Oil everywhere! HELP...

immaculata · 10-21-2012, 04:59 PM

This is never a good ending to a ride...

So i need some help to trouble shoot why the back half of my bike is covered in engine oil. As you can see my beemer is not exactly stock. There's no air box and the crank case breaths via a small K&N filter. Yesterday a mate borrowed the bike and called about 20 minutes later when he stopped and found oil all over the backend. It didn't take me long to find where the oil was coming from, yep, the crank case breather had excreted it. Thank god he stopped when he did because quite a lot of the oil ended up on the back wheel.

Note to self: BUILD A CATCH CAN

But why would this happen? How can i trouble shoot this?

I've pulled the plugs thinking Rings but they look perfect.

Any ideas?

Box'a'bits · 10-21-2012, 05:03 PM

Does it smell like gearbox oil? There is a bolt at the top of the gearbox. I've had that loosen (forgotten to tighten it) a few times & the gearbox is good at spitting oil out of that - makes a hell of a mess.

immaculata · 10-21-2012, 05:38 PM

Na i don't think so. I had the crank case breather filter under the starter cover and that's where all oil has come out. I can see it's flowed out of that hole on the left side of the case that goes into the starter housing.

Byron1 · 10-21-2012, 06:45 PM

I know it might sound like a stupid question, but has your mate overfilled it with engine oil?

On my bike, i never fill it up to the max fill line on the dipstick as it will always end up venting into the RH carb.. or in your case the back wheel. I always fill it to about 3/4 up the dipstick marker.. no further.. reading taken with the dipstick unscrewed and resting on the filler hole.

immaculata · 10-21-2012, 06:54 PM

not a stupid question at all, i asked him exactly that. But he didn't and it's been fine for the last 2K km's i've done on it so i don't think that's an issue. Thanks though...

Airhead Wrangler · 10-21-2012, 07:23 PM

Did you fill the oil up to the full mark on the dipstick? (or farther?) Also, there's a small drainback hole just under the breather valve in the bottom of the condensing tunnel on the top of the crankcase. If that tiny hole gets blocked the tunnel fills with oil. Pull your breather valve and verify that the drain is open.

immaculata · 10-21-2012, 08:02 PM

thanks, i'll check that out tonight

supershaft · 10-21-2012, 08:04 PM

I fill my crank full to the full mark and rev my engine to 8k all the time and I never have more than just a little bit come out of my crank vents. I have still never noticed any airhead engine stop using oil or stop blowing a small bit out the crank vent at the half way mark or even at the add mark. I am keeping my eyes open since tons report just that.

Voltaire · 10-21-2012, 10:04 PM

snap....

we pulled the gearbox out and the flywheel off.....not the main seal...

eventually found the culprit....

had a sort of bodged silicon gasket....

Interesting comment earlier about oil level....

What I think happened was at high revs ( its a race bike) the breather tube to catch bottle filled up and dripped out via the 'gasket' into the clutch......grrrr.

immaculata · 10-22-2012, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airhead Wrangler

Did you fill the oil up to the full mark on the dipstick? (or farther?) Also, there's a small drainback hole just under the breather valve in the bottom of the condensing tunnel on the top of the crankcase. If that tiny hole gets blocked the tunnel fills with oil. Pull your breather valve and verify that the drain is open.

is this the hole you mean? No idea how i confirm this is not blocked. Looks ok i guess? (not a bad photo for a phone!)

immaculata · 10-22-2012, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voltaire

What I think happened was at high revs ( its a race bike) the breather tube to catch bottle filled up and dripped out via the 'gasket' into the clutch......grrrr.

Got a feeling my clutch has copped some oil too. I wasn't riding but my mate that was said it felt like the clutch was slipping.... great!

immaculata · 10-22-2012, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by immaculata

is this the hole you mean? No idea how i confirm this is not blocked. Looks ok i guess? (not a bad photo for a phone!)

found this shot on bmwmotorcycletech. time to start poking...

pommie john · 10-22-2012, 02:24 AM

I've seen the oil spew out of the breather once ( not on my bike) but only when the rings were shot and pressurising the crankcase.

immaculata · 10-22-2012, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pommie john

I've seen the oil spew out of the breather once ( not on my bike) but only when the rings were shot and pressurising the crankcase.

That's exactly what I hope it's not. I guess a compression test will tell all?

pommie john · 10-22-2012, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by immaculata

That's exactly what I hope it's not. I guess a compression test will tell all?

I guess, but a leak down test would be better.

10-21-2012, 04:59 PM	#1
immaculata ^OP Adventurer Joined: May 2008 Location: Melbourne Australia Oddometer: 43	Oil everywhere! HELP... This is never a good ending to a ride... So i need some help to trouble shoot why the back half of my bike is covered in engine oil. As you can see my beemer is not exactly stock. There's no air box and the crank case breaths via a small K&N filter. Yesterday a mate borrowed the bike and called about 20 minutes later when he stopped and found oil all over the backend. It didn't take me long to find where the oil was coming from, yep, the crank case breather had excreted it. Thank god he stopped when he did because quite a lot of the oil ended up on the back wheel. Note to self: BUILD A CATCH CAN But why would this happen? How can i trouble shoot this? I've pulled the plugs thinking Rings but they look perfect. Any ideas? __________________ '92 R100R

10-21-2012, 05:03 PM	#2
Box'a'bits In need of repair Joined: Sep 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Oddometer: 1,438	Does it smell like gearbox oil? There is a bolt at the top of the gearbox. I've had that loosen (forgotten to tighten it) a few times & the gearbox is good at spitting oil out of that - makes a hell of a mess. __________________ My '91 R100GS thread is here My Ride photos are here It's just better when there's twins involved....

10-21-2012, 05:38 PM	#3
immaculata ^OP Adventurer Joined: May 2008 Location: Melbourne Australia Oddometer: 43	Na i don't think so. I had the crank case breather filter under the starter cover and that's where all oil has come out. I can see it's flowed out of that hole on the left side of the case that goes into the starter housing. __________________ '92 R100R

10-21-2012, 06:45 PM	#4
Byron1 Adventurer Joined: Jul 2012 Location: Lincolnshire, England Oddometer: 84	I know it might sound like a stupid question, but has your mate overfilled it with engine oil? On my bike, i never fill it up to the max fill line on the dipstick as it will always end up venting into the RH carb.. or in your case the back wheel. I always fill it to about 3/4 up the dipstick marker.. no further.. reading taken with the dipstick unscrewed and resting on the filler hole. __________________ http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/A...he-flying-aga/

10-21-2012, 06:54 PM	#5
immaculata ^OP Adventurer Joined: May 2008 Location: Melbourne Australia Oddometer: 43	not a stupid question at all, i asked him exactly that. But he didn't and it's been fine for the last 2K km's i've done on it so i don't think that's an issue. Thanks though... __________________ '92 R100R

10-21-2012, 07:23 PM	#6
Airhead Wrangler More tacos than you Joined: Mar 2008 Location: Manzanillo MX, occasionally Seattle Oddometer: 5,128	Did you fill the oil up to the full mark on the dipstick? (or farther?) Also, there's a small drainback hole just under the breather valve in the bottom of the condensing tunnel on the top of the crankcase. If that tiny hole gets blocked the tunnel fills with oil. Pull your breather valve and verify that the drain is open. __________________ R80ST Gets The HPN Treatment Ducati Pantah 500SL Rebuild Seattle to TDF on an airhead WTB R100R Mystic sidestand and mount.

10-21-2012, 08:02 PM	#7
immaculata ^OP Adventurer Joined: May 2008 Location: Melbourne Australia Oddometer: 43	thanks, i'll check that out tonight __________________ '92 R100R

10-21-2012, 08:04 PM	#8
supershaft because I can Joined: Sep 2010 Location: San Francisco Bay area Oddometer: 6,088	I fill my crank full to the full mark and rev my engine to 8k all the time and I never have more than just a little bit come out of my crank vents. I have still never noticed any airhead engine stop using oil or stop blowing a small bit out the crank vent at the half way mark or even at the add mark. I am keeping my eyes open since tons report just that.

10-21-2012, 10:04 PM	#9
Voltaire Studly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2011 Location: New Zealand Oddometer: 720	snap.... we pulled the gearbox out and the flywheel off.....not the main seal... eventually found the culprit.... had a sort of bodged silicon gasket.... Interesting comment earlier about oil level.... What I think happened was at high revs ( its a race bike) the breather tube to catch bottle filled up and dripped out via the 'gasket' into the clutch......grrrr.

10-22-2012, 02:24 AM	#13
pommie john Beastly Adventurer Joined: Apr 2008 Location: Brisvegas, Australia Oddometer: 1,116	I've seen the oil spew out of the breather once ( not on my bike) but only when the rings were shot and pressurising the crankcase. __________________ The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. Bertrand Russell

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