Opps... my oil pump fell out.

akpasta · Post by **akpasta** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 5:00 pm

I was changing my oil today and I had heard there was a screen or something beneath the left side cover so after I drained the oil I removed the three bolts on the circular "Honda" cover from the left side and pulled the cover off. It required a screw-driver to loosen the o-ring from the case, and it popped out, but then the oil filter and rod that fits inside it came off too and the chain with it. Well shit.

So after about a half hour I figured out how to get the chain on both sprockets by putting the pump inside the engine and then fitting the rod into it, paying attention to the tooth that lines it up with the cover.

Pretty sure I got it back together correctly. Filled up with 20w50 mineral, let it idle for a good while, took her around the block a few times and she runs the same. But I'm always paranoid about screwing stuff up, especially the first time I do a repair.

How would I know if systems weren't functioning? It seems this component is designed to cycle oil from the case to the cylinder, so it's pretty damn important, ya?

Thanks, I realize this post makes me sound pretty clueless, still figuring this bike out as I go. But Davo sold me a good, solid bike to learn on. Love this thing, it's awesome.

Hotshoe · Post by **Hotshoe** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:50 pm

If you put it together the way it came apart, it's probably OK.
The thrust washer is the thing people usually screw up but it will still pump oil.
An easy way to check for oil to the top end is to remove one of the rocker arm/valve adjustment caps on the front of the head, start the engine and look for oil splashing around inside.
A little more complicated but more definitive way to check is to loosen one of the front corner cap nuts on top of the head while the engine is running.
Oil should flow out from under the nut if you're getting oil to the top end.
In either case, if there's no oil visible you have a problem.
You should re-torque the cap nut if you try that method, the setting should be something like 20 ft/lbs.

jensey · Post by **jensey** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 3:47 am

Hi,

Your oil filter fell out, not your pump.

Jensen

akpasta · Post by **akpasta** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 4:23 am

Thanks for the advice. Checking for oil under the cap is a good idea. You can run your engine with that cap off?

Thanks for clarifying that it's a filter. So how do you clean it? I expected to see some screen.

Hotshoe · Post by **Hotshoe** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:50 am

You called it an oil filter in the body of your post so I assumed you knew your subject line was incorrect.
Don't run it with the cap nut off, just loosen it enough to let a little oil flow out (or not) and tighten it up immediately.
As far as cleaning the filter, you need to start searching the data base for basic info like that.
It's an amazing resource and you can always ask the Forum if you can't find what you need.
The best way to search is to click the "Search" button in the yellow column to the left, enter the search terms in the "Google search" window (in this case "clean oil filter") and start digging.
There are years of accumulated posts in there by guys much more experienced than you and I will ever be, some of them will answer questions you didn't even know you had.
The info you need is there, I just looked.

akpasta · Post by **akpasta** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 4:38 pm

Thanks guys. Sorry for posting such obvious stuff, I realize I probably could've found an answer to my question on the site, but I also just wanted to share the experience. I pulled one of the valve caps and there is a real healthy amount of oil in there, so things must have gone back together just fine. I also made sure to put things back together the same way there were before, such as the washer mentioned above.

Thanks guys.