tend to fill to the top of the sight glass. I add some, check, add more, check, once I am at or close to the top I am done. I hope that answers your question.

[Mark Olson]

With 42k on the engine just keep using the same oil you have been. Why change now?

[Hath87]

I have never lutnoil in this bike only taken it out, I brought it to strip to make into a chop

[fjtrevor]

my gearchanges have neve been smoother since i stopped using semi and synthetic oil. i will only use mineral oil now

[Mark Olson]

I have never lutnoil in this bike only taken it out, I brought it to strip to make into a chop

Ok , that was not clear in your previous post.

Run a motorcycle specific oil of your choice .. dyno , synthetic , or whatever you find on sale at 20/50w for most climates .
you may experience some clutch slippage with a new oil because it is different from the previous brand used. most common switching from a dino to synth oil, This will clear up after a couple hundred miles riding. You can circumvent this problem by removing clutch fibers and cleaning them . Then let them soak in the new oil for 24hrs before reinstalling them.

As for myself I have used Amsoil in all my vehicles since 1976.

 

[FJmonkey]

If you live where the temps get cold and you use a 20/50 you might experience problems with your starter clutch like I did last year. When you press the start button and the starter begins to turn the engine then it slips and spins free. I switched to a lower weight and the starter clutch catches all the time now. Just something to watch for, not all FJs have this issue. Knowledge for your mental tool box.