99 VS1400GLP Oil light help

[wbmosier]

Hello,
First thank you all for any assistance.

I just changed my clutch, and springs. I think the torque wrench i was using was not working when putting everything back together. The springs may have been tightened more that 8 lbs with a 3/8 tq. wrench. No oil leaks. As I was riding, the oil light started to come on slowly, now stays on after putting 500 miles on the bike with the new clutch.

I have tested the oil pressure switch for continuity, and it does change status while the bike is running. I have changed the oil and filter. I cracked the filter a little while running to purge air. I am using a correct oil. I also shot air back into the vent tube to try to reprime the oil pump.

I changed the headlight and rewired the passing lamps to run constantly instead on low beam headlight (they are all LED) a while back, and so in order to check if it perhaps it may just be electrical, I pulled the headlight and un-nested the wires, but the light still came on.

Would draining it and tightening with a known good torque wrench to 8-9 lbs resolve this? Does it seem like an air bubble in the pump? Money and time are both limited, so any help is greatly appreciated.

[Herb]

Nothing you did to the clutch should impact the oil pressure unless some debris in the pickup.

Pinned at the top of this forum is a downloadable manual. the lube system starts on page 5-24. You may need to go into the engine lower end section also to see if there is something you might have put together wrong.

[wbmosier]

Thank you for the help.

[Lechy]

I'm not sure about the 1400's but on the 750 - 800's the oil pump screen plate is situated just rear of the drain plug. A smallish oblong plate with 4 bolts. Drain the oil and gently remove this plate, there is oil inside so use a catch can. Do not try to remove the screen from the engine side, you will probably damage it. Use a tooth brush or small suede brush and gasoline to clean it. Closely inspect the residue collected in the cover to see if there is anything there that could be sucked up into the screen thereby shutting off the oil to the pump. Pay particular attention looking for fine brass shavings, the Intruders have an uncommon fault with the selector forks coming loose and getting ground down (in a case of Bronxintruder to the point of catastrophic failure). I know of 3 cases where this happened, including my old 750 which is now a parts bike for my 800.

[wbmosier]

I dont see where I would have a plate

[navigator]

I dont see where I would have a plate

I'm not sure about the 1400's but on the 750 - 800's the oil pump screen plate ...

I believe the 1400 does not have screen plate...the 800 does.

[Herb]

The first thing I would do is figure out how to hook up a mechanical pressure gauge to make sure it has good pressure, if it does the switch for the light or a wiring problem is the culprit.

If there is a pressure problem you will have to figure out what is causing it.

[wbmosier]

Awesome. I will get a guage kit today from harbor freight

[Herb]

Awesome. I will get a guage kit today from harbor freight

You may have to get an adapter to fit the metric thread.

Check the connection at the pressure switch, it is possible that the wire itself is screwed up considering that it is in an area that you have to mess with it to get the clutch cover off. I have had these small wires break inside the insulation at a connector.

[wbmosier]

Finally getting back to this thing after a while. I put a new pressure switch on and ran a 12v led from the positive to the new pressure switch. Turn the key and the led is lit up. Start the bike and the led and oil light go off for 6 seconds, then come back and stay. I'm thinking the low oil pressure is legitimate. What would be the next likely culprit?

[Herb]

The first thing the manual says for low oil pressure is a clogged oil filter.

The pump picks up from the sump filter which is just a screen, sends the oil pressure to a regulator, the oil cooler, relief valve, and then the flow goes to the filter then to the main gallery.

The pressure switch is off of the main gallery after the filter.

Other possibilities are the pressure regulator, the relief valve, or even the oil cooler.

Try the oil filter.

Do you have a repair manual?

[wbmosier]

I do have a manual. I have a new k&n 138 filter on it. They do brag about their special bypass valve. Same brand of filter as when I changed the clutch...and then the light. Every hear of that special valve not being good for an older one?

[Herb]

I do have a manual. I have a new k&n 138 filter on it. They do brag about their special bypass valve. Same brand of filter as when I changed the clutch...and then the light. Every hear of that special valve not being good for an older one?

Never heard that but I guess it is possible. I have always run the EMCO or Fram filters. Always got good service out of them.

[wbmosier]

New regulator /relief valve. She's still sick. Anybody know what the oil control plunger does? It's on the stator side at the front.

[Herb]

I just spent a bunch of time trying to find something about the oil control plunger in the manual and in the online parts fiche. Can't seem to find anything about it. Page 5-26 in the manual shows the oil flow diagram but there is nothing about it. The pressure switch comes off of the main gallery right after the filter. No mention of an oil control rod there or in the engine teardown that I could find. Do you know what section of the manual it is in?

The oil pressure goes from the oil pump to the oil cooler and relief valve then to the filter with a T off to the regulator. if the cooler plugs up the relief valve allows the pressure to go to the filter then into the main gallery. Since the pressure comes up then drops off it is either a plugged oil filter, a bad pump, a regulator, or a plugged pickup screen.

I gather that you changed the oil and filter and the problem started right after that. The oil pressure on the 1400 is between 50 and 90 psi. I am not sure of the bypass system in the filter and how it works or the pressure it works at and I have never had a filter that had one on it. Have you used these filters before on the 1400?

Try a cheap fram filter, my walmart sells them.

If that doesn't work I would say that there is a problem with the pump, regulator, or pickup.

[wbmosier]

I tried a new filter and oil. A new regulator/ relief valve. A new pressure switch. Tested wiring. Tested switch independent of the bike wiring. The Conyers plunger is part number 16442-34301 and is visible in the crankcase exploded view like at partzilla. I am probably wrong but would it be what squeezes oil into the regulator relief valve as its spring loaded? I found nothing on what this thing does. Either way, at only 25k miles, shoes going in the shop.

[Herb]

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I had a little bit of a family issue this morning.

I finally found the part you are talking about and it is possible that the plunger is sticking or the spring is bad. Since this is what controls the oil pressure by sending oil back into the sump if it were to release too soon it could lower oil pressure.

It looks like you can remove the rod and spring by pulling the retaining bolt. The oil pressure switch appears to be opposite the regulator you may be able to use air pressure to blow it out and see if any dirt/debris is in it. Meanwhile, you can check the spring and the plunger to see if there is a problem with them

The partszilla site shows the spring to be not available.