any tips for seeing through the oil sight glass?

[rsoffar]

so i changed my oil yesterday and i put in the amount that the manual says....
i have never been able to see through the oil sight glass, it just always looks black to me. any tips for seeing into this thing?

my oil pressure light came on today when i was riding.

[RichD]

so i changed my oil yesterday and i put in the amount that the manual says....
i have never been able to see through the oil sight glass, it just always looks black to me. any tips for seeing into this thing?

my oil pressure light came on today when i was riding.

Okay, here goes:

It doesn't matter what the manual says regarding the oil volume.
It's probably wrong/mis-translated, etc.

Stand the bike up (off the side stand, ...like have your buddy sitting on it) on level ground.
The oil should be halfway up the sight glass with the engine off.

That's it.

As a side note, Ducatis (even the new ones) have temperamental oil pressure switches.
Sometimes they come on.  Sometimes they do NOT come on. 
I rely on mine like I rely on my ex-wife whom I haven't seen in 10+ years

[bryant8]

Fresh oil should be pretty easy to see in the sight glass. Do as the Rich suggested and it'll be easy to see

[svoloch]

unless you got the tinted version?

[rsoffar]

ever since i got the bike i have not been able to see anything but black in the sight glass....with the old oil and the new stuff i put in yesterday.....

when i had the cover off the bike there was a little metal piece right behind the glass... and when i held the cover up to the light i could only see through it where there were like 4 little holes but even then most of the glass appeared black.

oil started leaking from my oil pressure sensor thing, right by the oil fill cap....

fixed all my big oil leaks just to get a new one and a new light coming on...

frustration ensues
(one of my front break pads fell out today in my alley right as i got to my garage... wth )

time to end the night with a  and back to the garage tomorrow.

[RichD]

A leaking pressure sensor is typical of one that has "failed" and will turn on/off randomly.

I have to get a new on myself ...the one on my SuperSport has not worked in years.
It doesn't leak, but it doesn't turn the light on either.

The sightglass window should look silver.
You should be able to SEE the four little holes in the little metal baffle plate behind the window from the outside.

If not, you need to pull the cover (again) and clean it out.

Nothing comes apart as easy as something you just put together! 

[♣ McKraut ♣]

have pics?

[hiero]

have pics?

+1

[Duc L'Smart]

Ride the bike around, so the oil warms up.
When you return, go ahead & put the bike on the lift, so it's vertical.
Raise the lift all the way up.
Grab a beer & have a seat. Enjoy leisurely.
After that, it's best to have 1 more beer.
Having allowed the oil to settle, mosey on over to the lift.
If the glass is black, & you can't see the silver plate with holes, try a flashlight.
Nothing? Still black?? Time to drain out some oil.
All the oil out & still black?
This will require a pitcher of martini's, & a phone call to your favorite mechanic

[rsoffar]

yeah i actually had the whole cover off the engine the other day before i put the new oil in... and the sightglass was still black.
if i pull my cover off again can i get that little back piece off to try and clean the glass? i half attempted to the first time i had it all apart but was nervous about breaking it.

[RichD]

yeah i actually had the whole cover off the engine the other day before i put the new oil in... and the sightglass was still black.
if i pull my cover off again can i get that little back piece off to try and clean the glass? i half attempted to the first time i had it all apart but was nervous about breaking it.

Do this and you'll have an easy time of it.  Follow the directions closely.  ESPECIALLY step #3.  You have been warned.

Fixing this is as easy as 1, 2, ...uh, Five.   

1) Remove that cover you just put on the other day...
2) WALK AWAY from the bike.  Make SURE no overspray could POSSIBLY get on it.
3) Put some safety glasses on.
4) Shoot carburetor cleaner in the four little holes in the little baffle plate (behind the sightglass from the inside of the cover) using the little straw that comes with the carburator cleaner.
5) put the cover back  on...   

[dallas2r]

Fixing this is as easy as 1, 2, ...uh, Five.   

Three sir.

[NorDog]

Ride the bike around, so the oil warms up.
When you return, go ahead & put the bike on the lift, so it's vertical.
Raise the lift all the way up.
Grab a beer & have a seat. Enjoy leisurely.
After that, it's best to have 1 more beer.
Having allowed the oil to settle, mosey on over to the lift.
If the glass is black, & you can't see the silver plate with holes, try a flashlight.
Nothing? Still black?? Time to drain out some oil.
All the oil out & still black?
This will require a pitcher of martini's, & a phone call to your favorite mechanic

Scott for King of LSD!

Problem is with this method is that no matter how many beers or martinis I have, I still can't see through the darn thing.  I knew I shouldn't have used that Carbon Fiber sight glass from eBay!   

Well, I'll give another couple of hours!   

[rsoffar]

Do this and you'll have an easy time of it.  Follow the directions closely.  ESPECIALLY step #3.  You have been warned.

Fixing this is as easy as 1, 2, ...uh, Five.   

1) Remove that cover you just put on the other day...
2) WALK AWAY from the bike.  Make SURE no overspray could POSSIBLY get on it.
3) Put some safety glasses on.
4) Shoot carburetor cleaner in the four little holes in the little baffle plate (behind the sightglass from the inside of the cover) using the little straw that comes with the carburator cleaner.
5) put the cover back  on...   

gonna do this tonight.
will report back.

[Duc L'Smart]

gonna do this tonight.
will report back.

That was Wednesday, today's Sunday.................  Well?