Oil pressure check

Hi, got a new wr250r, done 500miles, gonna change oil and filter next week. See the manual recommends an oil pressure check by removing the bleedscrew, which is mounted up at the back of the cylinder. Is this a normal check that has to be done?

You can do it if you want to, but I haven't bothered. I know a few others who don't bother with it either.

It's a messy job and not really needed IMO. Do it once if you want to see how it works, but it's really not nessesary. Just be prepared with some rags and DON'T take the bolt all the way out, just crack it loose and wait for the oil then tighten. Otherwise you will have a BIG mess!

I had one bike that one time after an oil change it didn't pressure up until I cracked the filter, let it make a mess, then did it back up.

Am I correct to assume that this is the point in that bleed screw?
(I admit I haven't actually read the manual. I just ride the bikes and do maintenance by my own schedule)

If it is then I would think just watching the oil pressure indicator light goes out is sufficient (like I do on the other engines). Hmmm. Now that I think of it I can't remember if it has an oil pressure indicator light.

Thanks for the replies. Interesting info that. I guessed it might be a messy job. Am surprised some of you don't bother. I suppose you might get some sort of air lock in the system like bleeding brakes if you don't do it.
Wonder what the experts at Yamaha would say? Unfortunately they don't give any detail about the bleeding process, or how to avoid a mess. Is there a maint manual for this bike?

Two techs I talked to said it isn't going to hurt the bike not using the bleed screws. It certainly didn't hurt mine any. I have a service manual, if you want one PM me. I'm changing mine every 3 - 5000 km, depending on how and where I ride.

Hmmmm.........I wonder if we could fit an oil pressure switch / idiot light to the bleeder ?

Chrispy1200 wrote:

Hmmmm.........I wonder if we could fit an oil pressure switch / idiot light to the bleeder ?

I don't even have my bike yet but I had already started thinking about plumbing in an oil pressure guage at the bleed screw location.

CaptTurbo wrote:

Chrispy1200 wrote:

Hmmmm.........I wonder if we could fit an oil pressure switch / idiot light to the bleeder ?

I don't even have my bike yet but I had already started thinking about plumbing in an oil pressure guage at the bleed screw location.

Don't bother dude. You will have a hard time finding something to fit the thread of the bleed hole. I thought about doing this also, and even went to the trouble to track down the right size banjo bolt fitting. It's 8 x 1.25 mm, and VERY hard to find. Most banjo bolts I found were 10 mm thread. Even after I found the right size banjo bolts, I had to find a good location to mount the gauge. Then I saw the thread on the turbo WR250X that MPFab was making. I saw that he had tapped the oil filter cover to run an oil line to the turbo. I emailed him and got the info on drilling and tapping the oil filter cover. It can be drilled and tapped to 1/8 NPT, but it is REAL close. You have to be spot on with your machine work. Here is the thread I started on TT about it. Click on the link in my first post to see other pics of the drilling and tapping of the oil filter cover.

http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=716244&highlight=oil+pressure+gauge

I have since replaced this cheap ass AutoMeter gauge with a Sharpe Gauge which is still working great. The AutoMeter gauge lasted me about two weeks and took a crap. I think it couldn't handle the vibes, even though it is marketed as being able to mount directly to an engine. The Sharpe gauge I have now is 0-160 psi and has been working flawlessly for almost 6 months now. I can't tell you where I got it since it was just kicking around in my toolbox for a number of years. Here is what the AutoMeter gauge looked like. I don't have any pics of the Sharpe gauge, but it is also an 1.5" gauge, so fits the same...

Good info mwakey.

I probably wouldn't put a gauge in though. I would likely put a pressure switch in and have a light up top where I might see it while riding. Having the ability to screw in a gauge for diagnostics occasionally would be handy.

Still, it shouldn't be too hard to machine an 8 x 1.25 mm to 10 x XXmm adapter. Did I mention I have a small lathe in my garage ?

As long as there's room to fit the adapter and oil pressure switch it shouldn't be too hard. And I'm just interested in a switch with an idiot light.

Not a lot of room in there where the oil bleed bolt is to put anything. Your adapter will have to be small or go with a 45 or 90 degree adapter. You could also do what I did with the oil filter cover, but instead of mounting a gauge, run a fitting and hose to a remote mounted oil pressure sensor for your light.

My three-week old WR-R is also at just under 500 miles and due for the first oil change next week, so I'm in the same situation as the OP for this thread.

I looked at the manual for the oil/filter change procedure and was surprised to find the instruction to back off the oil pressure check bolt. Never seen this procedure on other bikes I've had.

Can't understand why the oil pressure would suddenly be a problem after an oil change. If anything, I'd think the new filter would improve oil pressure because wouldn't the old filter's flow be somewhat reduced by particles it has caught (like a vacuum cleaner bag)?

The biggest problem I see with this is not the mess it would make when the oil begins coming out around the bolt, but how to torque it back to the 10 Nm spec. I mean, 10 Nm is barely more than finger tight. I just looked and there's no way I see without taking half the bike apart to get my torque wrench and a 10 mm socket in there. And I'm assuming that there's either a copper crush washer or an o ring between the bolt head and engine, so overtightening the bolt could create a leak, right? But undertightening the bolt could cause the bolt to rattle out, resulting in a nearly-immediate bad day.

Am I thinking right here or not?

The only reasonable cause for oil pressure concerns after an oil change that I can see would be something akin to an air bubble in the cooling system that disturbs the flow. Is anyone seeing oil pressure issues following oil changes? It seem like someone posted here or on another forum that they developed an oil leak from the check bolt, from over-/ under-tightening maybe?

To me it seems like doing this check might actually create more problems than it solves (unless of course my engine seizes right after the oil/filter change). I'm inclined to keep it simple and just do the oil/filter change without backing out the bolt.

Any first-hand experience one way or the other will be greatly appreciated.

3 oil changes and I have never touched the bolt. As you, I've never had to worry about that kind of thing with other bikes, so I've just done the changes like any other bike with absolutely no problems.

SheWolf wrote:

3 oil changes and I have never touched the bolt. As you, I've never had to worry about that kind of thing with other bikes, so I've just done the changes like any other bike with absolutely no problems.

That makes me feel better about it.

David Haynes wrote:

It seem like someone posted here or on another forum that they developed an oil leak from the check bolt, from over-/ under-tightening maybe?

To me it seems like doing this check might actually create more problems than it solves (unless of course my engine seizes right after the oil/filter change). I'm inclined to keep it simple and just do the oil/filter change without backing out the bolt.

Any first-hand experience one way or the other will be greatly appreciated.

That was probably me. After losening and retightening the bolt, it slightly drained oil when running at high revs. I finally put it to the shop. Guess they exchanged the copper seal washer and applied some more torque (I tend to be very careful when tightening bolts). Problem solved up to now. You are right, there may arise some problems from using this bolt. Get a new seal washer before making it lose and be sure to apply correct torque when retightening it.
On the other hand, there may be bad damage in case it does not bleed itself internally. Is this bleeding bolt in any way related to the wet sump oil circuit at this motorcycle which is kind of untypical for enduro bikes? My previous enduros used to have dry sump and did not have a bleeding bolt at the cylinder head.
Regards, Phil

flatboarder wrote:

That was probably me. After losening and retightening the bolt, it slightly drained oil when running at high revs. I finally put it to the shop. Guess they exchanged the copper seal washer and applied some more torque (I tend to be very careful when tightening bolts). Problem solved up to now. You are right, there may arise some problems from using this bolt. Get a new seal washer before making it lose and be sure to apply correct torque when retightening it.
On the other hand, there may be bad damage in case it does not bleed itself internally. Is this bleeding bolt in any way related to the wet sump oil circuit at this motorcycle which is kind of untypical for enduro bikes? My previous enduros used to have dry sump and did not have a bleeding bolt at the cylinder head.
Regards, Phil

Phil,

How th' heck did you get a torque wrench in there to torque to 10 Nm? On my bike there's barely an inch of clearance.

David Haynes wrote:

Phil,

How th' heck did you get a torque wrench in there to torque to 10 Nm? On my bike there's barely an inch of clearance.

I didn't. I just tightened manually very careful, but it still drained slightly at 2 of 3 attempts. To avoid any damage by overtightening the bolt (and due to the fact that I did not have a new copper washer to fit) I had the shop check it, and they did it. I assume they replaced the washer and put some more torque on it, but I cannot tell, actually. I just want to point out you are right being very careful with this bolt. Overtightening might destroy cylinder head thread. If not tightened enough there might be a slight oil leak, which does not really hurt (you would not even realize when going in the dirt), but I do not like such things at a brand new motorcycle.
The way to go probably is get a new washer before changing oil. Maybe this would resolve any issues and there is no need for applying more torque then your caring hand would signal you.

Phil

Yesterday I gave it one more try when executing 5000km oil change. Full procedure, new filter, 1400ml of Motul 5100 and opening bleeding bolt at cylinder head, checking copper seal washer (once more I did not exchange it since there was no replacement washer in my depot). After oil change and successful bleeding I tightened it manually paying maximum attention to not overtorquing it. The shop had tightend it quite a lot in my opinion, but no brute force.
Will check for oil drain within the next days.

Update: works, this time. No more oil drain.