| Author | Message | ||
     Swampy |
I use the Castrol full synthetic 20W-50 in both Blasts and the sportster. I am certain it is what saved the Big Kids engine when he lost the oil pump drive gear. | ||
| Luckyduck |
I have an oil use question. Going through my expenses for the last year, I realized that between 1500 and 4000 miles my blast used 4 quarts of engine oil. That is roughly 1 quart per 600 miles. It explains the constant oil spoo from the crankcase vent. So, here are my 2 questions: How much oil does your Blast use? (miles per quart) Where do you carry the spare oil when you drive? As I have to put in oil at least every other gas fill I am trying to find a tidy place for oil and a funnel. Thanks Paul | ||
| Joey |
That's a bit high. I probably use 2 quarts a year, and I ride about 5K a year. I used to have it in a Wal-Mart bag in my saddle bag, but I don't have the saddle bag any more. Now my oil and funnel sit right where I park when I get home. | ||
| Swampy |
How many miles do you have on your Blast? They take up to 4000 miles before things are seated. I have a small plastic 8 oz squirt bottle that I got from Harbor Freight. It was a couple of bucks for a 6 pack. I then empty(Caution, Do Not Eat!) a Pringles potato chip container (round) and stuff a couple of rags and the oil squirt bottle into it and toss it in the bag. Of course I don't know what I speak of because of the F###in' Snow! | ||
| Ezblast |
LOL - I keep a qt and funnel right by the tool box - usually 3 so I can do an oil change - I usually use Mobil 1 15-50 but wouldn't hesitate to use Penzoil or Castrol synth either - its just easier to find Mobil where I live. Oil consumption depends on how you ride the bike. The former red bike uses less oil in the city - when I keep the rpm's down - the black I keep at the higher rpms and thus spits/consumes more oil. EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
I leave the oil at home and check/fill it there. 1qt per 600 miles is high. I think stock it might have been 1qt per 1000 miles at worst. After doing both top ends oil usage is minimal. I didnt use any oil for at least 2000 miles after redoing the first top end. Anything thinner than 20w-50 gets used up quickly though. | ||
| Luckyduck |
Hey Again, Now that I am down to buying parts for my winter bike project to cut oil use, there are some questions. Most of my oil use appears to be spitting it into the air box and not burning it. I say this because it doesn't smoke at all, but the air box is always oily So far my only definite action is to switch back to 20-50 dinosaur oil instead of synthetic. SO, is there anything in particular I should do/check in the PCV area that could cut this? Is it possible the PCV is bad? My friends shovelhead had this happen, but he blew out all the oil quickly when it did. Will rerouting the breather cut oil use, or just pour it out somewhere else? Thanks again. Now that it shifts good, getting the oil use down is the next project. Paul | ||
| Swampy |
You probably have a bit of "blow by" or combustion gasses leaking past the piston rings. I am wondering how much mileage you have on your bike. If it is anything less then 5000, I would just ride the piss out of it for a little while longer and see what happens. This assumes your oil level is correct, engine hot from riding 20 minutes or longer, level between the marks. The other thing to do would be to replace the grommet and breather elbow on the rocker cover. And, no matter what, I would also route the breather line to someplace low on the bike. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Concur! Definitely reroute the breather to vent to the ground or a catch can. Taking it out of the airbox will help. I would think synthetic would diminish oil usage, but dino sure is a lot cheaper to go through! Its still going to pour it out someplace else, just to a somewhat lesser degree. I doubt the PCV is bad or is causing excessive oil into the airbox. The other option is bore,hone, piston & rings (or re sleeve cylinder and rings). Thats the only thing I can think of that will cure your problem. Try running straight 50w (or 60) oil and see if the problem goes away. You may have bought a bike that was poorly broken in or abused. Not that your problem is unusual, you just seem to be on the excessive side though. Have you done a compression check? | ||
| Luckyduck |
I have not done a compression test yet. Have to find a tester to borrow. The bike has 4k miles on it, no idea what the PO did for the first 1500 that they had it. It uses oil the worst on longer trips where it is hanging out at 70-75 mph for several tanks of gas at a time. It will go from full to off the dip stick in 100 miles. Since I am a little low on cash right now, the ride it hard for another thousand or so sounds like a good idea. The 515 hi-comp kit is going to be the solution if that doesn't work. One nice thing about restoring an '06 is that parts are easy to get.  Now off to find a tidy way to do the vent somewhere else with a catch can so it doesn't just oil the rear tire. Paul | ||
| Swampy |
Well at only 4000 miles your bike is just getting broke in....LOL! It will run alot better sooner, have faith. Its a little cold now...if you know what I mean. Also running it 70-75 mph for long streachs will cause it to consume more oil as it will get hot, and thin out causing and move with the gasses in the crankcase. And just what weight oil are you using? Like Gearheadericko said, try a heavier weight oil than what you have been using. Remember though, a heavier oil will take longer to warm up and flow like it is supposed to. | ||
| Luckyduck |
Swampy, I have 15W-50 Mobil 1 Synthetic in there now. Even it is really stiff at 10 degrees. The long break in/down period has been frustrating. It is a good thing the Blast is so darn much fun to ride. Paul | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
I've found that anything less than 20w-50 (synthetic or not) will get consumed more quickly. That includes both bikes that have new top ends, but neither spits it out the breather to a great degree. Though if you live north, you might have to use thinner oil during Winter and suffer the increase in consumption. | ||
| Swampy |
15W-50, winter 20W-50, summer Of course, I'm not riding when its that cold out, 40+ I just use 20W-50 all the time and let it get good and warmed up before going anywhere, then taking it easy until it all comes up to temperature. I have a 40-40 Rule around here. | ||
| Toniportray |
The introductory note at the beginning of the discussion states: "Note: Do not use any 75/90 or other gear oil - they have sulfates that damage wires and any yellow metals found in the primary where it was used. It is now recommended not to use it!" Okay, so I've spent a few hours reading through the debates all across BadWeb, and can't quite set it straight. Some folks like EZ say they DO recommend Mobil 75/90 in the primary. Others say 20w50 engine oil is best. Some of those arguments are 4-5 years old. Has time changed anyone's opinions? If I go to my local Kragen Auto Parts store this week, what should I buy for my primary? | ||
| Joey |
HD's new synthetic 20W50 is recommended for the engine and the transmission, so Mobil's 20W50, which is second only to Amzoil (my opinion) is my preferred choice. I have better (quieter) noises in my transmission with it, and less slippage. | ||
| Swampy |
I found some Mobile 1 15W-50 for $5, thats what I use until I run out. | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
Concur! If its marked 'gear oil', you should definitely check it out to be safe. Not all gear oils cause the problem. I've been using Redline 75w90 gear oil for almost 20 years in the trans/primary and I've double checked with Redline to be sure its safe. The easy way out is to get whats recommended by HD or use something else thats in common usage. Dont waste your clutch plates by experimenting! (Message edited by Gearheaderiko on March 29, 2008) | ||
| Toniportray |
Good God. Do not underestimate the oil consumption of the Blast. I just did. About 2 weeks and 750 miles ago, I added 1.5 quarts of oil. It had previously ridden 2100 miles on 2 quarts of oil and since my mileage racks up real fast because of my long commute, I hadn't checked it prior to adding this 1.5 quarts. I checked the oil last week and it was towards the very bottom of the dipstick. I thought it was just a mistaken reading. 300 miles of riding later, I decide it's time for an oil change. I start draining and get out 1 quart of oil. What the crap? Where'd all the oil go?! That's 3.5 quarts in just under 3000 miles and only 1 quart is left at drainage? Oh my. At 8176 miles I wouldn't expect such a high consumption. Someone else reported a consumption of 4 quarts in 2500 miles. Geez. I guess I should be checking that oil every week. The manual says to check at each fill up. Isn't that a bit silly, or am I really underestimating just how much oil this little monster chugs? | ||
| Reuel |
Check at each fill up. It was probably broken in according to the manual. If it had been broken in properly, (ridden HARD after warming up during the first 100 miles) it would probably do better. Do you do lots of highway/high RPM miles? It seems to blow oil out the PCV hose at higher RPMs. Actually, you probably have a pint or so in the oil filter and in parts that don't drain when you get the oil out. | ||
| Ezblast |
Don't forget the 1/4 qt in the filter and lines - I check my oil once a week, and after any long - 100+ miles - ride, I try to keep it toped off. Hi rpm riding will have you using more oil as well - I know this well. EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
All you have to do is unscrew the dipstick, look at it, then screw it back in. 15 seconds? You dont really even need to wipe it off. | ||
| Ezblast |
I do not recommend 75/90 gear oils, not since tests have shown sulfates, than can harm copper, reside in them, and not in engine oils. In fact I was a big fan of 15/50 Mobile 1 for everything for a while now. 4 years at least - if not more. EZ | ||
| Gearheaderiko |
huh? | ||
| Ezblast |
Just read Tony's Jan 16th post - lol | ||
| Toniportray |
Yeah, 90% of my 91 (45.5 each way) mile daily commute is highway riding. I usually hold it around 70mph. If I'm in a hurry, I run at 80mph. Not much more than that to avoid tickets. I also have the PCV line venting to the atmosphere, so maybe lots of the oil is venting out that way. Maybe I'm just stubborn, but I think I'll just check and probably add oil every weekend. That'll be about every 400 miles. Checking at each fill up is a bit much for me since that's 4-5 days a week. And yeah, there's always oil in the system and filter that I forgot to consider. | ||
| Luckyduck |
Toni, I am the one burning a quart every 800 miles of 70mph riding. When I am on the highway I check the oil every fill and add a cup or so every other fill to keep it around the bottom of the dip stick. It seems worse when it is hot out. I rerouted my vents this winter, so we will see if that helps. By the way, where can you get that much speed in Santa Rosa? When I lived there my commute was all 30mph lane splitting on the 101. Paul | ||
| Ezblast |
Check your oil at least every fill up. EZ | ||
| Fast1075 |
A little personal input on oils and a wet clutch. I recently retired from dragracing. My racing partner still races, and I am now the "crew chief" and "tuner". As some of you may be aware, I have stated that I am new to Buells..I have had my P-3 for about a month..my experience is with "import" engines, specifically the older Kawasaki KZ based engines. At any rate, the simlarities should be there. The clutch we use is a modified unit with stock plates. The unit is made by a company called MTC Engineering...and is modified to operate by centrifugal force. gas it and go...the engines produce quite a bit more horsepower than they were designed to make....having said that, on to the oil thing. Having used a variety of oils from straight mineral oil to several brands of synthetic, the oil that has consistently offered good performance and longevity of the plate package is Mobil 1 it appearently have the proper lubricity and anti wear additives, but allows for enough "bite" for the clutch pack to solidly engage....as a note, with mineral oils, the life of the clutch pack would be 40 or so passes...with Mobil 1, the clutch (if properly maintained and serviced) will last half a season. Not bad for a system originally designed to handle 70 horsepower or so being asked to handle well over 150 horsepower depending over the state of the nitrous tune. | ||
| Reuel |
Which Mobile 1? They make so many varieties of oil. Am I good with the 15W50 synthetic? That's what I'm using now, and it seems to be an improvement over 75W90 gear oil. |
