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Can someone tell me why my sump plug has a little plastic float attached to it, running up and down a vertical rod? Does it block a port in the sump when the level is high, or is it a relic of an electric oil-level gauge?

Nick

OK, I can answer my own query now, having looked at the little user's manual. It's a typically-thoughtful Cagiva touch to have an oil-level sender, but I have no idea how it works! I can see no electrical contacts and surely the rod is too slim to have a magnetic reed switch in it, even if there was a magnet attached to the float. I guess it's not that important...

Nick

You must be one of the only people with one of those intact still. Most are long gone!

Yes it's an oil level sender. Its pretty much the same as the one in the fuel tank- looks like a graphite rod on copper tube. There should be a wire out of the bottom of the sump plug which runs along the bottom of the crankcase through a little clip and to the single wire connector which I think is somewhere behind the electric starter or possibly in with the wires to the pickups. most oil sensors have long since broken. If the float is intact then with some careful cutting/drilling/digging Of the underside of the sump plug you could probably remove the old resin and reattach a new wire, but they never were the most helpful sensor in the first place so probably not worth the effort!

I have a brand new one in my Dart, but not very shure if it works.
And i even dont want to try it

mantaray wrote:I have a brand new one in my Dart, but not very shure if it works.
And i even dont want to try it

Brand-new, Ray? Where did you get it, and how much?

Of course, the little oil light comes on at tickover in neutral (test-function, I believe) but I don't like to think it's not doing the job when it goes out. There's no oil-pressure light on these engines either....

Nick

Got it from a member of the German forum in exchange off a magnetic oilplug.
Lucky me

Nick- don't worry too much about it. On morini oil related issues are almost unheard of. Most engines use very little oil, especially the nikasil barrelled ones (including dart) and the oil pump is over spec'd and I've never known one to wear or fail.

As long as you put the right amount in and check it every so often you'll be fine

Tom

morini_tom wrote:Nick- don't worry too much about it. On morini oil related issues are almost unheard of. Most engines use very little oil, especially the nikasil barrelled ones (including dart) and the oil pump is over spec'd and I've never known one to wear or fail.

As long as you put the right amount in and check it every so often you'll be fine

Tom

OK, thanks for the reassurance; that's one less item to put effort into!

By the way, the Dart improved my knowledge the other evening. I now know that all H4 headlamp bulbs are not the same! All other H4 bulbs I've ever seen are the 43t fitment, while the Dart is the earlier and less-secure 45t. It took ages to locate the little peg in the slot....

Nick

Just read this post (late again...)

Easy way to test if it works is to switch on the ignition before you put new oil in after a change. Put the bike into gear and if the oil light stays on (it normally goes off out of neutral) the sensor is working. I don't need to say don't start the engine yet, do I?

Fill up the bike with oil and you'll note that the light will go out with just over 2 litres in the sump (from memory - it's a long time since I did this...); it needs more than that of course, but normally some is wizzing around the engine, isn't it. I once lost all the oil in my Dart (the feed pipe to the radiator rubbed against one of the bolts and once disturbed at a service ruptured and lost oil on my next trip) and I noticed the oil on the m/c boot before the light came on. As Tom says, just keep an eye on levels, the engine doesn't / shouldn't need top-ups between changes.

Good riding,

CC