2T oil check valve...thoughts

[Robbie]

On my introduction post, Jimmbomb mentioned that several members had experienced what may be a failure of the oil supply check valve within the automatic oiling system.

I have read those posts as well and have a few thoughts which I will share.

One thing that has to be in the back of ones mind while on a forum and reading posts is that there generally are two types of members on a forum.

There are the enthusiastic owners, myself included, who wish to find out all they can about the websites subject and feel they can bring something of value to the membership.

Then, there are those that are experiencing a problem and are trying to determine a course of action.
The difficult part for all readers is to try to avoid feeling like 'they all do that'.

After reading the check valve posts, I have a few thoughts that may be of value.

I believe a lot more of the 09's were imported because the distributer may have believed that many 'traditionalists' would be drawn to the last of a series....the 'end of an era' if you will.
I fall into that catagory BTW.

Because of the sheer numbers, and the fact that new 09's are still being sold new in 2012, I suspect I'm on the right track.

So, since a number of these machines have been, either sitting in crates or waiting on a showroom floor for up to three years after thay were produced (my 09 was produced in Feb of 09 for example) and mine being 38 months old at delivery, a window of opportunity for problems has developed.

While in a crate, depending on where that crate is, corrosion can develop...not rust like one thinks at first, but, using our check valve example, we have a steel check ball, with a tiny spring to keep it seated in the housing, all within a aluminum housing.
Since we now have ferrous metals within a non-ferrous housing, any dampness that migrates into that area can create a tiny pit or high spot at the seat to valve interface.
Athough the component likely had oil run through it during assembly, that doesn't mean that it couldn't dry out over the long period of time I mentioned.

So, that is one thought......I consider it unlikely but possible depending on crate storage conditions.

The other possibility is owner or dealer induced.
In this case, the owner was not instructed to avoid filling the reservour into the fill tube area or, the set up man has never been instructed same.

In looking at the design, it appears to me the check valve was designed to eliminate the potental of siphoning after shutdown.
I suspect, if the oil tank is filled up into the tube, gravity has a better than average chance of overcoming the check valve, no different than the weight of gasoline can overcome the needle and seat in the carburetor (hence the fuel valve).

So for now, I'd recommend avoiding overfilling and, in reading the service manual, it is also recommending against overfilling into the tube.

Because of production variations, some members may find they can fill the system to the top of the tube with no negative impact, but that means they're lucky IMO.

For the record, since we know a bone dry oil tank capacity, up to the point the fill tube meets the tank is .26 gl. or a hair over a quart.
Knowing this, and looking at the sight glass level where it is screwed into the tank, it appears that when the oil drops to the point that the white tattletale begins to become uncovered, that one pint of a two pint reservour has been consumed.
That means, avoid adding more than one pint at that time.

So for now that is my recommendation to prevent a owner induced problem.

To the members that know the tank was not overfilled, but experienced the failure, well, that was a result of siphoning and the valve had indeed, failed.....maybe from a corroded seat, maybe a tiny piece of something fell into the tank during a remove fill cap moment in the showroom....we'll never know for sure.

Like I said at the beginning.....Thoughts.....ha, ha.
Kind of a long winded way of saying overfilling may be causing a problem.

Rob

[Lokky]

I have been riding my 09 nonstop since Jan 2011. Regularly fill my oil to the top of the tank and never experienced any issues

[Robbie]

I have been riding my 09 nonstop since Jan 2011. Regularly fill my oil to the top of the tank and never experienced any issues

That means you're one of the lucky ones I mentioned.

IMO though, since the tube just sits in a 'o' ring where it meets the reservour, the potential of a induced oil leak presesnts itself.

I also suspect the majority of 2T operators do fill it well into the tube and have no problems.
My thoughts are more geared around what could be the cause of a few operators having the 'overoiling' problem and how to maybe prevent it.

Rob

[jimmbomb]

It makes sense to me... good post.