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How to clean the oil sight glass?


phoenixfire

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Hi all,

My oil sight glass has become an oil haze glass. Is there a way to clean the glass or replace it?

I can still see where the oil line is - but the glass is VERY dark. It may sound corny but I like to look at the sight glass and be able to tell the oil level (and color) right away without having to get a flashlight.

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Next time you change your oil put about 4 ounces of "Seafoam" in it and go for a 30/40 mile ride, then drain and refill with fresh oil.

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Just curious, will the Seafoam treatment clean the sight glass if added to the old oil? Or only if used with new?

I use this method to clean the crap from the motor, and do it right "before" changing the the old oil. It may or may not clean the window enough to your liking.
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Also you might try to worm a over size pipe cleaner in through the fill hole to the window(don't lose the pipe cleaner inside).

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I just went ahead and popped the cover off. If you do it on it's side stand you wont lose any oil. The film on mine was brittle and very thin, which means it cleaned off very easy. I think i used a q-tip dipped in gasoline, but any moderate solvent should work also; goof-off, alchohol, MEK, etc. Even a slight amount of rubing with a small stick of plastic or wood would have worked also.

If you do try the seafoam I would be interested to hear if it works. Good luck!

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Just a question: Do you know what caused your sight glass to get hazy? The reason I wonder is I've never had one get hazy and am curious as to what would cause it. Moisture maybe?

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I suspect probably not moisture because I ride a few times a week, well over a hundred miles a day, so there is no down time for it to accumulate. BUT, it is the northwest AND we do get our fair share of "moisture" :rolleyes:

I just use standard honda oil, but don't know what the previous owner used. It was hazed over when I got it, but not bad. Then over 25k miles it got worse and worse. Now at 50k, and doing the stator on the other side, I just decided to pull it and clean it.

Admittedly I do go a little longer than others as far as oil changes are concerned, usually 6-10k between changes. This might have something to do with it, but not sure. I will continue to use the standard honda oil and I will report back in another 25k to let you know if it happened again :huh:

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Your oil change mileage isn't that much different from mine as I usually go 5-7000 miles between changes. I run Castrol Syntec 10W-40. IMO oil changes at less than 5000 miles are a waste of money unless you're doing track days.

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Try an oil with alot of calicum in it, it works as little eggshells to clean stuff, most diesils oils have extra calcium, Amsoil is well Known for its cleaning abilities , they make a 15w40 diesil, and its real sythetic with no dino to plaque up.

If that doesnt work, might have to try a snake oil product, like an engine flush type stuff for plaque build up

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  • 2 years later...

I just went ahead and popped the cover off. If you do it on it's side stand you wont lose any oil. The film on mine was brittle and very thin, which means it cleaned off very easy. I think i used a q-tip dipped in gasoline, but any moderate solvent should work also; goof-off, alchohol, MEK, etc. Even a slight amount of rubing with a small stick of plastic or wood would have worked also.

If you do try the seafoam I would be interested to hear if it works. Good luck!

It just pops right off? How'd you do this? Did you have to silicone it back on? I never knew they were removable/replaceable.

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"Off the bike" like "engine was removed, cases were split and I cleaned the inside of the glass with a q-tip" kinda thing?

no.. as in bike on kickstand , removed the bolts holding on the clutch cover kinda thing.. :fing02:

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Oh. Duh. You guys are talking about your VFRs. I was thinking "Hey! My ZX has an obscured sight glass. Wonder how they fixed it?"

I just reminded myself just now in the garage. The ZX sight glass is on the left side, so the cases have to be split, I think, to clean it/replace it. Your VFR glass is easier.

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for starters.. you DO NOT have to drop or split the case to get that cover off.

it IS more of a pain in the butt. but NOT overly so.

you just drain the oil. tip the bike over to the right. and have it supported SMARTLY.

i used straps from the ceiling to the frame and triple tree.. :fing02:

the reason for the lean, if i remember correctly ,was to keep leftover oil from dripping and to keeps the internal bits a bit more aligned .

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"Off the bike" like "engine was removed, cases were split and I cleaned the inside of the glass with a q-tip" kinda thing?

Seb clutch cover install .

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  • 2 years later...

Anybody ever have their sight glass leak oil?  I've only had my vfr (03) for a little over a year and it's always had a slight leak there.  I looked on bike bandit and the only part I see in the parts list to fix it is the entire right cover ($291).

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On 5/28/2017 at 10:49 AM, Getter said:

Anybody ever have their sight glass leak oil?  I've only had my vfr (03) for a little over a year and it's always had a slight leak there.  I looked on bike bandit and the only part I see in the parts list to fix it is the entire right cover ($291).

 

I replied to your other post

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