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Help with M796 oil capacity

40K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  Mister Ducati  
#1 ·
I have a 2011 M796 ABS and I just did an oil change. The owners manual and the workshop manual both state the oil capacity is 3.7 litres (3.9 qts.) but it only took about 2.5 quarts to bring the level in the sight glass to the mid point between min and max. What's up with that? I've been doing oil changes in various vehicles for 30+ years and I've never run across one that varied that much from what the factory specs indicate the capacity should be.

Anybody out there seeing that much variance, or am I missing something here?
Sorry if this has been covered somewhere else on this forum but it has me scratching my thick head!!!

Thanks in advance for all of your help.
 
#2 ·
I've found that there is generally about a quart of oil I can't get out of my bike for some reason when I do oil changes. The last one I did I drained it all down, bike was perfectly upright locked onto a Handy motorcycle lift, filled it to dead center. After a 2 mile trip and in the garage, the oil was way overfilled. I had to drain some out again to get it back to the correct line. I've still not figure out why that is. I've had this happen on some older bikes as well. My dealer has told me that a lot of oil is stored in the heads and feed lines. I don't know if I believe him, but that would explain it.
 
#5 ·
Filled it to just below the indicated line. Ran the engine for about 3-5 minutes to let the oil circulate. After shutting off the engine, the oil level was below the line, filled more oil until just below the sight line. At that point, I had put in about 3.5 quarts. From that point on, the oil level was at about the sight line. Hope that helps.
 
#6 ·
Just for grins, I fired up the bike and did a quick trip around the block to heat it up a bit.
I completely drained the oil, (opened drain plug and oil screen plug) and removed the filter and drained it. I buttoned it all up, and added exactly 3 qts of oil. Fired the bike up and took a little ride and when I got back home, the oil level in the sight glass was reading well ABOVE the max line. Siphoned a little out to get it down to the line but when it's indicating right on the max line in the sight glass, I have less than 3 qts in the bike.

I know I'm being redundant here but I wanted to make sure. Thanks guys for your input.
 
#9 ·
The 696 and 769 Monsters will require exactly 3.4 litres of oil - note (this is with a oil filter change).
Start by draining the oil and note (you must stand the bike upright in order to remove most of the old oil). If you leave the bike on the sidestand you will not be able to remove all the oil.
Replace the filter by filling the new filter with about 100ml of new oil.
When the job is done - start the engine for about a minute - stop the engine - stand the bike upright and the oil level should be at the lower of the two marks in the oil level window.
Note - the level will show higher when the engine is hot due to the oil expansion when hot.

I recommend that you lean the bike to the right and left several times while draining the oil while watching to make sure there is no more oil draining from the drain plug.
 
#10 ·
Thanks for that. I did rock the bike from side to side until no more oil came out, but I didn't put 100ml in the new filter. I used a small local garage around the corner from my place since they had the filter removal tool, so I rode home maybe 500m from there and checked the level again. It did drop, but only from the "full" line to about "half full". Perhaps that drop was due to the filter filling up. Will check again in the morning since it's now night time here in Thailand. BTW, only US$4 for the garage to lend me tools and help with the oil change, not bad, hey!
 
#11 ·
And just in case some of you do not know - All Ducati`s have two level marks around the perimeter of the oil level glass window.
The lower mark is to be used only when the engine is cold ( oil level should be here when cold ).
The upper mark is the maximum level when the engine is hot only ( after driven for at least a half hour ).
I have seen many cases where people have adjusted the level to the upper mark when the engine is cold - NO NO NO!!!
 
#15 ·
It is this way on most any bike engine that has a sight glass for the oil level.
When we design an engine case and need to calculate the proper oil level, We use a liquid/oil expansion formula to calculate the oil level change from cold to hot.
The average person has always been told that as long as the oil level is between the two marks. all is good. In many ways that is true for the average street enthusiast.
But as I stated earlier - the proper way is something that most people just do not know.
The same method also applies to the dipstick style of oil level if the dipstick has a diamond cut pattern between the upper and lower marks.
 
#16 ·
Most people will simply add oil to the high mark on dipsticks when the engine is cold. This will result in too much oil in the engine when it is hot due to oil expansion.
You are better off to have a oil level that is a bit low as opposed to too high. If the level is too high it will result in aeration of the oil (air trapped in the oil ) and this air will be pulled in by the engines oil pump, It will then circulate in the system and become trapped in the oil filter and other systems such as coolers and lines. NOT TOO GOOD for engine life.
 
#19 ·
Yes that is ok for the average street driver who like`s to cruise - anywhere between the two marks will not be a issue.
But as I stated earlier - the proper way for sporty to aggressive driving is to place the bike perfectly upright and at the lower mark.
As the engine`s oil temperature increases so does the oil level and the larger the initial oil capacity - the larger the difference will be.
And you must realize that the difference between the two marks is from 250ml to 350ml depending on the model.
Upon aggressive driving at high rpm`s the engine internal rotating components such as (transmission gears - crankshaft counter weights etc.) will thrash around the oil that is above the upper mark and this will aerate the oil ( oil and air do not mix ).
Many racing engines have been destroyed due to this.
And of course this is the way we train our techs to do it.!!