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Spacecapsule1
| | Posted on Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 08:15 pm: | 
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hey,
my pcv valve has been leaking through the grommet for some time. i finally replaced both the grommet and the valve because the valve was actually collapsed a bit where the grommet fit around it......
the new valve wasn't like that, so i know the old one was indeed collapsed. anyhow, i installed the new grommet and the valve, then took off on a trip. sure enough, still leaking, though not as bad.
what's the deal? i used a bit of new oil to lubricate the valve so i could slide it into the grommet. would this cause it to leak??
oil level when hot is between the marks on the dipstick.... |
Buellistic
| | Posted on Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 09:12 pm: |
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Spacecapsule1:
They all leak unless you fix them so they will not !!!
The way "i" did mine was to use YAMABOND to seal the PVC Valve in the GROMMET, then put a big headed screws drilled for safty wire on each side of valve to hold it still ... WORKED FOR ME !!!
In BLASTing
LaFayette |
Gearheaderiko
| | Posted on Friday, June 01, 2007 - 12:32 pm: |
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Buellistic is right, they all leak, even a little. A fresh new grommet always helps or you can glue it in (RTV, adhesive, Yamabond, etc) as he's done. |
J2blue
| | Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2008 - 12:19 am: |
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Ok, but what is acceptable leakage? I found mine to be very loose while I had the tank moved back to install a new spark plug. I could move the PCV valve up and down. Supposedly the tank presses down on the valve to keep it from coming up, but is that enough to minimize the leakage?
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Swampy
| | Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2008 - 12:36 pm: |
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Nothing to worry about, just replace the grommet!
Order two, they are cheap and a nice thing to have on hand, just like having an extra masterlink, if you have it you will never need it.
Technically speaking, the Blast does not have a PVC, it is a crank case vent, and it should be vented to the road, not the air cleaner! |
J2blue
| | Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2008 - 01:18 pm: |
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I'll add the PCV grommets to my list. And the recycling thing really does go too far sometimes. Do you think there is a need to use a catch can or just route it safely away from the rear tire? |
Swampy
| | Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2008 - 05:49 pm: |
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Just out any old place will do. Both Blasts I have route right out the back and with the rerouting under the gas tank that I do it gives a little longer hose that looks like it is going out on the rear brake, but I think what you mostly see accumulated in the air box with the stock set up is a lot of water vapor mixed with a little oil, so I have no oil residue at the outlet with nothing on the rear brake.(How is that for a run-on sentence?) |
Gearheaderiko
| | Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2008 - 10:40 pm: |
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Down to the road away from everything (if possible). The 'spew' can range from just a little, to liberally coating the back of your bike with oil. Until you find out which style you have, its best to keep it pointed down and away.
On a positive note, if you ever do the top end, you can get this oil consumption down to almost zero! |
Reuel
| | Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2008 - 11:36 pm: |
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When one says, "top end," does one mean everything including and above the fins? |
J2blue
| | Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008 - 12:59 am: |
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I may be calling on NRHS since I live much closer to them now. I was considering buying an XB9 but will wait a little longer and instead spend half as much on modifying the Blast. |
Berkshire
| | Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008 - 05:02 am: |
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Reuel, correct - well, not the gas tank frame, etc!
...but yes - the piston, cylinder, head, rocker box & cover, and all associated hardware & gaskets are the "top end".
I took mine apart and cleaned it up - especially the rings & their grooves, and oil use dropped off considerably! "Aircraft Stripper" works well for the stubborn chamber & piston top deposits that the milder cleaners can't dissolve.
I also swapped out the jug with a used one from ebay at the same time, replaced a leaky o-ring, and jetted up the main pretty rich - those things probably helped cut oil use, but I think freeing up the rings was really what did it. |
Johnnymac
| | Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008 - 10:41 am: |
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Berkshire, I would think the rings on a new Blast would be fairly "free" of deposits and gunk but they still eat up oil. I'm not arguing with your results but why exactly would that make a difference compared to a new engine? I can see how an older engine with clogged rings would see a difference in consumption since it's the wiper rings that keep the oil in the crank and out of the cylinder, but for the consumption to be less afterwards than even a new engine puzzles me. Just curious.
I have also heard that it's the valve guide seals that are responsible for most of the oil use in the Blast. Supposedly replacing them with non-HD aftermarket seals almost eliminates all oil consumption. Is this true from your experience? |
Berkshire
| | Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008 - 08:42 pm: |
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It takes a while for new rings to seat, so maybe by the end of the break-in period they're already gummed up? I think mine had about 12K on it when I cleaned it up.
I still have to add 7 oz. of oil about every 3rd or 4th tankfull, but it used to be EVERY tankful! Changing the PCV to a breather system and running it rich has probably helped to keep it clean.
The valve seals on the blast look pretty nice to me - a steel collar that fits down over the top of the guide, with a thin seal. I don't remember if there is a wire spring, but they are way more "high-tech" looking that the old umbrella type seals, though that's no guarantee they work well. The area around the intake should be pretty well drained anyway, but the exhaust hay be sitting in a pool of oil when running.
I put the stock seals back on, so I don't know if further improvement can be had. The aftermarket seals look pretty tight! |
Berkshire
| | Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008 - 08:45 pm: |
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BTW - my PCV "valve" is also kind of loose fitting, but it looks like only a small amount of vapor comes out.
(judging by only slight residue around it) |
Gearheaderiko
| | Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008 - 11:54 pm: |
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Its the rings and a little TLC. Factory assembly isnt near the quality of one off rebuilds. New rings-gapped, fresh bore w/ matching piston makes a huge difference.
A completely new/redone 'top end' on my first Blast cut the oil consumption to zero (or as close to it as you can get). It was a minimum 2000+ miles before I added any oil with cams and 7500rpm!
Rings and piston only on the 2nd Blast cut the oil consumption also down to near zero (I havent tracked it nearly as close, but it no longer sprays out the breather like it used to).
Running richer also can have the effect of thinning out the oil, so I'm not sure if its doing that much good. |
Blak
| | Posted on Thursday, May 07, 2009 - 08:49 am: |
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hello, my 1st "thumper" post..my wife's 07 blast has 1000miles on it, i bought it new..it was leaking oil pretty bad, i took it back to have it fixed + 1st service. they replaced cam seal. i put about 30miles on it and noticed still leaking. it appears to be dumping oil into the airbox, so it leaks out of there, all over the belt cover and my foot. it's back at dealer now, again. i already had to change the sparkplug(put gold one in) at about 800miles. is oil in airbox a common problem? could this be related to my sparkplug goin bad already? thank you.-Sean |
Gearheaderiko
| | Posted on Thursday, May 07, 2009 - 09:53 am: |
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Welcome Blak!
My first suspicion is that its being overfilled with oil. Its only (appx.) 8 oz between the low and high mark on the dipstick and it must be checked hot. If its checked cold, it will always be low (wait long enough and it will appear empty). If its full when cold, its over full.
Oil in the airbox is common, but not to the extreme extent you have.
Sparkplug wont cause this problem. |
Blak
| | Posted on Friday, May 08, 2009 - 11:11 am: |
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when i chekd it, nevr seemed to be overfilled, but i'll keep an eye on that, thanx......as far as the plug, i meant did the excess oil in the airbox help caus the plug to foul?
HOLD ON, thinkn about this now..the 2nd time i noticed the oil coming out of airbox was AFTER i picked it up from dealer.it was there to fix the leak AND 1st service! so it SHOULDN'T have been overfilled.
these things(my xb too) sure are querky....(hehe, is that a word?) |
Johnnymac
| | Posted on Friday, May 08, 2009 - 01:20 pm: |
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"it was there to fix the leak AND 1st service! so it SHOULDN'T have been overfilled. "
Bwahahahahah!  |
Gearheaderiko
| | Posted on Friday, May 08, 2009 - 05:33 pm: |
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Bwahahahahah! Ditto!
If you've read your owners manual, then you probably know more about your Blast than the dealer.
Quirky-yes.
Excess oil could have fouled the plug. |
Blak
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 10:41 am: |
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got blast back last night..the fix was only a few $$ in parts, a clamp and filters?.?.?. dude was gona charge me! had to remind him that we have it less than a year and it only has 1000miles........that's 3 problems/breakdowns already..and 2 on my xb, also under 1000miles....sorry to complain, m done being mad bout it, jus disgusted.....wanted SO bad to have American stuff..LOVE my JEEP, my buells:not so much anymore.....NOT a fan of NEW stuff that has to be worked on all the time.HEHE, dealer didnt tell me it was gona be like this.i wonder why he forgot to mention that?...i traded a suzuki in on my xb, saw it there yesterday, one of their techs bought it/loves it, i sure miss it!
i am NOT ragging YOU guys, i promise...but i have questions: what's the attraction to these bikes? y are you guys so into them, KNOWING about all the the potential problems that come with ownership? |
Ezblast
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 10:51 am: |
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KNOWING about all the the potential problems that come with ownership?
That can happen with any brand. Most have no problems.
EZ |
Britchri10
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 06:28 pm: |
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Potential problems? Knowledge of same? In my (not very relevant) opinion finding out faults with the bike you own and fixing them yourself is half of the fun of owning what is a great bike. The Blast may make you take your time and research issues but it is still the best bang for the buck going as far as I am concerned. I like riding a real bike. If I wanted an appliance I would buy a BMW. dealing with issues and improving on the basics makes ownership an investment in the machine itself. |
Reuel
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 07:10 pm: |
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Problems? Do these Blasts have problems? Hmmm... Glad I'm special. just about every problem I ever had involved bad wrenching or too much rum while I was wrenching. Oh--and the dealers tend to mess things up, too. |
Gearheaderiko
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 09:02 pm: |
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Ditto! Your bike is only as reliable as the last person that worked on it. Regrettably, Buell (and the Blast) are the red headed stepchild of HD. Often they just dont care.
Also its a 'is the glass half full or half empty scenario'. If you look for the problems, you'll find them. After a bad start, any little problem that comes up, you'll blame the bike and look for more. Doesnt matter if its a flat tire or fairing busted by a rock etc. The people I've talked to about Buells and Harleys that expect problems, will get problems. They are better off buying something else, sadly.
And yes, I am a "I would rather push a Harley than ride a Honda" guy,fwiw. However, in 30 years I've yet to be stranded by a problem that wasnt of my causing (and thats less than a half dozen).
I do understand your frustration though. |
Reuel
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - 09:15 pm: |
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I've been stranded TWICE! Both times, my wife brought me a full gas can and got me back on the road. |
Ezblast
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - 12:21 am: |
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lol |
Garlic_sauce
| | Posted on Friday, September 25, 2009 - 07:54 am: |
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I replaced my old 2001 grommet with the updated grommet, no leak! heres a picture I drew of the difference between the two. The old one is on the left :
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Littlebuggles
| | Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2012 - 09:39 am: |
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Sooooo...
I was wondering if anyone knows if a pcv grommet is available through any other source besides HD?
I'm stuck waiting for a couple of those before reassembling my XB and it's making me crazy. A search of the KV, Blast and XB forums over the last two years has not turned anything up as far as cross referencing through an outside source such as NAPA, AutoZone, Checker Auto or the likes.
I'm pretty sure a standard aftermarket cruiser shop would not source those parts either.
I'm open to ideas as I don't want to reassemble, then have to rotate my motor again just to swap out those grommets that have gotten hard and are not sealing.
Is hylomar anything like yamabond? now that I've read this thread I'm considering removing the grommets, adding an o-ring and smearing the pcv valve with a bit of the hylomar I got to back up the rockerbox gaskets seals.
Thanks in advance |
Gearheaderiko
| | Posted on Sunday, January 29, 2012 - 12:47 pm: |
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Have you contacted American Sport Bike?
My initial research doesnt show them available singularly from anyplace but Buell/HD (which doesnt mean they arent, I just couldnt find them). Often included in top end kits from various sources, your best bet might be to buy a kit (e-bay or ?) take out the grommets, then resell the kits.
I dont know that I'd want to use a hardened grommet in a bike with limited rocker access like the XB, sealer or not. If I was going to use sealer, I'd use something flexible like high temp RTV (being very careful to let it fully dry, with very little inside the actual cover). I dont know what hylomar is, but if its like yamabond, dont think I'd use it for the gromett. |
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