| Author | Message | ||
     Brucelee |
I have been interested in picking up a Sport Tourer for some time to go with the XB. I have read good things about the S3. So, I see a very very pretty one at a local independent shop. 5K miles and spotless. The guy fires it up for me and I am sitting on it and BOOM, black oil comes streaming out the bike, on the side, rather low on the side. The dude tells me the oil is coming out the breather and it is no big deal. To me, it is a big deal and the oil clearly hadn't been changed in like, forever. Anyway, you guys with older Buells, was this guy being straight on the breather thing, and if so, why does that happen? Thanks | ||
| Mikej |
You'll have to know exactly where the oil spooged from. Go back, if it's reasonable to do so, and look at the rocker cover breather lines. Follow the drain/breather lines if possible to see if they go into the air filter arrangement, or if they are re-routed elsewhere. If they go into the air filter then see if that's where the spooge came from. If the lines run elsewhere try to follow them to their ends and see if that's where the oil came from. It's also possible, people being what they are, that someone re-routed the primary/tranny breather line or the oil tank/bag breather line and the oil may have come from one of those. If it came from the oil tank breather line then some yahoo may have overfilled the oil not realizing that the oil may have drained into the crankcase. If it came from the primary breather line you may have a blown seal (not the same as a blown Seal), or someone may have simply overfilled the primary case. Is the S3 you're looking at carb'd or f.i.'d? Does it have the stock air box or an aftermarket air filter assembly? What year is it and what dealership has it, someone here may know the bike in question and may have additional information for you. | ||
| Josh_ |
>streaming out the bike >dude tells me the oil is coming out the breather Run - don't walk - to find a different S3. Oil does not "stream" out of the breather unless that bike has real problems. The reason you run the breather out the back or to a catch can is that on a good long day of riding you might get an ounce or two of gunk (condensed oil vapor, gas, water) out of the breather. You do not get a "stream" of oil and you sure as hell should get anything if the bike is just idling. | ||
| Bomber |
Sounds like a bit more than a breather issue, although if it hadd been sitting without running forever, I spose it COULD be a breather thing (check where they routed the hoses to -- ) these motors WILL wet sump, and it doesn't take too darned long either if you're interested in the bike, have em clean it up and take it for a spin -- once all the oil is where it belongs (small amount in the sump, most in the tank, the rest in the filter and lines) it shouldn't spew much at all (light mist outa the hoses is OK, specially if it's coolish (condensation, doncha know) | ||
| Mikej |
If it has the stock air box, and if it's been sitting in the showroom for some time, and if it's only been started up and shut off and not really rode much, and if it's the least bit humid, oil could have accumulated in the rocker boxes and the air box and the air box gasket could have let loose some and there could have been a stream of a 1/4 cup of oil or more. So, yep, if it has the stock air box and stock breather line routing, have them remove the airbox cover and check things out. | ||
| Johnnyxb9 |
My X1W would puke if it had been sitting for a while. XB's have a much better breather system. Pretty normal for a tuber in my opinion. My concern would be the service upkeep on this machine. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
If it is an independant shop, its very possible they keep OVERFILLING the oiltank. IIRC that can cause a stream of oil to come out of the breather as the excess oil escapes. | ||
| Spiderman |
If the oil is streaming out of the breather the rings are shot. | ||
| Ted |
The 'BOOM' part would be a concern to me. why would that happen if its a breather/over fill issue ? | ||
| Jasonblue |
I don't think the bike actually went "boom", I think he used the word to describe when the oil started spewing. But I could be wrong. | ||
| Glitch |
Either way I'd be very leary of buying a bike that leaked at all, unless of course the price was very very low and was told about it before starting it up. | ||
| Bigbird |
Some of the talent here is amazing! If I could make a surefire diagnosis with the conviction and certainty of some of the responses here based on the little bit of info we've gotten so far I'd be worth millions. Some of you are truly wasting your talents  Based on the info you've given us a likely cause of the oil leakage would be a wet sump condition. This can occur if the bike sits for a long period of time without being started. Oil can slowly drain into the sump while it's sitting. Then when the engine is first started the sump is overfull and the excess oil gets pumped out of the breather ports until the oil pump is able to pump the contents of the sump back into the tank. Keep in mind that more info would be needed to provide a truly accurate diagnosis because the batteries just died in my crystal ball  | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
Thanks Bigbird, that was the explanation I was thinking I had seen before, its the sump being full and not the oiltank itself being overfull. | ||
| Brucelee |
I decided to stick with my VFR for sport touring. Thanks for all the input. | ||
| Mikej |
"I decided to stick with my VFR for sport touring. " Enjoy the ride. It's not what you ride, It is _that_ you ride. The Dealership variable is always the major factor in the Buell ownership experience. Coffin nails anyone? |
