| Author | Message | ||
     Thumper74 |
 I changed my primary fluid right after MBV, but also after I washed the bike at a pay and spray car wash. I had assumed that the high pressure had forced water past the clutch cover and the primary chain inspection cover as well. I ran the bike until hot, drained and refilled. I changed the fluid last week when I performed my clutch cable, clutch adjustment and primary adjustment. It was the same color and consistency. There were beads of water coming out as well. I did the best I could hosing the residue out with brake cleaner and refilled the case. I didn't used a pressure washer since the last refill, just hand washing it with low pressure water. There are no external leaks except the timing plug... Are there any common leaking areas? Transmission vent tube? If it's possible, where's it at? Starter gasket leaking? Ideas? | ||
| Froggy |
If not the clutch cable, then odds are its the Transmission vent. Its in the area between the fan and swing arm. | ||
| Etennuly |
Looks like you have a cracked block allowing coolant to leak in there!   | ||
| Spiderman |
 | ||
| Barker |
got any crackers to go with that peanut butter? | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
Ft_Bstrd may correct me, but that looks alot like ECM fluid. Was there drill bit pieces mixed in? PS...Thump, got my disc? (Message edited by buellinachinashop on September 30, 2008) | ||
| Jramsey |
ECM fluid is colorless, that looks like buttermilk. | ||
| Thumper74 |
Chinashop, I do, can you e-mail me your address? It got sent back as undeliverable and I'm absent minded. Froggy, it's possible that the cable housing was letting it in, but it seems like the cable wouldn't allow that much in there. I'll check the vent when I install the new belt. Etennuly, my wife said it looks like the headgasket is blown. I'm proud that she knows what coolant and oil mix intermix looks like, but I explained that these are air cooled motors. ECM fluid? Like cutting fluid? The positive side of this is that there wasn't any more metal on the plug than usual. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
"ECM fluid? Like cutting fluid?" You haven't seen the Kawasaki thread yet have you??? http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/327 77/398716.html?1222365459 | ||
| Kyrocket |
At least he's seeing the bright side, he's given a LOT of people a good laugh. His shadetree mechanic is really taking a hit. | ||
| Thumper74 |
I just read the thread and it's great. To answer XL1200R's statement on another thread. I've changed it three times. Once before badness since I wasn't sure of what the previous owner had done/not done. I changed it afterwards when I realized that I used a pressure washer to wash it. The first round of water may have come from the few hundred miles of rain encountered on the way to Badness or from the pressure washer. The world may never know. The bike get's plenty hot, I ride it almost 30 miles to work daily. Even in the winter time, I only start it when I know I can put some miles on it. Going to check it out and see if I can find anything obvious in the morning This service performed on Friday, I really have no idea where it would have come from. I haven't used a pressure washer and haven't ridden in anything more than a drizzle. | ||
| Gowindward |
"Etennuly, my wife said it looks like the head gasket is blown. I'm proud that she knows what coolant and oil mix intermix looks like, but I explained that these are air cooled motors. " Air cooled...well duh! The air getting in from the blown head gasket is causing it!  Bless her heart! | ||
| Azxb9r |
Mine looked like that after getting caught in a heavy rain. Light rain does not seem to be a problem. You may want to change it again just to make sure you got all the water out. | ||
| Hootowl |
plug your tranny vent before you wash your bike. | ||
| Etennuly |
Just an ounce or two of water will cause the milky foamy stuff. Check that the rubber boot is in place over the cable adjuster, not a bad idea to put a little thick grease in there. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Ok, I have officially given myself the Golden Retard award. Again. Like a good little boy, I changed the fluids in my bike today. And power flushed the transmission with Formula+. Again.  | ||
| Barker |
Nah, i got you beat. I once put exactly 2 and a half quarts of syn3 in my tranny. I almost continued this tragedy by putting a quart of formula + in the swing arm. That's what happens when a dyslexic bueller decides to have a "few" drinks while he cleans the garage and services the bikes.  (Message edited by barker on September 30, 2008) | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I once put exactly 2 and a half quarts of syn3 in my tranny. The puddle on the floor wasn't an indication that something was wrong?  It wouldn't be so tragic if I hadn't done the same thing LAST TIME I changed the primary fluid. | ||
| Etennuly |
I had an employee(with a couple years of mechanical experience) who one time put seven gallons of new diesel oil in a truck and asked me "where does this go?" when he handed me the oil pan drain plug( the one he had removed a half hour before). | ||
| Kyrocket |
I think I know him. He tried to change my oil at Wal-mart last time. Funny story but I'll save you. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
Had to be the same guy who "fixed" the lower unit on my outboard and didn't replace the prop nut on my $500.00 stainless prop. | ||
| Etennuly |
on my $500.00 stainless prop. Woah! Did it go to the bottom of the dark fathoming deep? Was likely him  ....he seemed to get around. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
"Woah! Did it go to the bottom of the dark fathoming deep?" No, it skipped down the rough, shallow highway. | ||
| Buelltoys |
Just be like a lot of us Uly owners and don't wash the bike. Then the water can't get in!! | ||
| Sparky |
The water can still get in by condensing from air in the tranny vent as the engine heats up and cools down. | ||
| Rainman |
I'm not sure, but I think the same thing happened to my Blast and the Harley mechanic I took it to said the Knudsen valve need to be re-frabulitized. Damn thing cost $300. Better than the time he had to rebend the sneezepins. | ||
| Bombardier |
Helps if you have the bike standing straight up when changing the primary. You can do this by leaning it against the wall/workbench with it in gear and hocky strapping it to the wall/bench. | ||
| Thumper74 |
The bike is vertical, it's not even touching the wood under the sidestand. My new belt got here today, when I have the front pulley cover off, I'll check the vent. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
Well damn.I changed my XB9R's oil tonight after I got home from work...surprise surprise........the tranny oil was milky gray! The bike has one short run in light rain and has sat at work thru a couple hours of light rain...... and one down pour that led to a water crossing at a flooded intersection.No pressure washing. Evidently that's all it takes to drown the tranny fluid. Fortunately I have a couple of quarts of Sport-trans fluid to run thru it to chase out the water. This bike is done for the season..so I'll probably leave the plug out for a few days before I do some rinse rides. X1 and XB12R are still at the ready, but their time is soon to be put to bed for winter............blah! | ||
| Just_ziptab |
I think I may have discovered how water gets in the tranny.XB owners may be wise to check their bike. From my post on ATC......."And that's when the monkey flew out my ass": OK, here's the rub. The vent hose is properly tucked in behind the rear brake master cylinder mount and it slopes very slightly down with the bike level..........BUT, with the bike on the side stand, it looks like rain water "could" run under the back of the seat,flow down the battery and drip right into the slightly off level hose end.There also is a neart invisible water track in the dust on the battery. Also, my lunch box carrier plate that replaces the rear seat funnels any rain right into the back of the rider seat. 2+2=?.......... I'm betting dat day dat the 5" of rain that fell on it in 15 minutes did the dirty deed. I'm putting a plastic elbow on the vent hose end, pointing down ..........  | ||
| Dongalonga |
Just changed my primary fluid on the 03 Lightning I just picked up. It has 15.5K miles on it and the fluid was only slightly milky, but the cover looked exactly like the pic above. I am going to check the vent hose and clutch cable tomorrow. I never had this problem with my old 03 Lightning, so I will keep an eye on it. |
