Has anyone replaced the oil sight glass.

[TLSgazza]

Mine is so cloudy I'm unable to see the oil level.
The vids I've seen say to smash it and remove using a tool to lever it out.
I don't want to end up with a bike stuck in my garage with a stuck smashed level inducator if I can't get it out so any advice will be welcome.
Basically how easily it comes out.
Removing a circlip if there is one?
I'm sure it's easy to drift the new one in.

 

[DrFarkoff]

Screwdriver, a pick for the retaining clip, a small nail bar or claw hammer, Drill and self tapper needed

Drain oil until below sight glass or All of It or Lay the bike onver so the oil drains away from sightglass

Remove retaining clip (the new one should be in the pack for reference but there is about a 1cm gap to get into and pick and lift )

Drill hole through plastic outer, preferably to pick up a "though hole"

Screw in large self tapper (through ready made hole!)

Pry with a bit of wood or folded over carboard between block and levering tool

Pop out old Sightglass and pop in the new one and refit securing clip

A little smear of rubber grease helps the sightglass go in ! Oooo Er Matron

 

[TLSgazza]

Screwdriver, a pick for the retaining clip, a small nail bar or claw hammer, Drill and self tapper needed

Drain oil until below sight glass or All of It or Lay the bike onver so the oil drains away from sightglass

Remove retaining clip (the new one should be in the pack for reference but there is about a 1cm gap to get into and pick and lift )

Drill hole through plastic outer, preferably to pick up a "though hole"

Screw in large self tapper (through ready made hole!)

Pry with a bit of wood or folded over carboard between block and levering tool

Pop out old Sightglass and pop in the new one and refit securing clip

A little smear of rubber grease helps the sightglass go in ! Oooo Er Matron

Perfect. I hope
It's Due an oil change which is why I thought I'll get it done.

 

[Steptoe]

Remove locking ring . Smash and remove plastic face.
Insert seal puller inside so end is under the metal lip of the oil sight glass.
Lever out .
Use a suitable sized socket to knock new sight glass back in place.

 

[TLSgazza]

Remove locking ring . Smash and remove plastic face.
Insert seal puller inside so end is under the metal lip of the oil sight glass.
Lever out .
Use a suitable sized socket to knock new sight glass back in place.

Got the bugger out in the end.
Smashed the plastic face. Picked the bits out.
Then the fun started.
The dam thing wouldn't budge.
I guess nearly 20 years and over 150.000 miles will do that to it.
Seal puller under the edge just wouldn't move it.
I tried the drill a hole in the back plate a few times. with a long screw. But even they just pulled out of the back plate.
Panic was setting in.
In the end I just used some pliers and because I'd drill the holes in the back plate I was able to crush it and remove the metal part. this just left hard plastic oil seal round the edge which was easy to deform and remove.
There was a fair bit of crud around the oil seal part that had got in over the years which I think made it so tight. A quick clean up and the new sight glass was drifted in.
Phew!!!
By the way the sight glass came from motorworks. I suspect it is a pattern part as it is different from the one in my bike. It has less holes in the back plate. but it does the job

 

[Headtester]

Good result, must have been a bit twitchy when you got past the point of no return and it wouldn't shift!

 

[steadysteve]

Also worth noting you have to be careful drilling or screwing a screw into the existing piece because there’s an oil pipe very close to the rear of the sight glass. Very easy to hit it with a drill bit or screw…

 

[TLSgazza]

Also worth noting you have to be careful drilling or screwing a screw into the existing piece because there’s an oil pipe very close to the rear of the sight glass. Very easy to hit it with a drill bit or screw…

Now you tell me......

Well I'm pretty sure I missed it then as I've ridden a couple of hundred miles since.
Btw
The new sight glass according to motorworks is actually glass as opened to the plastic original one.

 

[rovert57]

On an 1150 but must be the same as 1200

 

[TLSgazza]

On an 1150 but must be the same as 1200

I watched quite a number of videos including that one before I did mine.
He had just as much trouble removing it as I did.

 

[steadysteve]

I watched quite a number of videos including that one before I did mine.
He had just as much trouble removing it as I did.

I replaced mine because it was leaking quite badly in one place which undoubtedly helped the removal as a fair portion of the seal was oily.
It started moving on the first attempt but needed drilling in two more places to pull it out evenly, rather than getting it wedged diagonally in the hole.

 

[Steptoe]

Now you tell me......

Well I'm pretty sure I missed it then as I've ridden a couple of hundred miles since.
Btw
The new sight glass according to motorworks is actually glass as opened to the plastic original one.

There were quite a few Instances of the plastic melting, usually when people left the engine ticking over for too long ..