Thread: Why are there 2 oil drain plugs?

I changed my oil on my 82' CT-70 today for the first time. I pulled the plug nearest the shifter and no oil came out. I then pulled the larger plug in the center and drained some pretty nasty oil. Why is the left plug there anyway? Also, do you fill the oil according to the dipstick with the bike on it's side stand or standing straight up?

The right one that points straight down is, indeed, your oil drain plug. The left one that's at an angle is where the cam chain tensioner goodies are installed. '82 was a good year for cam chain adjusters. (I prefer this type, but I run what I got.) Unless you have pretty severe cam chain wear you don't ever need to remove the left plug. There is an adjuster screw and lock nut (looks kind of like the clutch adjuster) that is on the side of the case just in front of the shift shaft. The factory adjustment method is simply (with the engine idling) to bust the lock nut loose, back the adjuster screw out a tiny bit, then snug it back up and retighten the lock nut. There are lots of tricks if your chain is still noisy, . . . my favorite is (with the spark plug out and the flywheel cover off) rotate the flywheel forwards until you feel resistance. The resistance is the cam starting to open a valve; this will put the slack in the cam chain on the adjuster side of the cam chain sprockets. Now do the adjuster thing as described above and you're all set.

Oil is checked with the bike standing straight up. Just set the dip stick on the opening, don't thread it in, and pull it out. If the level is in the cross-hatch, life is good.

BTW, how's Fremont these days? I lived in Newark for five years ('66-'71) way back when, just off Cherry Street across from (what once was) the Peterbuilt plant. Small world, huh?

-kevin

Thanks for clearing things up. If I don't ask, I'll never learn! I think I'll stay out of the left plug hole until I need to. I actually grew up in Newark and went to Newark Memorial HS. Fremont has changed since you've been gone though. It is now the Indian capital of the US, which is great...........if you are Indian.

Originally Posted by Campn Dad

. . . . Fremont has changed since you've been gone though. It is now the Indian capital of the US, . . .

I presume dots, not feathers, . . .

Originally Posted by Miniac

I presume dots, not feathers, . . .

I wasn't going to go there for fear that I might offend, but since I've never seen one on a minibike, it's probably safe.

That's some funny funny stuff

finding a gas station,7-11,dunkin donuts,that's american owned is extreamly difficult in N.J.i like to piss them off when i top off one of the CT's with a buck!