Page 2 of 3
Re: Peanut valve cover
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 11:32 am
by Duane Ausherman
Never saw an oilhead, or never took a look at one. I have no idea about any BMW after about 1981 and not very much after I closed my shop in Fort Bidwell in 1979.
Re: Peanut valve cover
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 11:41 am
by George Ryals
Looks like it would be a lot easier to pour oil into the valve cover than having to get to the normal filler hole through the throttle and ckoke cables.
Re: Peanut valve cover
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 12:07 pm
by Major Softie
Oilheads have no dipstick, they have a sightglass. It's a lot easier to fit a hole into the lower fairing to see the sightglass than it is to build a fairing that gives easy access to a dipstick and fill-hole on the case. Since that cylinder is hanging right out there, why not use that easy access point?
Oilheads are much easier to do oilchanges on: fill hole out there on the head, spin-on oil filter, exhaust completely out of the way - way easier.
Re: Peanut valve cover
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 12:56 pm
by Kurt in S.A.
I seem to recall that some of these sight glasses have been coming loose...yikes, that wouldn't be fun. The sight glass on my Dad's K1200LT is a biyotch to get down to plus it's all dark on the inside of the sight glass and darkish oil makes it hard to see.
Thanks, but I'll take a dipstick!!
Kurt in S.A.
Re: Peanut valve cover
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 2:05 pm
by Darryl Flynn
Major Softie wrote:Oilheads have no dipstick, they have a sightglass. It's a lot easier to fit a hole into the lower fairing to see the sightglass than it is to build a fairing that gives easy access to a dipstick and fill-hole on the case. Since that cylinder is hanging right out there, why not use that easy access point?
Oilheads are much easier to do oilchanges on: fill hole out there on the head, spin-on oil filter, exhaust completely out of the way - way easier.
Correct but often very difficult to read if they have become cloudy.
This set up offers the best of both worlds.
A proper dip stick and an easy way of adding oil.
Re: Peanut valve cover
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 4:17 pm
by Jean
I saw one this way fitted to a sidecar rig. Yes, you can get to the dipstick, but actually filling-in the oil was a pain. Hence the filler-hole on the valve cover.
Re: Peanut valve cover
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 8:53 pm
by Bob Distelcamp
THANK YOU ALL for your input, I just got off there web site and was awe struck with all there goodies.
I always found it a pain to add oil in my air heads. and without a funnel it's a mess.
Thanks all!!!!! Bob D
Re: Peanut valve cover
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 12:01 am
by Major Softie
Darryl Flynn wrote:
Correct but often very difficult to read if they have become cloudy.
I have never seen one become cloudy on an Oilhead, although I've seen that on some other brands.
Kurt in S.A. wrote:I seem to recall that some of these sight glasses have been coming loose...yikes, that wouldn't be fun.
Yeah, okay, there IS that. That has occurred to some bikes, and boy would that suck.
Re: Peanut valve cover
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 2:05 am
by Darryl Flynn
Major Softie wrote:Darryl Flynn wrote:
Correct but often very difficult to read if they have become cloudy.
I have never seen one become cloudy on an Oilhead, although I've seen that on some other brands.
Kurt in S.A. wrote:I seem to recall that some of these sight glasses have been coming loose...yikes, that wouldn't be fun.
Yeah, okay, there IS that. That has occurred to some bikes, and boy would that suck.
Mine was cloudy on my 1100RT!
Re: Peanut valve cover
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:21 am
by Major Softie
Bummer. Well, when it falls out, then you can put in a nice clear new one.