| Author | Message | ||
     Wesleyb82 |
Long story short I ran my Cyclone with low oil starting around 3k or 4k on the bike to today with about 5k miles on it. Oil light never came on but only about 3/4 of a quart drained when I pulled the plug today and it was black as night. How bad is this? Can anyone provide thoughts or opinions based on personal experience, please, no guesses. Did I just take miles off the end life of this motor or should I put a for sale sign on it today? The rear breather bolt came loose and was dripping oil onto the fins of the head. I noticed a trail of burnt oil on the head 1-2k miles ago back but didn't think much of it bc there was nothing on the ground when I parked it. In hindsight looks like it was burning off on the exhaust. Huge oversight on my part I should have looked at it. I could be wrong but I think the guys at the dealership didn't tighten the breather bolt down enough l when they adjusted my carb. Or maybe it came loose on its own. Regardless, how bad is this? | ||
| Reepicheep |
If the oil light didn't come on, you are probably fine. Though obviously that oil is done for. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Oh wait, I just looked at your profile pic and that beautiful unmolested M2. So now on second thought, the bike is now ruined, will render you impotent if you ride it, is toxic to you and your neighbors, and will turn your town into a communist enclave. You must sell it immediately and get it far away from you. Like Ohio for example. That should be good. I'll give you $1000 for it, just cause I'm nice.  | ||
| Lakes |
Don't panic, just do an oil change & put new oil filter then check. this is a dry sump motor, sometimes you can have oil in motor that has not been scavenged back up into the oil tank also the head breather bolts leaking oil just means its been wet sumping, nothing new with these motors. don't panic. | ||
| Hootowl |
The breather bolt coming loose would not have made you lose oil. The oil that makes it to that bolt is either going to end up in your intake or your catch can (if you have one). There is no return path to the case from that point. I think if you've got a significant amount of oil coming out of that breather bolt, you've got another issue. | ||
| Dannybuell |
you actually have to run the motor for a few minutes to get the oil out of the sump and back into the oil bag. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Sounds awful! I'll only give $1200, and not a penny more! | ||
| Sportyeric |
If the bike has been sitting for a while at the time you drained the oil, then the missing oil has probably seeped past the check valve that is supposed to keep the oil in the oiltank and is now in your crankcase. Just do the oil change as usual but only add oil to the halfway mark. That willl let you safely start the engine and run it a few minutes so see if a large amount of oil is going to be pumped p to the tank and overfill it, in which case you might want to change the oil again. I think that if your motor were actually running out of oil, it would have made noises or smelled hot. | ||
| Wesleyb82 |
I don't know if I actually lost 2 quarts through the breather bolt (that was hand loose) or if there was more oil left in the motor. I had the engine warm after a short ride, drained about a quart after a few minutes plugged it back up, then added 2.5 quarts and ran it for about a minute and the oil bag level remained low so I topped it off and added the last 1/2 quart. Haven't ridden it and really warmed it up since the change. I'll get it hot tonight and keep my eye on the level? | ||
| Reepicheep |
If you didn't pull the filter, you left a decent amount of oil in there. So if you drained a quart, I bet there was at least another .75 quarts left in the motor. So you weren't *that* low. | ||
| Jim2 |
Just in case you didn't figure in the oil left in the oil filter, you should have had about 1/8 to 1/4 quart left in the oil filter. I find that after a fresh oil and filter change with two quarts of oil or just a hair less, my oil level measures a happy 1/4" to 3/8" inch on the factory dip stick. This is just a tad on the high side and is fine puttering around town, but will blow some out of the breather over extended highway speeds. The true perfect level for my M2 is 1/8" on the factory dip stick. No more and no less. When my breather bolt comes loose it does tend to get messy because what would go into my carb is now dripping out of the airbox instead. I check my front breather bolt at least four times a year because I can never get it to stay put any longer than three months. That is just because I run the factory airbox and the box vibrates the breather loose over time. | ||
| Wesleyb82 |
This all started during a normal oil change with the bike warm after a 2 mile ride. I pulled the plug and nothing much happened, so I pulled the filter hoping the flow would pick up but all that happened was I lost oil from the bottom of the filter onto the exhaust while I was watching the drain hose in anticipation. Anyway I plug it all up after a few minutes and add 2.5 qts, run the bike for about a minute and the oil level was at the bottom line so as per FMS I added the other .5 qt which brought me up to the top line. But I never let it run and get hot and get things moving around. I'm going to run it tonight and let it idle up good and get hot with the bag open and keep my eye on the level. Is that the right thing to do? Thanks a lot guys, without you and my FSM I would be lost so thanks. | ||
| 01x1buell |
well all i know is that mt bike, if the oil col is at the top line then you will have the cap blow off, my level is at bottom of dipstick when cold. I think you have put to much oil in your bike. | ||
| Hootowl |
+1 No higher than middle of the high/low marks when hot. | ||
| Wesleyb82 |
Ok so now what do I do? Drain 1/2 qt bf I start it? | ||
| Jim2 |
The measurements I mentioned earlier are in reference to the bottom of the dip stick. Anything touching the dipstick more than 1/8" from the very bottom is for sure too much and will blow out the breathers for mine. I'm sure it varies a little bit from bike to bike but most people here seem to agree that it should just touch the bottom of the factory dip stick. I measure with my bike in a wheel chock level. | ||
| Wesleyb82 |
Should I assume all of these numbers are hot engine measurements? | ||
| Jim2 |
You could leave it, ride it, and the excess will just go back into your engine or your catch can if you have one. If you breather bolt is still loose it will get all over the right side of your bike. But you could remove some with a turkey baster, ride a few miles to fully warm and check the level again. I don't think you need to worry about damage to the bike from what happened. You didn't mention any excessive knocking sounds. When the oil gets too low you'll hear the top end starved of oil and the rockers get extra loud. Kind of sounds like low octane pinging sound under heavy load. | ||
| Jim2 |
Yes, hot engine measurements only. Cold engine measurements mean nothing at all. | ||
| 01x1buell |
bottom of the dipstick COLD , at least on my bike. | ||
| Buellistic |
CHECK YOUR OIL Class 101, just PM me for a copy !!! | ||
| 01x1buell |
ahhh i was waiting for you to chime in LaFayette | ||
| Ratbuell |
bottom of the dipstick COLD , at least on my bike. Which means nothing on any other bike, because the drainback valves may/may not be working. Or partially open a little. Or a lot. Or anywhere in between. Check it hot. Every time. That way you have the same data, every time. Start, run, ride, turn off for X seconds (30? 60? how fast can you remove the seat?), and check it. EVERY time. I agree - no noises, no smoke, no low oil light (the light DOES come on with the key, before you start the engine...right?)...you're fine. | ||
| Dannybuell |
drain your engine oil and filter measure both. drain your transmission oil and measure, there should be a bit less than a quart. | ||
| Wesleyb82 |
I rode it good tn and the level was up to the top of the dip stick so I drained about 1/2 maybe 3/4 qt and let it run a bit and it was half way between the lines which it sounds from your suggestions where it should be. So in total I probably took out about 1 & 3/4 total yesterday and today.... I guess I lost a little more than a quart out of the breather bolt? Or is it possible I'm burning oil at 5k miles? I also snugged up the rear breather good but it was a bitch to get in there. I needed a shaved wrench since it was so tight. My grandfather just passed and left us his tools and when I couldn't find anything in my box I looked in his and found 1 cut off and shaved wrench... which was the right size and did the job! How cool is that. Anyway it was mid 30s tn in NY and she was missing and popping a little which I normally only get with a cold engine. Doesn't seem to like the cold at all. I pulled the choke out a bit which seemed to level her out. I also took some degreaser I bought from the dealership to clean up the head which I applied generously and lightly scrubbed in with a toothbrush. Took most of the burnt oil off but not all. Any suggestions on that? |
