| Author | Message | ||
     Lance12r |
Ok, so I go to my local HD dealer to get my first service done on my new 12R (free service so why not). While I'm there I have them install the pro series plugs as well. That's all I had done, oil, trans fluid and plugs. They finish and I get two miles from the dealer and my bike is creating a smoke screen for about two cars behind me causing some nasty looks, the left side of my rear tire, rear brake caliper and rotor are DRIPPING with oil as well. I go right back to the dealer, pissed as hell. After looking at it for a second the tech says, yeah, I might have gotten a bit more oil in the exhaust accidently than I thought.. we'll take care of it for you. They remove the exhaust (drummer), clean it out, put on new rear brake pads and wipe off all the oil. they said I can expect it to smell bad for a while from the residual oil and smoke a little. SOOOOo.... here's my problem. I was so pissed that I didn't think about everything the guy told me. Now that I look at it... the Drummer tip (below the oil tank drain plug is angled down ever so slightly. So, how does oil get in the exhaust? Seriously, I'm curious if anyone could enlighten me here. If that's the case then why did/do I have oil in my exhaust. What are all the possible causes based on the work performed originally( oil, tran and plugs) it was fine this morning before I took it in. I rode it around a little tonight to try and "dry her up" some more. Not too much smoke from the pipe... but I did get some from SOMEWHERE up front (around the front case it looked like). Noticed the front header pipe glowing BRIGHT red too (though I don't think that has anything to do with this... just thought it was interesting). I'm not noticing any performance hits really, still pulls and sounds sweet. Could it have been "overserviced" and blown a seal somewhere? Not other leaks noticed other than oil in the drummer... it still put a light greasy coat on the swingarm tonight when I shut it down, just from the gases. 1) how could oil have gotten in there in the first place since the drummer points a little down? 2) What other causes engine-wise or other, should I be looking for? possibilities? 3) Why am I smelling and seeing smoke from the front of the bike? ... all this from such a simple service? Ugh!!!!  | ||
| M1combat |
Maybe too much oil in the cases... It would continue to spill out until it gets to a safe/acceptable level. As far as the header running hot.... I think I remember a member by the handle of azfirebolt had the same thing happen to him. He had it fixed somehow... | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
If they aren't used to replacing the plugs the easy way, they may have tilted the motor downward. But I am not certain he got oil actually inside the exhaust and not mearly pooled it on top where the clamp sits. It would smoke just as bad unless that is when you reved the engine it smoked harder... | ||
| Reepicheep |
If, hypothetically speaking, a tech were to neglect to tighten down the oil filter all the way, what would that look like on an XB? I know it made one heck of a mess on my M2. Oil everywhere, all over the back of the bike. A chin fairing might make it look like you "filled the exhaust". | ||
| Lance12r |
Too much oil in the cases? Why would that happen? anything I need to look for on that? As far as oil IN the exhaust... it's there alright, you can look up the tip into it and see it. Grrrrr..... | ||
| Captainplanet |
Probably the tech tried to drain the oil without using a paper funnel. It will run all over the muffler. If you overfill an xb with oil, it will puke it out, but the airbox will hold quite a bit before it runs anywhere. | ||
| Fullpower |
quote" free service, so why not?" ok now you know "why not" | ||
| Fullpower |
i dont think you really need diagnostic help. you just need to do your oil changes without the assistance of the harley dealership. | ||
| Spiderman |
"I might have gotten a bit more oil in the exhaust accidently than I thought" That quote there makes it look like the tech filled the exhaust with Oil. I would check your swing arm an make sure there is still oil in in LOL. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Reep, if the oilfilter started to leak it could flow all over the inside fo the chin fairing and hence all over the front of the exhaust. | ||
| Flick |
The dumb sob who serviced your bike probably couldn't tell the difference between the drummer outlet pipe and the oil filler hole! Probably shoved the funnel into the drummer and "filled 'er up"! Do your own servicing, especially stuff as easy as oil changes...if this dealership can't accomplish the simple stuff, God Help You! | ||
| M1combat |
If there's actually oil IN the exhaust can... What's the fire probability? Can you lean the bike over or drive it up onto a steep ramp to dump most of it out? Can you get a turkey baster with a tube on the end in there? Is it pooled or just a coating? That would piss me off. | ||
| Xb9er |
If there's a way to make used oil draining out of an XB's swingarm flow directly into an exhaust outlet, only an HD tech would find the way. Not only that, they would do it to perfection and get as much oil in there as possible. On top of that, they would let you ride off without saying anything about it so you find out on your own. You are lucky your rear wheel didn't slide out on you and cause a crash! HD Mechanic/Tech slogan: "Buell. So different it doesn't make sense" Mike. With apologies to Buell-friendly dealers. edited by xb9er on April 21, 2004 | ||
| Xb9r49er |
Step 1 in owning a Buell; Buy the service manual cause the Harley Tech's dont have it.  | ||
| Lance12r |
Just a coating in there now... they took it (exhaust) off yesterday after I went back and mopped out all the big puddles in it. No smoke now but a nice burnt oil smell. The underside of the swing arm also gets a "film" on it from the exhaust gases but nothing dripping. I'm not concerned about fire... just worried about how much oily gas might be going back up into the cylinders. Any comments on that issue? I'm not sure if that would happen or not. | ||
| Flick |
...so, now we need a turkey baster when changing oil. Funny, didn't see this in the tools section of the shop manual...guess I better contact Buell to let them know to add this important diagnostic tool! Sorry for being so flippant, but this thread is really cracking me up! Haven't laughed so hard in YEARS! My sympathies for your plight...hopefully the smell subsides along with the problem. Hang in there, it can only get better from here on! | ||
| Spiderman |
So Lance did they fill up the Muffler instead of the swing arm? | ||
| 1320 |
I would be more concerned about the front header pipe glowing Cherry Red..on a carbureted XL motor that would usually mean a bad timing error or severly lean...unsure on an injected bike.. | ||
| Curtyd |
Here is something weird that happened on my old M2. Filled up the tank and parked it a few minutes later in the sun. Several hours later I went to start it wouldn't start and then it fired and it ran horrible for some seconds and then started blowing gas oil mix out the back of the crankcase breathing hose before it quit. Then it would not budge or turn over. Towed home from Daytona and I started poking around. Bottom line the gear oil had gas mixed into it and was thin as heck from that. The nearest we can figure is the full tank in the hot sun pressurized the gas and forced it past the rings into the crank area. My tech says there is a seal in the gear box that leads eventually to the crank area where the gas was sitting. The gas softened up the gasket and passed into the transmission and caused the increased pressure to blow out the breather hose and thinned the gear oil. I wouldn't have believed it was in the gearbox if I hadn't drained it myself. It was like water.Also the cylinders wouldn't compress anymore because there was fluids on top of the cylinders. Lucky it didn't bend the crank or rods. That was the best guess we could come up with, FREAKY. Anyhow, drained and put in new oil all around and put another 20K on the motor. Funniest thing I have had with a motorcycle, how's that for simple pushrod, V-twin technology? | ||
| Xb9er |
Good story Curtyd! The front header glowing red hot doesn't sound normal to me either. Mike. | ||
| Lance12r |
Spidy.... yeah I still have oil in the swing arm. And I've always done my own oil change to save the money unless it doesn't cost me anything (ie: free coupon). Anyway, I agree that I got what I paid for on this one. I guess the only other concern I have is that oil may be getting by the cylinders somehow. Since I still find it hard to believe that tech guy drained oil into the exhaust. | ||
| Curtyd |
What's weird is it's only our theory about what happened. I know it ran for a half minute or so blowing out oil gasmix from the breather hose. Then it wouldn't budge when I tried to restart it. I probably pulled the plugs and replaced them and then drained the transmission and it was thin as water, almost. Changed everything out, started and ran again without many problems to speak of. |
